Job Announcement: Sponsorship, Marketing & Development Director

By bft Oct 10, 2011 | 6:10PM

SPONSORSHIP, MARKETING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Job Posting

October 10, 2011

 

Employer:  Denver Bike Sharing, 501(c)(3), a non-profit charitable organization

Term:    Starting date December 1, 2011

Probation period – 6 months

Review - May, 2012 

Compensation:  $50,000-$60,000 based on qualifications and experience; eligible for medical benefits after probation period.

Minimum Qualifications: College degree and ~10 years relevant experience; success with sponsorship sales and solicitation; sales campaign development and implementation; development & grant-writing; event design and management; fastidious organizational skills; outstanding verbal and written communication skills; understanding of the importance of bicycling as a transportation movement.

Reports to: Executive Director

 

Hiring Process: 

Issued: Monday, October 10, 2011

Submission deadline:  Thursday, November 3, 2011

First round decision: Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Interviews of top three candidates:  Monday/Tuesday, 14/15, 2011

Decision:  Friday, November 17, 2010

Starting date:  Thursday, December 1, 2010 (some flexibility may be requested to phase in earlier)

 

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Background:   Denver Bike Sharing’s business model typically relies on grants and gifts to finance capital acquisition, while recurring annual revenue generated by sponsorships, membership, sales and usage fees provide for operating and general and administrative expenses.  There are exceptions to this pattern in which in which some unrestricted gifts and grants will occasionally help to finance general overhead  or program activities, and sponsorship dollars may be used to acquire particular stations.  The Sponsorship, Marketing & Development Director is the primary staff person in charge of and accountable for all revenue-generating programs.  The Membership and Sales Manager will report directly to this position, and this position will report to and be supported by the Executive Director.  In 2012, the emphasis will initially be sponsorship solicitation and marketing of our annual memberships and 24 hour memberships.  As the year evolves, the Capital Campaign will become a priority. 

 

Numerical Goals:  Numerical goals for the position are set by the annual budget and by expansion plans. 

·         For the calendar year 2012, the Director is responsible for raising $650,000 in sponsorship revenue.  Some of this has already been raised.

·         Capital campaign goals will be set for 2012 and beyond as part of the current strategic planning process. 

·         Approximately $4 million will need to be raised in the next 3-5 years to expand the system to 150 stations. 

·         We expect that about 80% of this funding will come from state, national and federal sources, while 20% will come from local matching dollars.

 

Key Relationships: The Director is ultimately responsible for fund-raising success and for managing all of the key relationships necessary to achieve success.  These individuals and partners include:  key board members; development committee; executive director; DBS Staff; community funding partners such as RTD, DPW, CDOT; sponsors.  The Director is ultimately responsible for results.   The Director is simultaneously leading, empowering, managing and supporting his/her colleagues to help them support development goals for the organization.  This position requires a delicate balancing act of leadership and facilitation.  

 

Job Duties:

The Sponsorship, Marketing & Development Director has primary responsibility for the following functions of Denver Bike Sharing:

 

Sponsorship

·         Identify potential sponsors

·         Prepare documents for potential sponsors

·         Schedule and attend meetings with potential sponsors

·         Get the deal done (negotiating final arrangements, signed contracts, invoicing and checks in the door) 

·         Monitor sponsor payments and receivables

·         Monitor inventory

·         Monitor sponsor lists

·         Communicate with sponsors

·         Manage sponsor presence in system

·         Prepare and manage reports

 

Marketing (provides oversight of and is supported by Sales and Marketing Manager to accomplish the following)

·         Develop and implement marketing program Annual membership sales campaigns focusing on corporate, residential and small business outreach

·         Short-term membership sales focusing on tourists, including convention and leisure visitors

·         Partnership-based marketing with Denver Bike Sharing sponsors, bike station hosts, bicycle advocacy groups, RTD, VisitDenver etc.

·         Special value-adding programs and incentives for annual members

·         Corporate membership program

·         Sales and awareness- raising event management – e.g. spring launch, bike to work day

 

Development

·         Grant-writing

o   Identify grants

o   Stay up‐to‐date on funding needs

o   Write grants

o   Track grants

o   Communicate with funders

o   Administer grants  – close collaboration with business affairs director to make sure appropriate documentation and fiscal procedures are followed according to unique needs of each grant

o   Prepare and manage periodic grant reports

o   Other duties as necessary

·         Other fund-raising

o   Manage events which involve sponsor recognition/acquisition or dedicated to fundraising

o   Design and implement individual donor program 

o   Implements new ideas for fund-raising as suggested / approved.

·         Board Development Committee

o   Facilitate creation of Development Plan in coordination with other planning efforts

o   Coordinate and support Board Development Committee functions

o   Coordinate and support individual board members in their efforts to secure grants and/or sponsorships

o   Prepare all requested materials

 

Communications

·         Website content updates, press releases, speechwriting, newsletter

·         Proactive and Reactive Social Media Outreach

·         Write, create, and/or edit all promotional materials including the annual report

·         Create materials for sponsors

 

Administrative (All DBS Directors share some responsibility for Admin Duties)

·         Periodic minutes for staff meetings

·         Board meeting preparation, minutes, follow-up

·         Back up for Customer Service

 

In addition to the above activity categories, the Sponsorship, Marketing, and Development Director may create new programs that respond to emerging conditions and opportunities.

 

Extraordinary Circumstances:

Denver Bike Sharing is a Colorado charitable, non-profit corporation that has been organized and operates to promote health, quality of life and preservation of the environment in Denver.  Our mission is to replace short car trips with b-cycle trips.  Denver Bike Sharing is an unusual hybrid - both a non-profit, mission-driven organization and also a business that relies on sponsorship contributions and membership and usage fees for the majority of its operational funding.   Correspondingly, this position will require an unusual combination of atypical community-organizing/social marketing skills while being accountable for achieving budget-based sponsorship and membership sales. 

As a non-profit organization, Denver Bike Sharing, is a flat organization with “departments of one” and therefore, relies substantially on the support of volunteers, pro bono advisors and staff teamwork.  The Director will be responsible conceiving of AND for executing all related programs securing this support as needed.  There is no paid support staff.

The successful candidate will need to understand and exemplify the cultural change we are seeking.  This means simply that the successful candidate needs to practice what we preach – i.e. ride a bike for transportation when possible. 

Drawing from our first two seasons, we have made our best attempt to define the job responsibilities of the Director of Sponsorship, Marketing and Development.  In addition, the successful candidate will be refining their job as they go along and will have to be innovative and flexible. 

Criteria for Evaluation:

Candidates will be evaluated based on their demonstrated experience and proficiency in the following areas. 

·         Project and budget management, organizational skills and detail orientation

·         Excellent Communications skills – written and verbal

·         Sponsorship Recruitment

·         Traditional Marketing for Sales

·         Social Marketing for Behavioral Change

·         Event Management

·         Development – from identifying sources to writing grants to grant administrations

·         Team building, collaboration, and volunteer management

·         Artistic and management skills required to direct, design and produce collateral marketing materials and signage.   Adobe Creative Suite experience a strong plus.

·         Demonstrated commitment to community service – either professionally or as a high level volunteer

·         Experience in both for profit and non-profit environments

 

Please direct questions and submit letter of interest, resume plus list of 3 references and contact information by November 3, 2011 to Parry Burnap - resumes@denverbikesharing.org