Marketing Director

Overview:

The Los Angeles Jazz Festival is seeking a visionary Marketing Director to lead the development and execution of a comprehensive, multi-channel strategy for the inaugural 2026 Festival. This leader will architect and drive a cohesive campaign that builds cultural momentum, strengthens brand and talent partnerships, and translates awareness into measurable ticket sales and attendance success. In collaboration with the executive team, this is a foundational role in shaping how the festival shows up to Los Angeles and beyond. This is a rare opportunity to shape something from the ground up alongside artists, community leaders, and world-class partners.

About The LA Jazz Festival

The LA Jazz Festival, a new, 25-day addition into the international jazz festival global market, will include music, art, fashion, food, culture, and feature 25 free concerts in parks, a youth jazz camp, a jazz industry conference and coastal cultural tours curated to document the ugly histories of coastal racial pushout and over 150 musical performances. The festival will culminate with a 4-stage Caribbean street festival and two weekend days on Dockweiler beach, showcasing world-class musicians while keeping the majority of tickets free.

What you’ll do

• Lead a team of 8-10 marketing professionals to develop, manage and execute all aspects of the 2026 festival marketing plan
• Build and lead the full cross promotional marketing strategy from ticket sales announcement through show day, including:
• Creation of the overall branding program, including storyboard and brand ID package, which reflects the values and tone of the festival’s core message.
• Oversee a 3-phased media strategy anchored in ticket launch (Flight 1), mid-spring optimization phase (Flight 2) and a final conversion push (Flight 3), leveraging consumer market research and real-time analytics to refine messaging and drive conversion.
• Oversee digital, email, paid, social, and audience growth in the interest of festival awareness and success.
• Develop aggressive advertising & sponsor activation campaigns in collaboration with the executive team, as well as the Head of PR & Communications
• Expertise with data capturing to measure the success of campaigns, reporting frequently on performance.
• Seek out alternative/new digital marketing technologies that may provide new opportunities.
• Oversee development of brand, creative, social, sponsor, and digital assets for festival promotion.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with external jazz artists, executives, local civic leaders, business owners & organizations which yield strategic opportunities
• Translate business goals into ticket sales momentum
• Manage agencies, freelancers, and internal team members
• Develop launch calendars, creative briefs, and performance metrics
• Partner with talent, PR, and sponsors to amplify reach
• Report directly to leadership on progress and pivots

Who you are

• Experienced marketing lead in live events, music, culture, & media with solid festival or touring experience
• Both strategic and hands-on
• Comfortable building while flying
• Understands urgency and reputation
• Know how to rally teams and vendors
• Familiar with using qualitative & quantitative data and marketing insights to reach brand goals
• Has strong existing media & influencer relationships
• Thrive in fast timelines and high visibility
• Has deep understanding of diverse LA audiences

Proposal Requirements:

Interested applicants must submit a proposal that includes the following:

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Experience, particularly in the live music and/or festival industry.
• Sample one pager of a draft marketing plan overview and high level budget for an International Jazz Festival.
• Examples of past successful marketing campaigns previously executed.
• Hours available to commit to the project.

Selection Criteria:

• Application & Proposal
• Relevant experience and track record in event marketing and the music industry.
• Strategy and approach.
• Budget and cost-effectiveness of the proposal.
• Virtual interview
• Final impressions based upon an In-Person interview

Submission Deadlines

• Submit your Pre-Proposal
• Team Introductions / Virtual interviews being held between 2/23-3/10
• Final proposals
• Final in-person interview, in Los Angeles

Interested candidates should submit a Cover Letter and Resume to: ExecutiveRecruitment@LosAngelesJazzFest.com

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Los Angeles, CA 90016