Dir Brand Strategy & Development - 90389205 - Washington

Your success is a train ride away!

As we move America’s workforce toward the future, Amtrak connects businesses and communities across the country. We employ more than 20,000 diverse, energetic professionals in a variety of career fields throughout the United States. The safety of our passengers, our employees, the public and our operating environment is our priority, and the success of our railroad is due to our employees.

Are you ready to join our team?

Our values of ‘Do the Right Thing, Excel Together and Put Customers First’ are at the heart of what matters most to us, and our Core Capabilities, ‘Building Trust, Accountability, Effective Communication, Customer Focus, and Proactive Safety & Security’ are what every employee needs to know and do to be most impactful at Amtrak. By living the Amtrak values, focusing on our capabilities, and actively embracing and fostering diverse ideas, backgrounds, and perspectives, together we will honor our past and make Amtrak a company of the future.

SUMMARY OF DUTIES:
The Director, Brand Strategy & Development is a key brand leader and marketing expert responsible for defining and upholding Amtrak’s position in the marketplace as an iconic, modern, and relevant brand. This role ensures brand essence and consistency throughout the guest journey by establishing creative direction, brand architecture, standards, and templates to provide clear direction for all internal and external stakeholders, including State Partners. The Director develops and approves all brand collateral, from in-station and onboard signage to media placements and employee-facing items. They partner closely with Market Research, Digital Design, Product Development, and Service Standards to ensure optimal brand presentation and uphold brand equity and relevancy. The Director is also responsible for building and maintaining the inventory of promotional items and sellable Amtrak merchandise, inclusive of Licensing and Distribution efforts. Helps scope and deliver upon our advertising network. Leads, coaches, and develops a Brand Communications Manager and Digital & Brand Copywriter. Lead and partner closely with external creative and media agencies to see creative and standards to fruition.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
Brand Strategy:

• Define and uphold Amtrak’s position as an iconic, modern, and relevant brand. Establish and implement creative direction, brand architecture, standards, and templates to ensure consistency and clarity across all touchpoints (online, offline).
• Leverage market research and segmentation to establish and enforce our value proposition and drivers for specific audiences.
• Responsible for the creative and merchandising strategy and execution for in-station and onboard marketing placements. Work with the Commercial Real Estate team and Product Development to ensure optimal expressions, formats, and consistency.
• Stay abreast of industry trends, competitive landscape, and emerging technologies to continuously innovate and refine brand strategies.
• Implement cutting-edge marketing techniques and tools to keep the brand relevant and engaging.

Brand Creative & Copy Management

• Develop and oversee the implementation of a robust Copy tone of voice for Amtrak; Ensure evolution and consistency across channels
• Serve as editor and provide oversight for all Copy for online and offline channels including brand and promotional placements
• Lead the implementation of the Center of Engagement copy execution – ensuring optimal copy for various CRM treatments
• Perform Photoshop / Design treatment explorations for branding applications

Brand Management:

• Ensure all brand materials align with established guidelines and project the brand essence.
• Approve all internal and external brand collateral (including co-op, in-station and onboard, Care Center, media placements, and employee-facing entities).
• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of brand initiatives and promotional campaigns.
• Regularly report on brand performance to senior leadership, providing insights and recommendations for continuous improvement.
• Negotiate and manage contracts with vendors, agencies, and other partners to ensure alignment with brand goals.
• Partner closely with Corporate and Employee Communications to craft all press releases and corporate announcements that affect the brand.

Stakeholder Collaboration:

• Provide clear brand guidelines for internal and external stakeholders, including State Partners; ensure documentation is best-in-class and airtight.
• Partner with Market Research, Digital Design, Product Development, and Service Standards teams to ensure optimal brand presentation and uphold brand equity.

Legal & Compliance:

• Collaborate with Legal to ensure proper registration and application of all Amtrak’s marks.
• Ensure stakeholder communication and application of all marks (brand usage and promotion).

Promotional Strategy & Management:

• Partner with Director, Advertising & Media to direct and execution promotional sales and events in a brand-right, creative way.   
• Capture and analyze customer feedback to inform brand improvements and promotional strategies.
• Develop and maintain an inventory of promotional items and sellable Amtrak merchandise, including licensing and distribution efforts. Negotiate with suppliers and licensors to enable revenue-accretive merchandising partnerships.
• Oversee the budget for brand development and promotional activities, ensuring efficient allocation of resources.

Leadership:

• Lead, coach, and develop the Brand Communications Manager- and Digital & Brand Copywriter.
• Lead brand agency resources, serving as the primary point of contact for brand strategy and creative efforts.
• Foster a collaborative and high-performing team environment.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Communications, or a related field. 
• 11-14 years of experience in brand management, marketing, or a related field, with a significant portion of that experience in a leadership role.
• 5+ years in leading creative development and brand architecture and standards for a leading brand
• 5+ years of experience in leading licensing, co-branding and retailing programs
• 5+ years of experience in copywriting/editing
• Strong negotiating skills
• 5+ years in leading, coaching and developing a team member(s)

MINIMUM KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Strong creative, brand and design sensibilities.
• Acumen with APA style standards for copy.
• Proficiency in Adobe Photoshop and other tools such as Canva.
• Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills, with the ability to leverage market research and data to inform brand strategies.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop high-performing teams.
• Proficiency in using marketing tools and technologies to drive brand engagement and innovation.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously and meet deadlines.
• Deep understanding of brand development and management principles.
• Familiarity with legal and compliance aspects related to brand registration and usage.
• Ability to manage a complex budget effectively
• Knowledge of current industry trends, competitive landscape, and emerging technologies.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• A Master’s degree is preferred.
• Proven experience in the travel, hospitality, or transportation industry is highly desirable.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Fast-paced, dynamic, collaborative work environment
• Additional working hours may be required.
• Occasional travel required. 
• Occasionally lifts, carries or otherwise moves and positions objects weighing up to 25 pounds when working with promotional merchandise.

COMMUNICATIONS AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS:

• Must have excellent oral and written communication skills.

PAY TRANSPARENCY:

The salary/hourly range is $163,000-$211,140. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, internal equity, etc. Depending on an employee’s assigned worksite or location, Amtrak may consider a geo-pay differential to be applied to the employee’s base salary. Amtrak may offer additional incentive and pay programs to recognize and reward our employees, including a short-term incentive bonus based upon factors such as individual and company performance that is commensurate with the level of the position and/or long-term incentive plan compensation. In addition to your salary, Amtrak offers a comprehensive benefit package that includes health, dental, and vision plans; health savings accounts; wellness programs; flexible spending accounts; 401K retirement plan with employer match; life insurance; short and long term disability insurance; paid time off; back-up care; adoption assistance; surrogacy assistance; reimbursement of education expenses; Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility; Railroad Retirement sickness and retirement benefits; and rail pass privileges. Learn more about our benefits offerings here.

Requisition ID:164115
Posting Location(s):District of Columbia; New York; Pennsylvania

Work Arrangement:06-Onsite Click here for more information about work arrangements at Amtrak. 
Job Family/Function:Marketing 
Relocation Offered:No 
Travel Requirements:Up to 25% 

You power our progress through your performance.
 

We want your work at Amtrak to be more than a job. We want your career at Amtrak to be a fulfilling experience where you find challenging work, rewarding opportunities, respect among colleagues, and attractive compensation. Amtrak maintains a culture that values high performance and recognizes individual employee contributions. 

Amtrak is committed to a safe workplace free of drugs and alcohol. All Amtrak positions requires a pre-employment background check that includes prior employment verification, a criminal history check and a pre-employment drug screen. 

Candidates who test positive for marijuana will be disqualified, regardless of any state or local statute, ordinance, regulation, or other law that legalizes or decriminalizes the use or possession of marijuana, whether for medical, recreational, or other use. Amtrak's pre-employment drug testing program is administered in accordance with DOT regulations and applicable law.  

In accordance with DOT regulations (49 CFR § 40.25), Amtrak is required to obtain prior drug and alcohol testing records for applicants/employees intending to perform safety-sensitive duties for covered Department of Transportation positions. If an applicant/employee refuses to provide written consent for Amtrak to obtain these records, the individual will not be permitted to perform safety-sensitive functions.

In accordance with federal law governing security checks of covered individuals for providers of public transportation (Title 6 U.S.C. §1143), Amtrak is required to screen applicants for any permanent or interim disqualifying criminal offenses. 

Note that any education requirement listed above may be deemed satisfied if you have an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Amtrak is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race/color, to include traits historically associated with race, including but not limited to, hair texture and hairstyles such as braids, locks and twists, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions, such as lactation), national origin/ethnicity, disability (intellectual, mental and physical), veteran status, marital status, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, genetic information, citizenship or any other personal characteristics protected by law..