WKAR Director of Marketing & Promotions / Marketing & Communications Manager

Working/Functional Title

WKAR Director of Marketing & Promotions

Position Summary

WKAR Public media seeks a Director of Marketing and Promotions to lead the development and execution of integrated marketing, promotion, and audience-growth strategies for WKAR's original programming, news coverage, community events, and overall station identity across TV, radio, digital, social, and print channels. Reporting to the General Manager, the Director of Marketing and Promotions is responsible for building public awareness of and engagement with WKAR as mid-Michigan's trusted source for news, educational content, and cultural programming and for translating that awareness into measurable growth in viewership, listenership, digital engagement, event attendance, and member support.

The ideal candidate is a strategic, hands-on marketing leader with a demonstrated record of growing audience awareness and engagement for a media brand, cultural institution, nonprofit, or comparable organization, using both proven marketing fundamentals and current, innovative promotional practices.

Key responsibilities include but are not limited to;

Strategy & Campaign Leadership

• Develop and execute comprehensive marketing and promotion strategies and campaigns for WKAR original programs, news initiatives, special broadcasts, and community events, as well as for overall station awareness and brand positioning.
• Set measurable goals for reach, audience growth, engagement, and event attendance, and report regularly on campaign performance to station leadership.
• Build annual and campaign-specific marketing plans that align with WKAR's broadcast calendar, education initiatives, fundraising cycles (pledge drives, major gifts, corporate support), and community events.

Multi-Platform Promotion

• Oversee on-air promotion across WKAR-TV and WKAR's radio services (90.5 WKAR-FM, WKAR NewsTalk, Classical, Jazz, and the Radio Reading Service).
• Lead digital and social media marketing across WKAR.org, email/newsletter programs (e.g., The Signal), streaming platforms, and social channels (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn).
• Direct paid, earned, and owned media strategies, including media buys, cross-promotional partnerships, press relations, and community outreach.
• Guide the creation of promotional assets — trailers, graphics, digital ads, print materials, signage, and event collateral — in partnership with WKAR's production, digital, and news teams.

Audience Growth & Engagement

• Apply data and audience research (Nielsen/ratings data, digital analytics, PBS/NPR audience insights, member and donor data) to identify growth opportunities and refine targeting.
• Grow awareness of and engagement with WKAR's education and community-engagement initiatives, including WKAR Family, the Michigan Learning Channel, and Learning Connections programming.
• Champion innovative, well-tested promotional practices — including emerging digital, social, and content-marketing tactics — to reach new and diverse audiences across mid-Michigan.

Events & Community Engagement

• Plan and promote WKAR-hosted and co-hosted community events, screenings, and education initiatives that reflect the station's civic and educational mission.
• Build and maintain relationships with community organizations, schools, cultural institutions, and civic partners to expand WKAR's visibility and community footprint.
• Represent WKAR at community and industry events as a spokesperson for the station's brand and mission

Team & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Supervise and mentor marketing, promotions, and events staff; manage freelance and marketing and promotion vendor relationships (design, media buying, printing, etc.) as needed.
• Partner closely with WKAR teams (News, Education, Development, etc.) to ensure consistent messaging and coordinated campaigns across the organization.
• Manage the marketing and promotions budget, ensuring efficient use of resources and strong return on investment.
• Ensure all marketing and promotional materials reflect WKAR's brand standards and comply with NPR, PBS, and FCC underwriting and promotional guidelines.

While occasional flexibility may be available based on business needs, this position is primarily an in-person role with regular on-site work expectations. Standard work hours are generally 8:00 - 5:00 p.m.; however, flexibility to work evenings and weekends is required as needed to support programs, events, and business operations. 

Minimum Requirements

• Knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year degree in Marketing, Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, or a related field;
• Five to Eight years of progressively responsible experience in marketing, promotions, or brand management, ideally in media, broadcasting, nonprofit, education, or a comparable mission-driven environment;
• Demonstrated success developing and executing marketing and promotional campaigns that measurably increased awareness of, and engagement with, a product, service, program, or organization;
• Strong command of both traditional marketing/promotion methods (broadcast promotion, PR, direct outreach) and current digital and social media best practices;
• Excellent written, verbal, and visual communication skills, including the ability to write and edit compelling promotional copy;
• Experience managing budgets, vendors, and cross-functional projects, along with supervisory or team-leadership experience;
• Proficiency with digital marketing and analytics tools (e.g., social media management platforms, email marketing systems, Google Analytics or similar);
• Or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience in public media, broadcasting, or a PBS/NPR-member station environment, including familiarity with FCC underwriting rules and public media promotional standards.
• Experience marketing educational or community-engagement programming.
• Familiarity with audience measurement tools relevant to public media (e.g., Nielsen, PBS/NPR audience insights platforms).
• Event marketing or community-partnership experience.
• Graphic design, videography, or content-production skills.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Application Materials

Interested candidates should submit a resume, cover letter, and examples of past marketing or promotional campaigns (with results, where available) through MSU Careers Portal. For more information about WKAR Public Media, visit wkar.org.

Work Hours

STANDARD 8-5

Website

WKAR.ORG

Bidding Eligibility ends September 16, 2026 at 11:55 PM