Marketing Manager

Are you a creative digital marketer and relationship‑builder looking for a role where you can elevate a brand, strengthen community connections, and lead impactful outreach initiatives? If so, read on! About Us  Metro is the public transit provider serving Kalamazoo County. Metro’s modern, accessible, and community‑focused transit system provides over 2 million rides per year. Metro operates 21 fixed‑route bus lines across the Kalamazoo area, which serve major institutions like Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Bronson Methodist Hospital, Beacon Hospital, and a large established manufacturing industry. Metro Connect is a federally mandated, county‑wide ADA paratransit service that provides curb‑to‑curb transportation for seniors and individuals with disabilities. Metro also offers a new microtransit service – Metro Link, which offers real-time on-demand rides.  About the Role The Marketing Manager is responsible for managing outreach and marketing plans/goals; developing, coordinating, and managing marketing/outreach partner relationships; performing community outreach and public/rider communications; and developing and implementing marketing and promotional activities to increase public knowledge of Metro.  Key Responsibilities   

• Create and implement an annual communications and marketing plan.     
• Manage the creation of key marketing materials, and produce valuable and engaging content for our website and social media. 
• Craft and execute a comprehensive content marketing strategy and content calendar to drive brand awareness, engagement, and conversion across owned and earned channels. 
• Plan, prepare, and distribute Metro outreach materials, including but not limited to: Annual Reports, Special Reports, monthly emails, social media posts, Latest News items for website, brochures, and mailers.   
• Manage, coordinate, and maintain marketing contractor engagements.  
• Develop/design route maps, timetables, and schedules to include printing, folding, and stocking; ensure supplies and materials are available.  
• Develop, implement, and manage marketing campaigns and programs, including external marketing partners, employee events, tours, and one-time promotions. 
• Organize and manage databases, monitor data and analytics, and present findings regularly to Metro staff/board members. 
• Coordinate public and rider feedback, including development of surveys. 
• Create, edit, and print departmental signs and posters on system routes and services for distribution by operations and maintenance personnel. 
• Write press releases related to Metro services and distribute to media list. 
• Maintain and update Metro's website.  
• Manage and grow social media accounts. 
• Assist with staff recruitment efforts by working with human resources on candidate attraction and recruitment. 
• Primary for emergency/alert posts on social media platforms and website – often requires working outside of regular hours. 
• Plan and coordinate attendance at community events.  
• Maintain Metro educational materials/brochures. 
• Understand and articulate the policies and procedures of all Metro services to customers, community partners, agencies, businesses, and the general public, including safety and accessibility features and how the ADA applies to public transit.  
• Communicate effectively with individuals with diverse backgrounds, including individuals with significant disabilities.  
• Build rapport and maintain solid working relationships with community agencies, businesses, educational institutions, and other transit-related partners to communicate Metro’s value.   
• Develop solid working relationships between all departments and communicate effectively between departments to ensure that external communications are clear, accurate, and timely. 
• Understand and educate riders on Metro services. Includes policies and procedures regarding safety, accessibility, and how the ADA applies to public transit.   

About You 

• Bachelors degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, Journalism, Public Administration, or a related field. 
• Experience with a combination of digital marketing, content marketing, market research, and social media. 
• Demonstrated ability to create new programs and/or revise existing programs independently to fit with the organization’s direction and community needs. 
• Marketing Automation tool experience (Hubspot, Marketo, Salesforce). 
• Knowledge and expertise in digital marketing tactics and best practices. 
• Strong project management skills to oversee multiple projects simultaneously. 
• Proven experience in content production, understanding how to produce high-quality, SEO-driven content efficiently. 
• Experience shaping a brand’s footprint through multiple content channels and multimedia platforms. 
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills. 
• Ability to develop and nurture strong, productive relationships with all levels within the organization. 
• Strong organizational, multi-tasking, prioritizing, and attention to detail skills.  
• Excellent decision making, problem-solving, and analytical skills.  
• Strong experience with Microsoft Office applications, specifically Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.  
• Design experience with Adobe InDesign and/or Canva.   
• Knowledge of the demographics of the metropolitan area is helpful. 
• Familiarity with content management systems (CMS) and analytics tools is a plus. 
• A background in government, municipal, or public transit is a plus.