Vice President, Marketing Strategy

**Company Description**
Dedicated to telling stories and creating experiences, Indigo is always looking for bright, energetic and customer-focused people who can help bring our exciting mission to life in one of our more than 170 Indigo, Indigospirit, Chapters and Coles stores across Canada. We offer a variety of exciting opportunities at our retail stores, distribution centres, and home office for people who share our passions and want to be part of a dynamic and enriching culture.

WHO WE ARE
- We love books and all things beautiful
- We are Canada’s Cultural Department Store
- Books are our heart and our soul and Great Books are JUST the Beginning

We play by the following rules:

- We exist to add joy to our customers’ lives each and every time they interact with us and our products
- Our job is to create joyful moments for our customers
- We treat each other the way we’d treat a valued friend
- We inspire each other to do our best work
- We seek to ignite creativity and innovation every day
- We give back to the communities in which we operate

**Job Description** MISSION**

The Vice President of Marketing Strategy and Omni-channel Communication is responsible for creating and executing Indigo’s Marketing and Communication strategy. The Vice President will lead the cross-functional Storytelling Process, drive qualified omnichannel traffic and sales, and ensure all aspects of Indigo’s visual and written customer-facing communication reinforce our brand mission to _inspire reading_.

**KEY PERFORMANCE METRICS**
- Retail & online traffic and sales growth
- Booklover spend/frequency
- On-time delivery of the storytelling process stage-gates
- Overall Marketing costs as a percent of sales
- Employee Engagement Score

**KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES**

Strategic
- Leads the cross-functional Storytelling Process with omni-channel content that reinforces Indigo’s mission and brand image
- Drives the development of brand communication campaigns
- Delivers integrated cross-functional strategic plans for critical strategic priorities (Adult Reading, Kids, Gifting, & Teachers)
- Drives qualified omni-channel traffic and sales
- Drives overall customer health in close partnership with Director of Customer Insights
- Develops an annual and seasonal integrated marketing plan including all media buying and external support
- Responsible for acting as senior lead on cross functional strategic initiatives
- Supports Indigo goals by executing and developing plans to support annual goals
- Maintain a high level of strategic foresight by identifying customer and business needs, and adjusting departmental and team objectives accordingly

Functional
- Leads storytelling, marketing communication planning, media planning & business unit marketing strategy processes
- Develops full marketing and communication plans in support of all key corporate initiatives
- Develops and facilitates mass promotional plans
- Act as an advocate for the customer by placing them at the forefront of decision-making
- Proactively identifies and anticipates customer expectations and needs
- Collaborates between all marketing disciplines and other parts of the organization to execute an integrated marketing program
- Ensures the execution of team deliverables and adapts team priorities based on changing needs
- Set team budgets, as applicable
- Challenges the status quo by consistently identifying areas for improvement and innovative thinking

People
- Build a talented, collaborative, highly engaged marketing team. Attract and develop ‘A’ talent
- Give authentic feedback on performance and potential
- Ensure all team members have clear performance objectives aligned with Indigo and department goals
- Build overall team engagement
- Develop a robust talent succession plan
- Collaborate with others to drive flexible and iterative solutions
- Help others see the impacts of their efforts and proactively engage other functions to get input
- Encourage others to freely share their point of view and be open to feedback

Cultural
- Role model Indigo’s guiding principles and convey a positive image in everything you do
- Celebrate the diversity of thought and have an open mindset
- Take an active role in fostering a culture of continual learning, taking risks without the fear of making mistakes
- Embrace, champion, and influence change through your team and/or the organization

**KEY RELATIONSHIPS**

Reports to: Chief Marketing Officer

Internal:

- Marketing Leadership Team (eCommerce, Loyalty, PR)
- VP Creative
- Merchants (Chief Merchant, SVP Trade, VP Adult)
- SVP Retail Strategy & Operations

External:

- Advertising agency (if applicable)
- External Media agencies (if applicable)
- Publishing contacts

**Qualifications**
Work Experience / Education / Certifications
- Post-Secondary Degree in Marketing, Business Administration, or related field
- Minimum 15 years’ progressive experience in marketing
- Minimum 7 years’ experience leading people

Competencies / Ski