The Sheldon
Director of Marketing and Communications
About The Sheldon
The Sheldon has been a fixture of St. Louis cultural life since 1912 — a place where extraordinary acoustics, historic architecture, and a genuine commitment to artistic excellence have made it one of the most beloved performing arts venues in the country. Situated in the heart of the Grand Center Arts District, our 700-seat concert hall, ballroom, banquet space, and art gallery serve as a gathering place for audiences, artists, and community members across the region.
We are a nonprofit organization sustained by the belief that live music and the visual arts are essential. Our concert programming spans classical, jazz, folk, world music, and beyond. Our arts education programs impact over 20,000 students annually through live music, in-school programs, and hands-on musical direction. Our galleries exhibit both emerging and established artists from across the region and the nation.
Working at The Sheldon is a chance to be part of something that brings joy to thousands of people every year.
The Opportunity
The Director of Marketing and Communications is one of the most consequential roles at The Sheldon. You are the person responsible for telling our story.
This role has two core responsibilities: increasing the impact of The Sheldon through audience growth and telling the story of that impact to the world. For concerts, exhibits, programs, and events, you will lead ticket sales strategy, oversee paid advertising, build earned media relationships, and manage the box office team—often the first and last point of contact for our patrons. At the same time, you will steward The Sheldon’s voice and identity, ensuring every communication, from social media posts to season brochures to donor appeals, maintains the brand.
This is a senior leadership role. You will be a part of the conversations that shape the future of this institution.
Roles and Responsibilities
Strategy and Leadership
• Develop and manage The Sheldon’s marketing strategy.
• Develop and manage the annual marketing budget, tracking expenses and evaluating return on investment across all channels.
• Provide regular reporting and analysis to the Executive Director and senior leadership team, adjusting strategies based on data.
• Serve as a member of the senior management team, contributing to strategic and organizational decisions that shape the institution.
• Serve as the staff liaison for the Board of Directors Programming and Marketing Committee.
Revenue and Audience Development
• Lead all our efforts toward ticket revenue — work with the booking team to set pricing strategies, manage ticket inventory, and be responsible for sales performance across all concert programming.
• Lead all paid media decisions, including digital advertising (Meta, Google, programmatic), print, and broadcast.
• Cultivate earned media relationships with local and regional press.
• Develop and execute campaigns that grow our audience, attract first-time visitors, and convert casual attendees into loyal patrons.
• Oversee email marketing, direct mail, social media, and digital platforms with strategies tailored to each channel and each audience segment.
Box Office Operations
• Supervise the Guest Services Manager and Guest Services Coordinator, building a box office team that is knowledgeable, welcoming, and efficient.
• Oversee our relationship with our ticket provider (MetroTix) and optimize all our patron data points to ensure that our box office is both a revenue center and a relationship builder.
• Develop policies and best practices that protect revenue while preserving the patron experience.
Website and Digital Presence
• Maintain The Sheldon’s website — content accuracy, visual quality, user experience, and ongoing optimization.
• Ensure event listings, gallery information, ticketing links, and organizational content are current, correct, and compelling at all times.
• Oversee SEO/SEM strategy and digital analytics, using data to inform decisions about content, user flow, and audience acquisition.
• Partner with vendors and developers as needed to maintain and improve site performance and functionality.
Communications Planning and Internal Coordination
• Build and maintain an organization-wide editorial calendar and communications planning system — one that gives every department visibility into what is being promoted, when, and through which channels.
• Collaborate with departmental leaders to support their efforts in reaching their goals and audiences.
Brand and Communications
• Maintain and evolve The Sheldon’s brand identity across all channels and departments, ensuring consistency without sacrificing creativity.
• Serve as the editorial voice of the organization, overseeing copy across print, digital, and media for accuracy, tone, and impact.
• Partner with the Development Department to ensure fundraising materials and donor communications reflect The Sheldon’s mission and brand.
• Support the Events Department with marketing materials and strategies for venue rentals and private events, in coordination with the Events Director.
• Collaborate with the Gallery and Education departments to amplify programming, exhibitions, and community initiatives.
• Manage relationships with contractors including graphic designers, photographers, and marketing firms.
What We’re Looking For
The ideal candidate has deep experience in arts marketing — enough to know what works, and enough confidence to try what hasn’t been done yet. You understand the difference between an audience that is reached and an audience that is moved. You are equally comfortable in a budget meeting and a conversation with an artist.
More specifically, we are looking for:
• A bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, or a related field, or comparable professional experience.[LW5]
• At least seven years of progressive experience in marketing and communications leadership, ideally in the arts, entertainment, or cultural sector.
• Demonstrated success in audience development and ticket revenue growth.
• Fluency in digital marketing channels: paid social, email, SEO/SEM, content strategy, and analytics.
• Strong leadership and team management skills, with experience supervising and mentoring staff.
• Exceptional writing and communication abilities.
• Experience managing budgets and vendor relationships.
• Ability to build or significantly improve an editorial calendar or cross-departmental communications planning system — candidates who have done this from scratch are especially encouraged to speak to that experience in their cover letter.
• Comfort with website and content management, including CMS proficiency and a strong eye for accuracy and user experience.
• Box office or ticketing operations experience is strongly preferred.
• A passion for the arts and a belief in its power for positive change.[LW6]
Working at The Sheldon
This is a full-time, salaried position with regular evening and weekend commitments, reflecting the nature of a performing arts organization. We offer a competitive benefits package that includes health insurance, retirement match, and paid time off.
Salary range: commensurate with experience.
The Sheldon is an equal opportunity employer. We actively encourage applications from people of color, individuals with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and veterans. We believe a diverse team makes us better at everything we do.
How to Apply
Please submit your resume and a cover letter to lwells@thesheldon.org with the subject line:
Director of Marketing and Communications Application — [Your Name]
