Integrated Marketing Manager

The North Carolina Azalea Festival is Wilmington’s signature community celebration and the largest event of its kind in North Carolina. Founded in 1948, it showcases the Wilmington area each April through a week of concerts, galas, parades, family activities, and cultural events. The festival attracts more than one million people annually in person and through media coverage, including hundreds of thousands who attend the Street Fair and Parade. Over 50 events are produced with the support of more than 1,000 volunteers, making the festival a central point of local pride and regional tourism. Recognized by the Southeast Tourism Society as a Top 20 Event, the festival plays a key role in promoting the heritage and hospitality of coastal Carolina.

The North Carolina Azalea Festival is seeking an Integrated Marketing Manager to help tell the story of one of North Carolina’s most cherished civic traditions.

For nearly 80 years, the Festival has been powered by volunteers, sponsors, community partners, and professional staff working together to create experiences that celebrate and strengthen our community. Today, the North Carolina Azalea Festival is more than five days each spring. We are a year-round civic organization, and we are looking for a creative, highly organized marketing professional who can help bring our story to life across every public-facing touchpoint.

The Integrated Marketing Manager serves as the operational leader responsible for implementing the Festival’s marketing strategy through coordinated communications, publications, sponsor fulfillment, brand management, digital content, and creative production.

What You'll Do

Working closely with the Executive Director, the Integrated Marketing Manager will transform strategic vision and creative direction into polished, cohesive marketing experiences. The Executive Director establishes the Festival’s strategic messaging, creative direction, and organizational voice; the Integrated Marketing Manager ensures that vision is executed consistently across publications, promotional materials, sponsorship deliverables, events, and public-facing communications.

In this role, you will:

• Execute and protect the Festival brand, maintaining brand standards and visual consistency across graphic production, marketing collateral, signage, promotional assets, and Festival publications.
• Coordinate integrated marketing communications, including website content, photography, print production, marketing calendars, and campaign implementation.
• Deliver exceptional sponsor fulfillment, coordinating marketing deliverables, sponsorship activations, advertising, recognition assets, partnership benefits, and promotional tracking.
• Manage creative production, including vendors, schedules, assets, event-production readiness, marketing logistics, and cross-department communication.
• Lead digital implementation, including website updates, digital asset organization, content implementation, analytics support, email marketing, and coordination with the social media partner.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate combines creative thinking with strong execution. This position requires someone who can move comfortably between brand stewardship, communications, design, digital platforms, sponsor fulfillment, project management, and event production while maintaining exceptional attention to detail.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Integrated Marketing Communication, Public Relations, or a closely related field required
• Master’s degree preferred
• Professional experience in marketing, communications, brand management, creative production, or a related field
• Demonstrated experience managing multiple projects, priorities, vendors, and deadlines simultaneously
• Experience working in an event-driven, nonprofit, civic, tourism, hospitality, or community-focused organization is a plus

Technical Skills

Candidates should demonstrate proficiency or significant working experience with:

• Adobe Creative Suite and Canva
• CMS and website content management
• Email marketing platforms and campaign execution
• HubSpot CRM and marketing tools
• Project management systems and workflows
• Digital asset organization and file management
• Marketing analytics and performance tracking
• Print production and vendor coordination

Beyond technical expertise, we are looking for a collaborative professional who understands that exceptional marketing requires both creativity and execution. Strong writing, communication, organization, judgment, and attention to detail are essential.

How We Measure Success

Success in this role will be measured through brand consistency, sponsor fulfillment, marketing quality, production accuracy, timely campaign delivery, community engagement, cross-functional collaboration, and positive public perception.

The Rhythm of Festival Life

Working for the North Carolina Azalea Festival is not a traditional 9-to-5 experience.

January through April is our busiest time of year. Evenings, weekends, community appearances, committee meetings, sponsorship engagements, and event production are part of bringing the Festival to life.

The Festival Leadership Team is primarily office-based during Festival season, with greater flexibility during the off-season.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $60,000–$75,000 annually, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

The North Carolina Azalea Festival offers a comprehensive compensation and benefits package designed to recognize the unique rhythm of Festival work and support the long-term success of our team, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision benefits
• Retirement planning
• Paid time off
• Paid holidays
• Extended Winter Holiday office closure
• Seasonal four-day workweek from Memorial Day through Labor Day
• Structured hybrid work flexibility during the off-season
• Professional development
• Leadership opportunities

The Festival’s PTO structure begins at 10 days annually for employees and progressively increases based on tenure and includes an annual Winter Holiday office closure.

How to Apply

Ready to help tell the story of what blooms next?

Qualified candidates should submit:

• A current resume
• A cover letter describing their interest in the position and the North Carolina Azalea Festival
• Examples of relevant marketing or creative work, either as attachments or through a portfolio link

Please email application materials to Sign in to view email with the subject line:

Integrated Marketing Manager Application – [Your Name]

Applications will be reviewed as received and the position will remain open until filled.

Come Tell the Story With Us

This is an opportunity to do more than market events. It is an opportunity to help steward an 80-year legacy while shaping how the North Carolina Azalea Festival tells its story for the future.

If you believe great brands are built through intentional storytelling, exceptional experiences, strong partnerships, and an unwavering attention to detail, we would love to hear from you.

The North Carolina Azalea Festival

Integrated Marketing Manager | Tells the Story