Marketing & Brand Manager

Full-time · Raleigh/Durham, NC (in person) · Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM-5:30 PM CROSS is a conference for 18-25 year olds that clarifies the gospel, centralizes the local church, and encourages everyone to play their role in the Great Commission. Role Description The Marketing & Brand Manager runs the year-round marketing of CROSS and serves as the primary steward of the CROSS brand. Approximately half of the role is marketing — email, advertising, mailers, the ambassador program, and the systems and lists underneath it. The remainder combines brand and creative direction with the operational work required to prepare for and host the conference. This person brings both judgment and established technical ability. They can evaluate creative work, explain why something succeeds or falls short, translate that judgment into actionable direction, and keep complex projects moving from brief through delivery. They are comfortable managing designers, agencies, printers, and vendors while remaining capable of making practical edits or adjustments themselves. All creative work will initially be reviewed by the Director. As trust, context, and demonstrated judgment grow, the Manager may receive greater authority to approve routine work independently. This role requires meaningful investment in training and planning. We're looking for someone ready to make a long-term commitment to the ministry of CROSS — at least three years. The conference takes place the first week of January. It's a joyful week of serving, but it involves long days and flexibility to help wherever needed — the team is typically on-site by December 28, so the work can intrude on Christmas and New Year's. Primary Responsibilities: Marketing & Communications (Approximately 50% of time)Lead the year-round marketing that helps churches and 18-25 year olds discover CROSS, and tell the story of the ministry across every channel we own. Plan, build, execute, and evaluate email marketing campaigns.Coordinate Meta advertising campaigns and use performance data to improve future decisions.Help lead the CROSS Ambassador Program.Coordinate promotional mailers and church marketing initiatives.Own the marketing calendar, including campaign timelines, project schedules, dependencies, and handoffs.Maintain marketing databases and contact lists, keeping segmentation accurate and useful.Define practical success measures, prepare recurring reports, and bring evidence — not impressions — to marketing decisions.Publish conference talks to podcast platforms.Prepare and schedule content for YouTube, podcast, email, and social channels.Shape short-form promotional video and sermon clips from concept through final review.Organize and maintain the ministry's media library.Manage printers, vendors, designers, agencies, and outside contractors. Brand & Creative (Approximately 25% of time)Steward the CROSS brand and direct the creative work that expresses it across print, digital, merchandise, and conference environments. Maintain the CROSS Brand Guide and hold every piece we produce accountable to it.Lead the annual creative refresh for each conference: establish the direction with the Director, brief the creative partners, manage revisions, and shepherd the work to completion.Find, evaluate, onboard, and manage the outside designers and agencies CROSS engages.Write clear creative briefs that define the audience, objective, message, requirements, and measures of success.Give feedback that is specific, honest, actionable, and respectful of the creative partner.Use Adobe Creative Cloud or comparable tools to resize, adjust, correct, and prepare creative files when a full design engagement is unnecessary.Direct work for the conference website, email and social graphics, paid advertisements, short-form video, and sermon clips.Direct print and environmental work, including journals, pamphlets, postcards, promotional packets, church resources, signage, name badges, presentation graphics, and LED content.Direct promotional merchandise and apparel from concept through production.Prepare creative work for Director review and approval, with the possibility of delegated approval authority as trust and judgment grow.Keep the visual identity of CROSS coherent across every touchpoint, year over year. Operations & Conference Support (Approximately 25% of time)Help the ministry run well year-round and serve wherever needed as we prepare for and host the conference. Assist with conference planning and logistics.Help oversee the conference media team.Coordinate creative and print production leading up to the conference.Keep internal tools, files, systems, and documentation organized and in working order.Identify manual processes that consume time and build practical improvements.Support administrative projects throughout the year.Take ownership of special projects as needs arise. QualificationsBachelor's degree in marketing, communications, design, business, or a related field.3-10+ years of relevant professional experience; candidates with substantially deeper experience are welcome.Demonstrated experience managing designers, agencies, printers, vendors, or other external creative partners.Proficiency with project-management systems and the discipline to keep multiple workstreams moving.Working proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud or comparable design tools, sufficient to tweak, resize, correct, and prepare creative assets.Experience interpreting marketing analytics and preparing clear, decision-useful reporting.A portfolio or work examples that demonstrate relevant marketing, creative-direction, design, campaign, or production experience, if available. Faith CommitmentsWholehearted affirmation of the CROSS Statement of Faith.Active membership in a local church.Christian character consistent with Scripture.Eagerness to serve the Church with humility, joy, and excellence. Compensation & Benefits$70,000-$85,000 annually, based on experience and qualifications.Health coverage: CROSS pays 100% of health-insurance premiums for the employee and spouse.Retirement: Employer contribution equal to 5% of salary.Insurance: Disability coverage and $50,000 in life insurance.Vacation: 15 paid vacation days, plus all federal holidays.Sick leave: 5 paid sick days.