Head of Marketing

The Organisation

Melbourne Fashion Festival Ltd. is Australia’s largest major fashion event, with the purpose of developing, supporting and showcasing local and emerging fashion talent and delivering growth to the entire Australian fashion industry. A not-for-profit organisation, the Festival joyously delivers an unrivalled world-class event that celebrates and elevates every aspect of fashion and creativity, and proudly reinforces Melbourne’s position as Australia’s fashion capital.

Role Objective

The Head of Marketing is responsible for leading the planning, development and delivery of the Festival’s integrated marketing, communications, creative and digital functions, ensuring all activity is strategically aligned, creatively compelling, commercially effective and operationally excellent.

The role reports into and works in close collaboration with the Creative Director to translate the Festival’s vision, brand and programming into impactful campaigns that drive brand awareness, audience growth, ticket sales and stakeholder engagement.

The role requires a senior marketing leader with expertise across brand marketing, digital channels, content creation, public relations, media partnerships, talent engagement, partnerships marketing, corporate and crisis communications and audience insights, alongside proven experience delivering integrated campaigns within major events, fashion, arts, cultural or entertainment organisations. 

To apply, please email your CV and cover letter to fashion@mff.com.au with the subject line "Head of Marketing".Key ResponsibilitiesMarketing Strategy & Campaign Delivery

• Work closely with the Creative Director to interpret and deliver the Festival’s creative and brand vision across marketing, communications, creative and digital activity. 
• Develop and deliver the Festival’s integrated marketing strategy, annual marketing plan and go-to-market critical path. 
• Lead the planning and execution of multi-channel campaigns that drive audience acquisition, ticket sales, brand engagement and commercial partner outcomes.
• Manage marketing budgets, timelines and performance to maximise return on investment.
• Identify opportunities to grow audience reach, engagement and conversion through innovative marketing initiatives.
• Ensure all marketing activity is coherent, high-quality and aligned with the Festival’s business strategy, brand positioning and values, and creative standards.

Digital Marketing & Festival-Owned Channels

• Oversee the strategic management of all Festival-owned digital channels, including website, social media and EDM. 
• Ensure digital channels deliver a seamless customer experience and align with broader creative, commercial and organisational objectives.
• Lead digital audience growth, engagement and conversion strategies.
• Oversee digital content planning, optimisation and performance reporting.
• Lead the development and execution of paid digital media strategies to drive ticket sales including management of external digital advertising agency. 
• Oversee digital content creation and capture, both lo-fi and hi-fi, including briefing photographers, videographers and creators to deliver high-quality, platform-specific assets.
• Oversee the annual Festival programme build on the website, managing timelines, assets and cross-department requirements.

Public Relations, Media Partnerships & Talent

• Lead the strategic management and execution of all public relations activity, media partnerships and talent engagement.
• Work closely with the Festival’s external PR agency to develop and deliver integrated publicity campaigns that maximise media coverage, audience reach and brand awareness.
• Oversee development of strategic media messaging, press releases and spokesperson talking points. 
• Lead the development of multiple new and existing media partnerships that extend the Festival’s reach and profile and deliver contra advertising and editorial placement. 
• Oversee tiered talent engagement strategy ensuring talent activity supports programming, marketing, PR, partnership and ticket sales objectives. 

Design & Content 

• In collaboration with the Creative Director, provide strategic direction to the graphic design function on the Festival’s visual identity, creative campaigns, content creation, event signage and screen content, ensuring all creative output aligns with the Festival vision, brand positioning and organisational objectives.
• Oversee the development and delivery of marketing assets across all Festival channels and touchpoints, including social media, website, EDM, ATL collateral, event signage and screen content.
• Lead the development of creative content concepts and storytelling opportunities that bring the Festival brand, programme and partnerships to life, driving audience engagement and extending the Festival’s cultural relevance.
• Oversee the planning and delivery of event signage, placemaking and on-site screen content, ensuring creative concepts are effectively translated into engaging audience experiences.
• Oversee the planning, commissioning and delivery of all Festival event photography, videography and content capture, ensuring all assets effectively tell the Festival story, support marketing and partner objectives, and build a high-quality content library for future use.
• Lead and support the graphic design team members, providing strategic guidance, prioritisation and quality assurance, while managing relationships with internal stakeholders, creative agencies and external suppliers to ensure the successful delivery of creative outcomes.

Partnership Marketing 

• Work with the Partnerships team to identify marketing opportunities and concepts that support commercial and government partner objectives without compromising creative integrity.
• Contribute to the development of compelling partnership proposals that articulate the value of marketing initiatives to secure new and retain existing partners. 
• Ensure partnership marketing deliverables and brand integrations are executed effectively across all Festival channels and touchpoints in a way that delivers partner value, enhances audience experience and aligns with Festival brand values.
• Oversee the delivery of communication plans, contracted marketing commitments and post-Festival reporting for all government and commercial partners. 

Customer Insights & Reporting 

• Lead the development and implementation of a customer insights strategy that supports the evolution of Festival strategy, drives revenue growth, strengthens brand positioning and enhances customer experience.
• Champion the collection, analysis and utilisation of customer, audience, marketing and industry data, fostering a culture of evidence-based decision making across the organisation.
• Oversee the delivery of post-Festival quantitative and qualitative surveying, in collaboration with external research agency, to identify ticketholder feedback, trends, customer needs, market opportunities and areas for continuous improvement.
• Establish and maintain marketing and audience performance reporting frameworks, providing regular insights and recommendations to senior leadership, the Board, partners and key stakeholders on campaign effectiveness, customer behaviour and commercial outcomes. 

Corporate & Crisis Communications

• Lead corporate communications initiatives that support organisational reputation and stakeholder engagement.
• Oversee crisis communications planning and response, ensuring timely, accurate and effective stakeholder communication and community engagement, working in collaboration with external consultants when required. 
• Act as the Festival’s nominated crisis management team leader to assess, capture, mobilise and resolve incidents and issues as they arise. 

Team Leadership & People Management

• Lead and manage the Marketing team, ensuring clarity of priorities, responsibilities, timelines and expected outcomes.
• Provide direction, feedback and support to team members to ensure the successful delivery of marketing goals.
• Ensure the team operates with professionalism, discipline and strong attention to detail in all planning and delivery activities.
• Actively participate as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, contributing to Festival strategy, growth planning, reporting, risk management and organisational performance.
• Work cross-functionally with Programming, Partnerships, Event Operations, Ticketing and Finance to ensure marketing supports commercial, audience, brand and stakeholder objectives.

Budget & Governance 

• Manage all marketing budgets, ensuring the marketing plan is delivered on time and within approved financial parameters.
• Ensure accurate forecasting, tracking and reconciliation of marketing expenditure in line with Festival policy.
• Work closely with the Executive Team to prepare Board papers and reports, providing clear and accurate updates on marketing performance, audience insights, brand initiatives, strategic priorities and emerging risks.
• Ensure all marketing activity complies with relevant Festival policies and procedures, including event policies, diversity, equity and inclusion requirements, accessibility standards and participant obligations.

Key Skills & Experience

• Ideally 10+ years’ marketing experience: including experience with major public events, fashion and consumer brands, arts / culture, or media.
• Tertiary marketing course equivalent: including marketing, communications, public relations and / or journalism.
• Strong knowledge of the Australian fashion industry landscape, with an informed understanding of global fashion trends and market dynamics.
• Proven leadership capability, with experience managing teams, projects, budgets and complex stakeholder relationships.
• Strong commercial judgement and the ability to develop marketing that supports audience, partner and business outcomes.
• Excellent project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple timelines, priorities and dependencies.
• Strong analytical and diagnostic capability, with an aptitude for problem-solving and practical decision-making.