Senior Manager Marketing

City of Charlotte; Charlotte (NC); On-site; CAD 137,000 - 196,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Charlotte’s Charlotte Area Transit System is seeking a Senior Manager of Marketing to lead strategy and execution of marketing programs that grow ridership, promote fare initiatives, and raise brand awareness across diverse audiences.

Reporting to the Director, this role combines strategic direction with hands-on program delivery in a public-sector context, guiding staff, partnerships, and analytics to improve customer engagement and service utilization during a period of organizational

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 10 years of progressively responsible marketing experience.
• Public-sector, transit, or government experience preferred.
• Leadership of marketing programs with performance accountability and staff management.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategy and programs for ridership growth, fare initiatives and service awareness.
• Translate priorities into campaigns and engagement initiatives.
• Establish long-term marketing plans aligned with agency goals and customer experience.
• Oversee multi-channel campaigns across digital, print, broadcast, and community channels.

Skills

Strategic Marketing Leadership

Campaign Architecture

Brand Governance

Organizational Leadership

Data-Driven Decision Making

Collaboration and Stakeholder Engageme

Education

Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, business administration, public administration or related field

Master’s degree in marketing, business administration or public administration

Job description

Department: Charlotte Area Transit System Department

Salary: $98,731.00 - $141,926.09 Commensurate with Experience

Thank you for your interest in joining the team that keeps Charlotte moving, at a very exciting time for our organization. At the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), we’re committed to delivering safe, reliable, and innovative transit services for our growing community, and we value employees who bring professionalism, passion, and a commitment to public service.

This position is currently employed by CATS, a department of the City of Charlotte. With the passage of the PAVE Act and last year’s sales tax referendum, CATS is preparing to transition from a City department to the newly created Metropolitan Public Transit Authority (MPTA). The MPTA was established to strengthen regional transit governance, improve accountability, and support long‑term investment in mobility. It’s an important and exciting step forward for transit in our region.

Employees hired into this role will remain City employees through December 31, 2026, and will transition to MPTA employment on January 1, 2027. Benefits and compensation will follow City provisions through 2026 and shift to MPTA provisions in 2027, with clear information shared in advance. Your core duties, reporting structure, and daily responsibilities will remain consistent, with no break in service. If anything delays the transition, your City employment, including compensation and benefits, will remain in place until the move to the MPTA occurs.

The creation of the MPTA positions us for a more modern, sustainable, and efficient transit system, one that can better support the Charlotte region for decades to come. We’re excited about what’s ahead and appreciate your interest in being part of it.

SUMMARY

The Senior Manager of Marketing serves as the senior leader responsible for the strategy, execution and performance of CATS’ marketing and promotional functions. Reporting to the Director of Marketing and Communications, this role provides leadership for marketing programs supporting ridership growth, fare initiatives, brand awareness and customer engagement across diverse audiences.

This position holds accountability for both strategic marketing direction and operational execution, particularly in a phased organizational structure where Manager-level roles may not yet be established. The Senior Director directly oversees marketing staff and program delivery while establishing the systems, processes and performance standards necessary to support future organizational scaling.

Operating within a complex public‑sector transit environment, the role translates agency priorities into integrated campaigns, partnerships and outreach strategies that expand awareness, improve customer understanding and support service utilization. The Senior Manager also plays a key role in building a sustainable marketing function capable of evolving into a multi‑layered organization.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

Marketing Strategy and Program Leadership

• Provide strategic leadership for all marketing programs supporting ridership growth, fare initiatives and service awareness
• Translate organizational priorities into targeted marketing strategies, campaigns and engagement initiatives
• Establish long‑term marketing plans aligned with agency goals, service delivery priorities and customer experience objectives
• Balance strategic planning with direct oversight of program execution in a developing organizational structure

Campaign Planning, Execution and Oversight

• Lead development and execution of integrated marketing campaigns across digital, print, broadcast and community channels
• Ensure campaigns align with operational realities, service conditions and organizational priorities
• Oversee campaign timelines, deliverables and performance outcomes
• Evaluate campaign effectiveness and adjust strategies based on performance data
• Assume direct responsibility for campaign execution in the absence of a manager‑level role
• Assume oversight of Transit Advertising Program

Brand Governance and Creative Direction

• Establish and maintain brand standards, messaging frameworks and visual identity guidelines
• Provide oversight of creative direction and content development across all marketing channels
• Ensure consistency and quality of marketing materials across the organization
• Align brand messaging with customer experience, accessibility considerations and public‑sector communication standards

Fare Programs and Promotions

• Develop and oversee marketing strategies supporting fare programs, promotions and service initiatives
• Support the development of partnerships with employers, institutions and community organizations
• Coordinate promotional activities tied to service expansions, policy changes, and special initiatives
• Ensure alignment between partnership activities and agency marketing objectives

Marketing Analytics and Performance Management

• Establish performance metrics and monitoring frameworks for marketing initiatives
• Analyze engagement data, ridership trends and campaign outcomes to guide decision‑making
• Prepare reports and evaluations supporting leadership visibility and accountability
• Identify opportunities to improve marketing effectiveness and return on investment

Organizational Leadership and Workforce Development

• Provide direct supervision of marketing staff, including specialists, designers and other assigned personnel
• Establish accountability structures, performance expectation and operational standards
• Build scalable systems and processes supporting future organizational growth
• Develop staff capabilities and prepare the organization for transition to a multi‑layered structure

Cross‑Functional Coordination and Organizational Alignment

• Collaborate with Communications, Customer Service, Operations, Planning and Finance teams
• Ensure marketing initiatives align with service delivery priorities and operational constraints
• Support cross‑departmental initiatives and integrated outreach efforts
• Facilitate coordination between marketing activities and agency‑wide programs

Budget and Resource Management

• Develop and manage marketing budgets and resource allocations
• Oversee procurement and contract administration for marketing services, vendors and consultants
• Ensure responsible stewardship of financial resources
• Support planning for future resource needs as the marketing function expands

Core Competencies:

Strategic Marketing Leadership : Ability to lead both strategy and execution in a dynamic and evolving organizational structure.

• Establishes marketing priorities aligned with agency goals
• Translates strategy into actionable programs.
• Balances long‑term planning with immediate execution needs.

Campaign Architecture and Execution : Ability to design, lead and deliver integrated marketing campaigns with measurable outcomes.

• Directs multi‑channel campaign development and execution.
• Coordinates timelines, resources and deliverables.
• Evaluates and improves campaign performance.

Brand Governance and Public Messaging : Ability to maintain consistent, high‑quality brand identity across diverse communication channels.

• Ensures alignment of messaging and visual identity.
• Maintains quality control across marketing outputs.
• Adapts messaging to public‑sector and accessibility requirements.

Organizational Leadership and Scaling : Ability to lead staff directly while building systems for future organizational growth.

• Provides supervision and coaching to staff.
• Establishes operational structure and accountability.
• Prepares organization for expansion into multi‑layered leadership.

Data‑Driven Decision Making: Ability to use performance data and analytics to guide strategy and continuous improvement.

• Interprets engagement and ridership data.
• Identifies trends and performance gaps.
• Adjusts strategies based on evidence.

Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement: Ability to coordinate effectively across departments and external partners.

• Builds productive working relationships.
• Aligns marketing with operational priorities.
• Facilitates integrated outreach efforts.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

• Marketing strategy, branding and integrated campaign development
• Digital and traditional marketing channels and tools
• Public‑sector communication requirements and accessibility considerations
• Transit operations factors influencing marketing messaging
• Marketing analytics, engagement metrics and performance evaluation
• Budgeting, procurement and contract administration

Skill in:

• Developing and executing comprehensive marketing strategies
• Managing multi‑channel marketing campaigns
• Analyzing marketing data and translating insights into action
• Supervising staff and coordinating team workflows
• Building and maintaining strategic partnerships
• Communicating marketing strategy and results to stakeholders
• Coordinating marketing with operational and service priorities

Ability to:

• Exercise independent judgment in balancing strategy and execution
• Lead both program design and hands‑on delivery in a developing organization
• Manage multiple initiatives and competing priorities
• Build organizational structure and processes from the ground up
• Adapt to evolving staffing models and organizational needs
• Promote accountability, quality and continuous improvement
• Represent the organization professionally in internal and external settings

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, business administration, public administration or related field and ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in marketing, branding, or promotional program management, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in marketing, business administration or public administration.
• Demonstrated experience leading marketing programs with accountability for performance outcomes.
• Experience managing staff.
• Experience in a public‑sector, transit, transportation or regulated environment.
• Experience supporting fare programs or employer‑based initiatives.
• Experience managing marketing vendors or consulting services.

Working Environment and Physical Demands

• Work is performed primarily in a professional office environment with regular use of computers and standard office equipment
• Requires extended periods of sitting, working at a computer and participating in meetings
• May require attendance at marketing events, outreach activities and meetings at various agency or community locations
• Occasional travel may be required
• Work schedules may extend beyond normal business hours during campaigns or major initiatives, including weekends.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

The City’s Background Check Policy requires background checks to be conducted on final internal or external candidate(s) applying for any position with the City of Charlotte. The type of information that will be collected as part of a background check includes, but is not limited to: reference checks, social security verification, education verification, criminal conviction record check, and, if applicable, a credit history check, sex offender registry and motor vehicle records check.

Background checks must be in compliance with all federal and state statutes, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The checks must be consistent with the guidelines set forth by these laws requiring organizations to obtain a candidate’s written authorization before obtaining a criminal background report, motor vehicle records check or credit report; and to properly store and dispose of information derived from such reports.

Final candidates must pass a pre‑employment drug‑screening test and physical examination. During the selection process, candidates may be asked to take a skills test, and/or participate in other assessments.

The City of Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, marital status, age, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or on the basis of actual or perceived gender as expressed through dress, appearance, and behavior.

Our culture is to serve the community honorably.

BENEFITS

The City of Charlotte provides a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees.

Click here to learn more about the City of Charlotte’s benefits.

The City of Charlotte is a drug and alcohol‑free workplace.