Head of Marketing Strategy

Smithbucklin, a 650-person, employee-owned professional services company with more than 70 years of success serving the association market, with primary offices in Chicago and Washington, D.C., is looking for a Head of Marketing Strategy to join our Marketing & Communications Services unit in our Chicago office.

 

We’re looking for a Head of Marketing Strategy who thrives on helping clients connect strategy to action (or the reverse!) - while also strengthening how marketing strategy is developed, planned, and executed consistently across our client portfolios.

 

In this role, you’ll design and lead a standardized approach to marketing strategy and campaign planning that brings consistency, focus, and measurable impact. You’ll work closely with client leads and creative teams to develop processed and tools for developing integrated marketing plans, guide decision-making, and elevate strategic thinking.

You may periodically embed with a client team during key planning moments—such as annual planning, major campaign development, or transformation initiatives—to provide hands-on strategic leadership, training, and quality assurance. This role is ideal for a highly experienced strategist who enjoys shaping frameworks, facilitating complex conversations, mentoring teams, and seeing smart strategies come to life in real-world execution.

 

At Smithbucklin, we embody a culture driven by optimism, ambition, expertise, and thoughtfulness, where every team member is empowered to exceed expectations and deliver exceptional results for our clients. Join us in shaping the future of association management, where our values serve as the cornerstone of our success.

 

Basic Qualifications:

 

Where Do You Fit?
Whether you are just beginning your career or are a mid- or senior-level professional, working at Smithbucklin will offer you countless opportunities to develop transferable skills, acquire meaningful knowledge and gain rich experiences at an accelerated pace. By working collaboratively with smart, ambitious, multi-talented, genuine and hardworking colleagues, you will build meaningful, deep and enduring relationships that will serve you well throughout your career, regardless of your chosen path. In addition, as a 100 percent employee-owned company, Smithbucklin offers all of our people - regardless of position or compensation - an equal chance to experience the fulfillment and reap the benefits of ownership. As owners, our employees control the destiny of Smithbucklin and are unified in the goal of building a great, enduring company.

 

Smithbucklin is a hybrid work environment with in-office days established as Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.  Employees will work a standard 40-hour week, with the possibility of additional hours based on project deadlines.
 
Smithbucklin considers several factors when determining compensation, including a candidate's recent coursework, training, experience, and certifications, among other considerations. The expected pay for this role is $175,000-195,000.

 

Equal Employment Opportunity
At Smithbucklin, Equal Employment Opportunity is our commitment and goal. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, marital status or any other protected status designated by federal, state or local law. Applicants are encouraged to confidentially self-identify when applying. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a reference and background investigation based on position.