Job Summary  

VSG is looking for a Manager of Marketing to establish, manage, and execute the overall experiential marketing and grassroots strategy for the Tampa Bay Lightning business under the guidance of the Director, Marketing & Fan Experience. The successful candidate will take a lead role in managing the day-to-day marketing duties while working collaboratively across multiple touchpoints both internal and externally.  

The Manager of Marketing will lead the grassroots presence of the brand in the marketplace inclusive of the execution of branded activations, community events, and pop-up experiences that expand our presence throughout the region. This position will help evolve and scale VSG’s approach to where and how the Lightning shows up in the community—prioritizing strategic locations and high-impact opportunities that deepen the fan connection and drive a tribalism mentality in the community. 

The primary areas of focus for this position will include the ideation and execution of theme night activations for Tampa Bay Lightning home games, ideation and management of promotional item ordering and trafficking for the entire organization, drive database growth through grassroots activations, lead and execute all Tampa Bay Lightning branded events including season kick-off, watch parties, and playoffs, cross-functional liaison with all internal teams, and management of direct reports.  

Essential Duties & Responsibilities 

• Lead the ideation, development, and execution of all Tampa Bay Lightning experiential brand activations for theme nights, watch parties, season kick-off events, playoffs, etc. to drive key performance indicators such as brand awareness, engagement, audience growth, and revenue. This includes initiatives across retail, ticketing, special events, the Lightning Foundation, Hockey Development, and NHL league programs. Ensure brand consistency across all touchpoints. 

• Lead the development, execution, and recap of strategic grassroots marketing plans and promotion in close collaboration with the Director and Sr. Coordinator. 

• Oversee ideation and ordering process of all promotional items for the Tampa Bay Lightning organization including Arena Giveaways, Ticket Packs, Suites, Membership Services and Sales, Groups, Lightning Hockey Development, and Foundation. 

• Work in tandem with Digital Marketing to generate ticketing leads, app downloads, youth hockey program registrations, student rush sign-ups, and other marketing initiatives. 

• Track and evaluate the impact of activations, recap results and optimize future activations by analyzing marketing-generated pipelines and implementing action plans to address gaps. 

• Manage and track budgets for all brand activations, Ford Thunder Alley programming, grassroots marketing, and street team. 

• Work closely with external vendors and city officials to ensure proper permitting, production, and operational success as needed for marketing events. 

• Responsible for the strategy and promotion of various programs and initiatives including Tampa Bay Lightning’s Kids Club and Student Rush programs. 

• Execution of Game Day promotions including meet and greets, in-arena giveaways, sweepstakes, etc. 

• Participate in strategic planning of partnership activations with internal representatives 

• Provide strategic direction to the Sr. Coordinator on grassroots and event marketing initiatives, including market research, budgeting, and event participation to drive community awareness and data capture. 

• Offer thought leadership on Rolling Thunder and Street Team programs, ensuring all activations align with brand standards, enhance fan experience, and contribute to long-term brand growth. 

• Cultivate and expand community partnerships and to deepen visibility throughout the greater Tampa Bay region. 

• Responsible for oversight of all promotional materials and items for the organization. 

• Develop and implement a grassroots-driven Partner marketing strategy by identifying localized activation opportunities with key clients—such as YMCA, Publix, and Dunkin—in high-traffic community hubs. Prioritize unique, Lightning-led engagement concepts to complement partner-initiated ideas to expand audience reach. 

• Guide the Sr. Coordinator in planning, launching, and evaluating fan engagement programs such as ThunderBug’s Kids Club, student rush, season kick-off, watch parties, and Playoff activations. 

• Perform other duties as assigned. 

Supervisory & Management Responsibilities  

• Sr. Coordinator, Marketing Fan Experience 

Game/Event Responsibilities 

• Game/Event Night Responsibilities: Yes 

• Approximate number of events worked per year: 50 - 60 

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in advertising, events, or creative production 

• Experience: At least five (5) years of Marketing experiential and brand experience in Agency or within the sports and entertainment industry 

• Team player, excellent at collaborating and working with different internal and external stakeholders 

• Clear understanding of the organization's priorities and corporate identity 

• Strong Project Management skills 

• Ability to manage and direct multiple external vendors 

• Driven and self-motivated 

• Ability to multi-task and independently problem solve 

• Ability to deal with stressful & time sensitive situations 

• Demonstrated ability to negotiate and influence outcomes 

• Knowledge of marketing analytics, metrics, and reporting tools 

• Ability to communicate effectively to all levels within the organization 

• Advanced understanding of variety of software including project tracking / management tools and general business applications 

• Consistently takes initiative to complete tasks and projects with limited supervision 

• Ability to meet tight deadlines while managing multiple jobs in a fast-paced environment 

• Effectively communicate with key stakeholders regarding design projects, progress and deadlines 

• Maintain professional attitude and be receptive to project changes 

• Ability to work independently and as part of a cross functional team 

Working Conditions 

• Ability to work efficiently and effectively in office and arena environment that can be exciting, loud and distracting 

• This is an onsite role; flexibility to work a minority of time remotely

• Ability to work extended hours including late nights, holidays, and weekends as needed 

• Ability to work prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer. 

• Ability to lift/carry/move up to 10lbs 

• Ability to work in cold/hot indoor and outdoor temperatures

• Ability to travel within the US and Canada for up to one-week at a time, multiple times per year