Summary
Description
COLORADO RAPIDS
SVP, MARKETING & BRAND STRATEGY
Denver, CO (Hybrid)
Full-time • Senior level
WHO YOU ARE
You’re a strategic and visionary marketing leader who lives and breathes brand identity, continuity, and optimization. You see every touchpoint—digital, in-stadium, content, and communications—as an opportunity to strengthen the brand, nurture fan loyalty, and drive commercial impact. You lead with both creativity and operational rigor, overseeing a diverse team spanning creative, marketing operations, gameday entertainment, and communications/PR. You balance big-picture strategy with attention to executional detail, ensuring campaigns, activations, and fan experiences are cohesive, memorable, and aligned with organizational and revenue goals. You thrive at the intersection of brand, marketing, and commercial strategy, inspiring your teams to push boundaries, embrace innovation, and execute with excellence. Above all, you’re a culture-setter: collaborative, high-energy, and strategic, capable of uniting multiple disciplines around a single, compelling vision for the Colorado Rapids brand.
WHO WE ARE
Colorado Rapids
Established in 1995 as one of Major League Soccer’s original clubs, the Colorado Rapids have carried forward a proud legacy that has helped shape the league and the sport in the United States. As we build on that foundation, we are focused on an ambitious future—guided by our North Star of putting FANS at the heart of everything we do. Our purpose, “For the fans, with the fans, as one club we inspire, energize & win to carve a Rocky Mountain legacy,” reflects our commitment to creating meaningful connections and delivering excellence on and off the pitch. For our commercial team, this means fearlessly embracing a fan-centric approach, driving innovative revenue opportunities, and building lasting partnerships that strengthen both our business and our community. Together, we are shaping the next chapter of Rapids history with energy, purpose, and impact.
Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE)
Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) is an American Sports and Entertainment holding company based in Denver, Colorado. KSE is committed to providing world class sports and entertainment for both live and broadcast audiences. We are the employer of choice as the owner and operator of Ball Arena, DICK’S Sporting Goods Park, the Paramount Theatre, Denver Nuggets (NBA), the Colorado Avalanche (NHL), Colorado Mammoth (NLL), Colorado Rapids (MLS), KIMN,KXKL, KKSE (FM/AM), Altitude Sports & Entertainment, Major League Fishing/Fishing League Worldwide (MLFLW), Winnercomm, Outdoor Sportsman Group and SkyCam.
JOB SPECIFICS
Job Title: Senior Vice President, Marketing & Brand Strategy
Department: Brand
Business Unit: Colorado Rapids
Location: Denver, Colorado
Reports To: Chief Business Officer
Employment Type: Full Time – Salaried – Exempt
Supervisor Position: Yes
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Success Criteria: Lead the Colorado Rapids marketing and brand strategy function to position the club as more than a sports team—as an entertainment and experience brand. Success is measured by the ability to grow fan engagement, optimize brand continuity and commercial opportunities, and deliver innovative, data-driven campaigns and experiences. Achieve measurable outcomes across fan acquisition, retention, revenue, and broadcast metrics while ensuring brand consistency, governance, and strategic alignment across all channels and organizational decisions by…
- Brand Leadership & Evolution: Lead the team in shaping the Rapids brand beyond sports, positioning it as an entertainment and experience brand that resonates with new and existing fans. Oversee brand strategy, activation, and campaigns to ensure consistency, authenticity, and cultural relevance across all touchpoints – as informed by market research reflecting the ever-evolving Rapids’ fan identity and values.
- Community-to-Commercial Integration: Partner with Community Impact + Fan Development, and Revenue teams to cultivate fan groups and affinity communities. Design pathways that move fans through the marketing funnel—from awareness and engagement to conversion and retention—maximizing ticket sales, partnerships, Apple TV subscriptions, merchandise, and F&B revenue.
- Marketing & Campaign Strategy: Direct development and execution of full-funnel marketing plans for key initiatives, tentpole events, and major campaigns. Ensure storytelling, creative, and media strategies connect fan emotion with measured outcomes.
- Creative & Experiential Excellence: Collaborate with the Executive Creative Director to deliver breakthrough design, content, and experiences—both in-stadium and beyond—that bring the Rapids brand to life and deepen fan loyalty.
- Data-Driven Optimization: Partner with BI and Marketing Operations to embed test-and-learn frameworks, analyze fan data, and leverage insights to improve campaign effectiveness, audience segmentation, and fan lifetime value.
- Cross-Functional Alignment: Unite Growth Marketing, Communications, Digital, Creative, Community, and Revenue teams to ensure shared objectives, consistent messaging, and seamless integration across channels and experiences.
- Commercial Partnership Enablement: Work hand-in-hand with Partnerships to ideate and activate sellable brand platforms rooted in fan insights and Rapids goals, ensuring creative alignment and measurable partner value.
- Innovation & Strategic Growth: Champion forward-thinking approaches to technology, fan engagement and AI to future-proof the Rapids brand and enhance both reach and revenue.
- Team Leadership & Development: Manage, coach, and develop direct reports across Marketing, Creative, and Communication functions. Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, collaboration, and “yes, if/and” thinking that drives creativity and accountability.
Working Conditions & Physical Demands:
- Typical office conditions
- Ability to work nights, weekends, including standing at sporting or other events for extended periods of time
- Occasional travel to other markets for league meetings, client entertainment, and other related business development activity
SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS
Required
- BS/BA degree in field or related field
- 10+ years’ experience in field or related field
- 6+ years of team leadership and people management
- Applicants must meet minimum qualifications at the time of hire
Preferred
- Professional, collegiate, and/or media-related and management experience
- Ability to acquire or produce and maintain a valid driver’s license and meet company vehicle driving standards
OTHER
Compensation:
- Base salary range: $135,000 – $175,000
- Eligible for annual discretionary bonus
Benefits Include: 12 Paid Company Holidays
- Flexible work policy (Hybrid)
- Health Insurance (Medical, Dental, Vision)
- Paid Time Off (PTO)
- Life Insurance
- Short and Long-term Disability
- Health Savings Account (HSA)
- Flexible Spending plans (FSAs)
- 401K/Employer Match
Equal Employment Opportunity
Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
