Head of Marketing

HEAD OF MARKETING

HIRING COMPANY:

1871 - http://www.1871.com/

ABOUT 1871

The story of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 isn’t really about the fire. It’s about what happened next: A remarkable moment when the most brilliant engineers, architects, and inventors came together to build a new city. Their innovations—born of passion and practical ingenuity—shaped not just Chicago, but the modern world. What started 140 years ago continues to this day.

1871 exists to inspire, equip, and support founders and innovators in building great businesses. We deliver unfair advantages at scale. The team supports ~500 startups, and 100+ partners made up of the brightest digital designers, engineers, and leaders shaping new technologies, disrupting old business models, and resetting the boundaries of what’s possible.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Head of Marketing owns how 1871 shows up in the world, who engages with it, and how that engagement converts into meaningful relationships and revenue.

This role builds and scales three core systems:

• A clear, differentiated brand used across the organization
• A media engine that turns insights and events into high-quality, distributed content
• A growth engine that drives targeted founders, corporates, and investors into the our community via membership and/or event registrations

This is a builder role responsible for creating systems that scale and consistently deliver results.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Brand System & EnablementDefine and operationalize 1871’s voice, tone, narrative, and POVBuild a visual identity system that works across events, programs, and mediaEnable internal teams to execute consistently without bottlenecksEnsure all external touchpoints reinforce a clear, differentiated brand

Media Engine (Content → Distribution → Monetization)

• Build and scale a media engine focused on building and scaling startups and emerging
• Develop pathways to monetize content and audience

Growth Engine & Pipeline

• Build targeted lead generation systems across:
• startups
• corporate innovators
• investors
• Define ICPs and develop high-quality target lists
• Design and execute campaigns tied to audience composition and conversion
• Build and optimize the marketing → sales funnel
• Partner closely with Sales to ensure strong lead quality and conversion

Campaigns & Audience Composition

• Own campaign strategy to ensure events and programs hit specific audience composition targets, not just attendance goals
• Segment and target key audiences across founders, investors, and corporates
• Align campaign execution with program and event objectives

Event Content Capture & Amplification

• Design and execute content capture strategy for all major events
• Ensure every event produces high-quality, reusable content
• Package and distribute content to extend the life and reach of programs

Sales Enablement & Commercial Support

• Own development of sales materials, messaging, and positioning
• Support partnership and sponsorship efforts through strong narrative and assets
• Ensure consistency between brand, programming, and commercial storytelling

Marketing Operations & Execution

• Build and run a marketing operating system that ensures all campaigns, content, and initiatives ship on time and at a high bar
• Define planning cadences (weekly, monthly, quarterly) tied to company goals and key events
• Manage campaign timelines, dependencies, and deliverables across all initiatives
• Establish clear KPIs and reporting across:
• audience growth
• engagement
• lead generation
• conversion
• Own performance tracking and iteration, using data to refine campaigns and messaging
• Ensure alignment and execution across Marketing, Programs, Events, and Sales
• Build systems that enable the team to operate with speed, clarity, and accountability

Leadership & Organizational Impact

• Lead and develop a high-performing marketing team
• Set standards for quality, speed, and execution
• Operate as a senior leader influencing decisions across Programs, Events, and Sales
• Drive alignment between brand, programming, and growth strategy

AI-Enabled Marketing

• Leverage AI tools to scale content production, campaign execution, and operational efficiency
• Continuously identify and implement ways AI can improve speed, quality, and output across the marketing function
• Establish best practices for AI usage across the team

What Success Looks Like (12 Months)

• 1871 has a clear, differentiated brand that founders, investors, and corporates can easily recognize and describe
• Events consistently attract the right audience mix, not just high attendance
• A repeatable media engine produces high-quality, distributed content from every major program and event
• Marketing drives a strong pipeline of qualified leads into memberships, partnerships, and programs
• Sales is equipped with clear, compelling materials and messaging that convert
• The marketing team operates as a high-output, high-quality function that consistently hits targets and deadlines

This Role Is a Fit If You…

• Have built or scaled a brand, content, or media-driven growth engine
• Know how to turn in-person experiences into scalable content and distribution
• Can balance brand quality with speed and volume of output
• Have experience driving targeted growth and pipeline, not just awareness
• Have built or run a marketing operating system that consistently delivers campaigns and content on time
• Are highly proficient in using AI tools to accelerate marketing output and quality, and have integrated AI into workflows across content, campaigns, and operations
• Are comfortable owning outcomes across brand, media, growth, and execution
• Can lead a team while also operating hands-on when needed

Preferred Qualifications:

• 7+ years of experience in marketing, growth, media, or related roles within startups, venture ecosystems, media companies, or innovation-focused organizations
• Strong background in content, brand, and/or media development, with a track record of building and scaling distribution
• Experience developing and executing targeted campaigns and lead generation strategies
• Proven ability to partner with sales teams to drive pipeline and revenue outcomes
• Experience working cross-functionally with events, programs, and partnerships teams
• Demonstrated experience using AI tools to enhance marketing performance, including content creation, campaign execution, research, and workflow automation
• Experience integrating AI into repeatable marketing systems and team workflows, not just ad hoc usage
• Strong communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to translate complex ideas into clear, compelling narratives

BENEFITS & PERKS

1871 offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, dental, vision, 401k, unlimited PTO, opportunities to participate in workshops and events, and more!

In addition to our impressive benefits, there are other fun reasons to work with us.

• Work at the center of Chicago tech innovation.
• Unparalleled access to opportunities and networking with some of the biggest players in tech.
• Casual environment and dress code
• Work as part of a diverse team
• Remote work opportunities [This role has a hybrid format - virtual days a week and in person from the 1871 space 111 N Canal St, for 3 days a week.]

EMPLOYMENT TYPE:

Full-time; Salaried $90,000

1871/CEC is an equal employment opportunity employer with a strong focus on crafting an inclusive and diverse environment. We encourage individuals of all ethnic and racial backgrounds to apply for this position.