Director of Strategic Marketing

Job Title:  Director of Strategic Marketing 
Department: Marketing
Reports To: Brenda Rivera
FLSA Status: Exempt

Position Summary

The Director of Strategic Marketing is responsible for leading strategic marketing across the Gallery Residential property portfolio while developing the people, processes, training, technology, and portfolio strategies necessary to drive consistent results.

This role provides direct leadership to the Marketing Managers while maintaining direct oversight of an assigned portfolio of properties. The Director develops and executes property-level strategies, monitors portfolio trends and underperforming or "red" properties, supports vendor relationships, and partners with on-site teams, Operations, ownership groups, and senior leadership to improve performance and productivity.

Organizational Responsibilities

Journey Visionary:
Lead the development and execution of portfolio and property-level marketing strategies that align with the customer journey. Use data and insights to connect marketing tactics to lead conversion, engagement, leasing performance, occupancy, and resident retention.

Passion & Innovation:
Identify resident, prospect, team, and operational pain points and pilot innovative approaches across people, process, and technology. Stay abreast of emerging multifamily marketing tools, digital platforms, automation, and industry initiatives that may improve performance and productivity.

Organizational Ambassador:
Collaborate closely with Marketing Managers, on-site teams, Operations, senior leadership, ownership groups, and vendor partners to understand needs and maintain alignment between marketing strategy, property performance, and company priorities.

Project Management:
Create and manage clear timelines for strategic marketing initiatives, including property launches, transitions, technology implementations, workflow improvements, campaigns, and other projects. Ensure deliverables align with business goals and rollout milestones.

Change Management:
Champion change by introducing and embedding new marketing tools, SOPs, workflows, strategies, and best practices. Use communication, training, and follow-through to build adoption and accountability across teams.

Community Service:
Represent the company through industry events, local organizations, educational opportunities, and community-focused activities that increase company visibility and support professional development.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Teamwork:
Partner with Marketing Managers, Regional Directors, Operations, and on-site teams to support day-to-day marketing needs, provide strategic guidance, and ensure consistent execution across the portfolio. Promote collaboration, clear ownership, and timely escalation of performance concerns.

Reporting and Analysis:
Lead the review of portfolio and property-level marketing performance. Analyze lead generation, lead-to-tour conversion, tour-to-application conversion, digital advertising, source effectiveness, leasing performance, online reputation, and return on investment. Translate findings into clear action plans and recommendations for internal stakeholders, clients, and ownership groups.

Financial Management:
Support the development and management of marketing budgets for the assigned portfolio and broader initiatives. Monitor expenses, vendor costs, and campaign investments to ensure resources are allocated effectively and remain aligned with property needs and approved budget thresholds.

Team Leadership:
Provide direct leadership, coaching, and support to the Marketing Managers. Establish priorities, conduct regular individual and team meetings, support professional development, and create accountability around communication, execution, and performance. Serve as an escalation point while empowering Marketing Managers to lead their assigned portfolios.

Assigned Portfolio Management:
Maintain direct responsibility for an assigned portfolio of stabilized, lease-up, development, or other designated properties. Develop and execute marketing strategies based on asset goals, market conditions, competitive positioning, operating performance, and ownership expectations. Participate in property calls, ownership meetings, visits, annual planning, budget development, and reporting.

Operational Excellence:
Continuously assess and refine marketing processes to improve consistency, scalability, and team productivity. Partner with Marketing Managers and Marketing Technology + Operations to establish and optimize SOPs, workflows, templates, playbooks, and team resources. Monitor adoption and revise processes based on feedback and measurable outcomes.

Training and Development:
Develop and maintain a structured marketing training schedule for on-site teams. Identify topics using portfolio trends, operational feedback, technology changes, recurring challenges, and company initiatives. Coordinate training among the Marketing Managers so sessions are hosted by team members with relevant expertise, and maintain supporting resources for continued use.

Vendor Relationships:
Assist in owning strategic marketing vendor relationships. Establish expectations, monitor service and performance, identify opportunities for optimization, and support vendor selection, reviews, contract discussions, technology assessments, implementation planning, and issue resolution.

New Initiatives & Ancillary Programs:
Stay informed about new technology and marketing initiatives. Evaluate tools and programs based on business value, scalability, team capacity, integration requirements, and measurable impact. Support testing, implementation, adoption, and ongoing optimization of approved initiatives.

Portfolio Trends & Performance Properties:
Monitor portfolio-wide trends and maintain a consistent process for identifying and reviewing red or underperforming properties. Partner with Marketing Managers, Operations, and on-site leadership to understand contributing factors, create action plans, assign ownership, and monitor progress. Provide direct senior-level involvement when needed.

Transitions and Due Diligence:
Support marketing efforts during property onboarding, acquisitions, transitions, new developments, lease-ups, and repositioning initiatives. Ensure consistent implementation of company standards, systems, and marketing expectations for incoming teams and assets.

Annual Budget Process:
Partner with leadership, Marketing Managers, Operations, and on-site teams to develop and review annual marketing budgets. Identify anticipated vendor, technology, training, and portfolio needs and support property-level planning and alignment with company goals.

Special Projects:
Lead or support additional strategic projects as organizational needs arise, particularly initiatives requiring coordination among Marketing Managers, vendors, on-site teams, Operations, leadership, clients, or ownership groups.

Work Hours

This position is scheduled for 40 hours in a regular work week. Hours of operation vary, but typical office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Must be available to work on additional tasks that may require work on weekends or after hours. Must be available to work on-site and travel for business purposes.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each duty satisfactorily. The requirements are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education/Experience

College degree is preferred. Employment history should demonstrate progressive levels of accountability and responsibility in multifamily marketing, property marketing, digital marketing, portfolio strategy, team leadership, vendor management, and the application of residential multi-housing business principles.

Demonstrated knowledge and skill in marketing strategy, sales and leasing performance, customer service, revenue and expense management, reporting, technology, and financial business planning are required.

Language Ability

Demonstrated ability to read, write, and communicate effectively to comprehend and complete business plans, financial documents, vendor agreements, reports, and other professional materials.

Ability to motivate and lead teams and communicate property strategies and performance with on-site teams, Operations, senior leadership, clients, and property owners.

Math Ability

Demonstrated mathematical skills necessary to add, subtract, multiply, and divide numbers, decimals, and fractions, and calculate percentages in order to analyze conversion rates, marketing performance, budgets, expenses, return on investment, and other fiscal or operational reporting information.

Reasoning Ability

Senior-level experience and skills in leading and managing others, including interviewing, onboarding, directing, coaching, evaluating performance, and making effective talent management decisions.

Ability to assess multiple variables, diagnose portfolio or property-level challenges, prioritize competing needs, and translate complex information into practical recommendations and action plans.

Computer Skills

Demonstrated proficiency in Internet, word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, database management, analytics, reporting, CRM, and property management programs.

Ability to learn and evaluate emerging marketing technologies and use business intelligence tools to monitor portfolio performance and team productivity.

Certificates and Licenses

Industry certifications are preferred. Continued professional development in multifamily marketing, digital marketing, analytics, technology, leadership, or related disciplines is encouraged.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, type, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, and climb, stoop, or squat. The employee is intermittently required to sit.

Incumbents must be able to physically access all exterior and interior parts of the property and amenities.

Must be able to push, pull, lift, carry, or maneuver weights of up to twenty (20) pounds independently and fifty (50) pounds with assistance.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Travel will be required to visit properties and clients, meet with vendor partners, present for new business opportunities, attend educational conferences, and complete other responsibilities associated with the position.

Incumbents must be able to physically access all exterior and interior parts of properties and amenities within the assigned portfolio and markets.

Must be able to view computer screens, cell phones, and other electronic equipment for extended periods of time where visual strain may result.