Marketing Manager - Historic Sites

Introduction

The Wisconsin Historical Foundation exists to advance the mission of the Wisconsin Historical Society.

• Mission:
  The Society connects people to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories.
• Vision:
  Enriching and transforming lives through unparalleled access to history.
• Values:
  We believe that increasing the public's knowledge of history has profound societal, cultural and economic benefit.

As a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization, the Foundation receives grants and private contributions benefiting the Society and administers the membership program.

The Sites Marketing Manager is part of a fast‑paced, in‑house Wisconsin Historical Foundation marcom team that includes creative, digital, social media, public relations and strategic communications professionals who work to grow awareness of the Wisconsin Historical Society brand, resources, events and portfolio of historic sites.

The Sites Marketing Manager serves as the strategic marketing partner and primary liaison for the Wisconsin Historical Society's portfolio of historic sites across the state. This role requires strategic marketing expertise and marketing account management experience to work seamlessly between site leadership and the centralized marketing communications team to plan and execute multi‑channel marcom strategies that produce measurable results and directly impact site attendance and revenue goals.

The ideal candidate establishes organized, effective and informed collaboration processes to bridge and prioritize site‑level needs with centralized marketing resources and expertise.

This position requires equal parts marketing planning and analysis, relationship management, and hands‑on execution—functioning as both marketing strategist and internal agency account lead for the historic sites.

The ideal candidate for this position will be a strategic, organized, highly driven professional who pairs proven marketing expertise with strong account management skills, leading to effective cross‑functional planning and delivery of impactful marketing campaigns.

• Develop strategic annual and campaign‑level marketing plans for the Wisconsin Historical Society’s portfolio of historic sites in close collaboration with site leadership and marcom channel experts (e.g. creative, digital, social media, PR), aligning site‑specific goals with strategic priorities, organizational brand standards and marcom resources.
• Lead annual marketing planning processes with site leadership, marcom team and external advertising agency, facilitating strategy sessions and translating operational objectives into effective integrated marketing campaigns.
• Compile and present strategic recommendations and campaign performance insights to site and Society leadership.
• Periodically initiate market analysis, competitive research, and guest surveys to inform site‑specific marketing strategies and identify growth opportunities.
• Monitor industry trends and best practices in attractions marketing to continually evolve and optimize strategic recommendations.

• Function as the dedicated account manager for the historic sites, serving as their primary point of contact for all marcom needs and the liaison between sites and marcom channel experts (e.g. creative, digital, social media, PR).
• Build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with site leadership, operations teams and key stakeholders across multiple locations.
• Conduct regular site visits to understand operational realities, visitor experiences and emerging marketing opportunities.
• Regularly brief marcom team members on high priority site‑specific initiatives, ensuring thorough understanding of site context, opportunities and goals.
• Facilitate communication between site teams and central marketing department, ensuring mutual understanding and alignment of needs, strategy and prioritization.
• Manage expectations, timelines, and deliverables across multiple concurrent projects and sites in close collaboration with the centralized marketing team.