Marketing Specialist, Advertising, Promotions & Email

Lyric Opera of Chicago; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 45,000 - 53,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) with company match

PTO (sick, vacation, personal days, &H

Life/AD&D coverage

Complimentary tickets

Job summary

Lyric Opera of Chicago is seeking a Marketing Specialist, Advertising, Promotions & Email to support advertising campaigns, promotions, and email marketing for the mainstage season and special events.

You will coordinate trafficking, liaise with media agencies, manage promotional codes, and build email campaigns in Prospect2 to drive ticket sales and subscriptions. The role requires strong copywriting, organization, and collaboration within a fast-paced team.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years of marketing experience, preferably in performing arts.
• Strong copywriting skills for audience-specific sales copy.
• Experience with email marketing platforms; familiarity with Prospect2 is a plus.
• Highly organized with ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines.
• Detail-oriented with urgency and follow-through.
• Collaborative team player but also able to work independently.
• Familiarity with multi-channel campaigns and analytics tools.

Responsibilities

• Write compelling sales copy for email campaigns across the mainstage season and events.
• Build, format, and proof emails in Prospect2; ensure content accuracy and deployment timing.
• Execute email deployments and maintain the campaign calendar with the team.
• Track and report on email performance metrics to inform strategy.
• Coordinate advertising campaign trafficking across print, digital, radio, and OOH.
• Support partnerships and audience retention initiatives and loyalty programs.

Skills

Copywriting

Email marketing

Prospect2

Project management

Multi-channel

Analytics

Team collaboration

Attention to detail

Deadline-driven

Tools

Prospect2

Tessitura

Google Data Studio

Job description

REPORTS TO: Director of Sales and Advertising

STATUS: Full-time, Non-Exempt

Lyric Opera of Chicago is where the world sings - and where Chicago comes alive.

Under the leadership of General Director, President & CEO John Mangum and Music Director Enrique Mazzola, Lyric stands at the intersection of artistic excellence and civic purpose, harnessing the full power of opera - voice, orchestra, stagecraft, and story - to illuminate the questions, emotions, and experiences that define us as human beings.

Nearly 75 seasons of world-class performances have made Lyric one of the greatest opera companies in the world. What drives us now is what has always driven us: the belief that this art form, at its best, can move people in ways nothing else can. Lyric is also Chicago’s partner - in its neighborhoods, its schools, and its communities - through education, engagement, and a relentless commitment to making opera accessible, relevant, and irresistible to everyone. At the heart of that commitment is The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, which trains the artists who will carry this art form into its future. Every night when the curtain rises, Lyric reminds this city - and the world - why live performance still matters.

Lyric Opera of Chicago doesn’t just present opera, it redefines what opera can be. It is where Chicago comes to be moved - come inside.

The Marketing Specialist, Advertising, Promotions & Email supports the execution of Lyric's advertising and promotional campaigns across the mainstage opera season, special events, and year-round programming. This role is central to two areas of the marketing operation: trafficking and coordinating advertising campaign creative, and executing Lyric's email marketing program through Prospect2 - from copywriting and email builds to deployment and performance tracking. The position reports to the Director of Sales and Advertising and works collaboratively across the marketing team to support ticket sales and subscription revenue goals.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Advertising & Promotions

• Coordinate advertising campaign trafficking, including asset management, routing materials for approval, and overseeing the proofing process across print, digital, radio, and out-of-home placements.
• Serve as the day-to-day liaison to Lyric's media buying agencies, supporting placement logistics and identifying niche marketing opportunities tied to specific productions.
• Create and manage all promotional codes for the Marketing Department and other departments as needed.
• Manage third-party ticket sales relationships, including writing marketing copy, managing inventory, reconciling sales, and serving as the point of contact between Audience Services, Box Office and external vendors.
• Contribute to advertising and direct mail projects, including asset coordination, promotion setup, and proofing.
• Support the identification and execution of strategic promotional partnerships that drive ticket sales.
• Support audience retention initiatives including the annual Subscriber Season Preview, ticket fulfillment communications, and other loyalty-focused projects.
• Support public-facing events - both Lyric-driven and external - through the creation of collateral materials and coordination of participation logistics.

Email Marketing (Prospect2)

• Write compelling sales copy for email campaigns targeting prospective and existing audiences across the mainstage season, special events, and other programming.
• Build, format, and proof emails in Prospect2, ensuring accuracy of content, links, audience segmentation, and deployment timing.
• Execute email deployments and maintain the campaign calendar in coordination with the broader marketing team.
• Track and report on email performance metrics to inform ongoing campaign strategy.

These duties may change as Lyric's leadership identifies the need at any time.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• At least 2 years of experience in marketing, preferably in the performing arts or a related field.
• Strong copywriting skills with the ability to craft compelling, audience-specific sales copy.
• Experience with email marketing platforms; familiarity with Prospect2 a plus.
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.
• Detail-oriented and self-motivated, with a strong sense of urgency and follow-through.
• Collaborative team player who can also work independently.
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, multi-channel environment.
• Knowledge of Tessitura and Google Data Studio or other analytics tools is a plus.
• Passion for the performing arts, especially opera.

WORK CONDITIONS

• Occasional evening or weekend availability required for events, deployments, or performances.
• Primarily office-based with extended periods of computer work.
• Salary commensurate with experience. Lyric offers generous vacation and holiday time and a competitive benefits package.

COMPENSATION

Job Classification: Full-time, Non-Exempt

Salary Range: $45,000-$53,000 annually

Application Deadline: Friday, October 2, 2026 (1:00pm CT)

Lyric Opera offers benefits including health, dental, vision, 403B (no company match), 401(k) with company match, PTO (including sick, vacation, and personal days, and holidays), life/AD&D coverage, opportunities for professional development, and complimentary tickets.

Lyric Opera of Chicago is committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, parental status, socio-economic status, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. We strongly encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply.