Marketing Director

Ghafari Associates, LLC; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life Insurance

401(k) match

Flexible Spending Accounts

Health Savings Accounts

Teladoc

Employee Assistance Program

Educational Assistance

Paid Time Off

8 Paid Holidays

Job summary

Ghafari Associates in Chicago seeks a Marketing Director to shape and execute our global marketing strategy, drive client acquisition, and support growth across markets. You will lead a distributed team, collaborate with client-facing groups, and ensure brand consistency across channels.

The ideal candidate has 10+ years in marketing, a track record of sales growth domestically and internationally, and experience managing marketing teams in a matrix organization.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in marketing, public relations, business, journalism, or related field required.
• MBA is a plus.
• Experience: 10+ years of marketing experience with 5+ years of direct management responsibility.
• Architecture / Engineering / Construction or real estate industry experience strongly preferred.
• Proven track record of success in driving sales growth both domestically and internationally.
• Experience developing and growing a marketing team.

Responsibilities

• Manage a distributed team of marketing coordinators across 11 global offices.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive marketing strategy aligned with the firm's overall business objectives.
• Create strategies to effectively reach and engage new target markets and client segments.
• Oversee the development, maintenance, and extension of the firm's brand identity.
• Lead digital marketing efforts, including website content management, online advertising, social media, email campaigns, and search / engine optimization.
• Plan and execute events, conferences, and seminars to enhance the firm's visibility and attract potential clients.

Skills

Strategic marketing

Leadership

Market research

Digital marketing

Content creation

Analytics

Budget management

Team management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in marketing, public relations, business, journalism, or related field

MBA

Tools

Deltek Vantagepoint

OpenAsset

Joist AI

Adobe Creative Suite

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Description: General Summary The Marketing Director plays a vital role in shaping and executing Ghafari’s marketing strategy to drive business growth and client acquisition. The ideal candidate must be comfortable and have experience working in a matrix organization, developing and executing strategic marketing and sales plans, creating efficiency-driven processes, collaborating globally, driving innovation, and integrating acquired marketing and sales forces.

Essential Job Functions

• Manage a distributed team of marketing coordinators that support all 11 of the firm’s global offices
• Develop and implement a comprehensive marketing strategy aligned with the firm's overall business objectives
• Create strategies to effectively reach and engage new target markets and client segments
• Oversee the development, maintenance, and extension of the firm's brand identity
• Ensure consistency in messaging and branding across all marketing channels
• Conduct market research to stay informed about industry trends, client needs, and competitor activities
• Use market insights to inform marketing strategies and identify new opportunities
• Collaborate with client-facing teams to understand client needs and expectations
• Develop and implement strategies to enhance client satisfaction and loyalty
• Oversee the creation of high-quality, relevant content for various marketing channels (website, social media, whitepapers, etc.), ensuring that it aligns with the firm's messaging and resonates with its target audience
• Lead digital marketing efforts, including website content management, online advertising, social media, email campaigns, and search / answer engine optimization
• Analyze digital marketing metrics to assess the effectiveness of campaigns and make data-driven decisions
• Plan and execute events, conferences, and seminars to enhance the firm's visibility and attract potential clients
• Develop and manage the marketing budget, allocating resources effectively to achieve maximum impact and monitoring ROI
• Use analytics tools to track KPIs, optimize marketing strategies, and provide regular reports to executive leadership
• Work with various stakeholders to keep client database up to date
• Develop, document, and implement efficiency-enabling processes and identify and vet tools and technologies that facilitate such processes
• Draft executive-level communications distributed internally and / or externally

Employment Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in marketing, public relations, business, journalism, or related field required
• Master of Business Administration a plus
• Experience: 10+ years of marketing experience with 5+ years of direct management responsibility
• Architecture / Engineering / Construction or real estate industry experience strongly preferred
• A proven track record of success in driving sales growth both domestically and internationally
• Experience developing and growing a marketing team

Skills / Competencies

• A leader and strategic thinker capable of driving marketing initiatives that contribute to the firm's success in competitive markets
• Superior organization and planning skills
• Excellent verbal communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills
• Excellent business writing and editing skills
• A process-oriented and highly organized leader with experience managing and mentoring junior- and senior-level staff alike
• Verifiable ROI and sales tracking, analysis, and reporting skills
• Computer literacy for all major business programs and email systems; proficiency in Microsoft Office programs required, knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite programs required, experience with Deltek Vantagepoint and OpenAsset preferred, experience with Joist AI a plus

Benefits

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life Insurance
• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• 401(k) match
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Health Savings Accounts
• Teladoc
• Employee Assistance Program
• Professional License Reimbursement
• Educational Assistance
• Voluntary Pet Insurance
• Parental Leave
• Paid Time Off
• 8 Paid Holidays

The annual base salary range for this position is $140,000 to $160,000. Individual pay is based on factors such as relevant experience, job-related skills, education, and training.

About Us

At Ghafari Associates, we don’t just design buildings—we help shape the future of the industries we serve. As a global leader in architecture, engineering, and consulting, we partner with clients to deliver forward-thinking solutions that transform how people work, manufacture, and connect. Our strength lies in our people. We bring together curious minds, technical experts, and creative problem-solvers who thrive on collaboration and innovation. Whether supporting major industrial programs or advancing federal and commercial projects, our teams are empowered to make a meaningful impact—both for our clients and within our communities. We are committed to investing in our employees’ financial, physical, and emotional well-being, as well as their professional growth. Through robust training, licensure support, internships, mentorships, and tuition reimbursement, we provide the resources our people need to build rewarding careers while making a lasting difference in the communities we are proud to call home.

Ghafari Associates is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. As a federal contractor, Ghafari Associates maintains affirmative action programs for individuals with disabilities and protected veterans in accordance with applicable laws.

Pay Transparency

Ghafari Associates will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

Accommodation

Ghafari Associates is also committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities in the employment application process. If you need an accommodation due to a disability to use our online system to apply for a position, you may also apply for positions in the following ways: By fax at: 313.436.8624, Attn: Human Resources By mail at: 17101 Michigan Ave., Dearborn, MI 48126, Attn: Human Resources In person at: 17101 Michigan Ave., Dearborn, MI 48126 By email at: [e-mail] If there are any questions about the accommodations offered above, please contact 313.441.3000 for assistance.

Ghafari is a community where talent thrives. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to deepen your skills, collaborate with industry leaders, and work on transformative projects around the globe.