Marketing Project Manager

Job Summary

Vinik Sports Group and the Tampa Bay Lightning are seeking a highly organized, proactive, and collaborative Marketing Project Manager to lead the planning, coordination, and execution of creative and marketing initiatives across the organization.

Reporting to the Director of Marketing & Fan Experience, this role serves as the primary liaison between the Marketing team and key internal stakeholders, including Partnerships, Ticketing, Sales, Communications, Social Media, Content, Hockey Operations, Arena Operations, Events, Retail, Food & Beverage, Community Relations, Community Hockey, and other business functions.

The Marketing Project Manager will oversee projects from initial intake and strategic briefing through creative development, stakeholder approvals, production, installation, launch, and final delivery. In Collaboration with the Creative Director, this individual will ensure projects are clearly defined, appropriately prioritized, delivered on time and within budget, and aligned with organizational objectives and brand standards. Success in this role requires the ability to manage competing priorities, streamline workflows, and effectively coordinate resources to enable the Creative team to deliver exceptional work.

The ideal candidate is a detail-oriented project and campaign management professional and strong communicator who thrives in fast-paced, collaborative environments. They are skilled at bringing structure and clarity to complex initiatives, building relationships across departments, and driving projects forward with efficiency and accountability. A passion for sports, entertainment, and creating outstanding fan experiences is a plus.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

PROJECT MANAGEMENT & CREATIVE OPERATIONS

• Serve as a key project management liaison between internal departments including Marketing, Digital, Social, Community Hockey, Community Relations, Corporate Communications, People Operations, Hockey Operations, Facilities, Game Presentation, Ticketing, Partnership, Premium, MS&S, Retail, and Event Marketing.

• Manage and oversee the intake, tracking, and assignment of all creative requests; manage resource allocation, schedule timelines, and facilitate asset delivery for internal stakeholder review and approval.

• Own the creative project intake process, ensuring requests are properly scoped, prioritized, assigned, and managed through completion.

• Lead the planning and execution of multiple concurrent marketing and creative projects, developing clear timelines, production schedules, task plans, and approval workflows.

• Serve as the central point of coordination between creative teams, marketers, and cross-functional stakeholders, keeping projects aligned, on schedule, and moving efficiently.

• Monitor project progress, proactively identifying and resolving risks related to timelines, resources, scope, or approvals.

• Manage project schedules, team capacity, and resource allocation to ensure work is balanced and aligned with organizational priorities.

• Communicate project status, priorities, and key milestones to stakeholders, ensuring expectations remain clear throughout the process.

• Facilitate reviews, approvals, and decision-making while removing obstacles that may impact delivery.

• Continuously evaluate and improve project management tools, workflows, and operational processes to enhance efficiency, collaboration, and creative output.

• Ensure all projects are delivered on time, on brand, and in accordance with established objectives and quality standards.

• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

RESOURCE PLANNING & TEAM SUPPORT

• Partner with Marketing leadership to forecast project demand and anticipate seasonal, recurring, and high-volume workload needs.

• Maintain visibility into creative team capacity and workload, helping prioritize projects based on business needs, deadlines, complexity, and available resources.

• Identify potential resource gaps and recommend solutions to support successful project execution.

• Maintain project documentation, workflow standards, and organizational systems that promote consistency, accountability, and efficiency across the team.

• Foster a collaborative, solutions-oriented environment that enables creative teams to do their best work.

CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COLLABORATION

• Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders and serve as a trusted partner throughout the creative development process.

• Translate business objectives and stakeholder feedback into clear, actionable project requirements and creative briefs.

• Partner regularly with departments across the organization to understand upcoming initiatives, priorities, and opportunities.

• Effectively communicate with stakeholders and leadership at all levels, navigating competing priorities while maintaining strong working relationships.

• Align project teams around shared goals, expectations, timelines, and deliverables to support successful outcomes.

PRODUCTION & VENDOR MANAGEMENT

• Coordinate with external vendors and creative partners, including production companies, printers, agencies, photographers, videographers, promotional product suppliers, and installers.

• Manage production timelines, specifications, proofing, approvals, file delivery, installation, and final execution of creative assets.

• Ensure all deliverables meet brand standards, production requirements, and quality expectations.

• Maintain productive vendor relationships to support efficient execution, cost effectiveness, and high-quality outcomes.

• Track vendor estimates, project budgets, invoices, and production expenses as applicable

• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

game/event responsibilities

• Game/Event Night Responsibilities: Yes

• Approximate number of events worked per year: 30-40

• Ability to work min. 50% of all home games at minimum for special theme nights and promotions

• Ability to work Tampa Bay Lightning branded events and initiatives as needed such as season kick-off event, playoff events, etc.

qualifications

• 3-5 years of related work experience in marketing, creative, sports, media agency, or a similarly fast-paced environment.

• Minimum education level of BA/BS degree (4-year) specializing in marketing, communications, business management or sports marketing

• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Experience managing multiple projects, competing priorities, and cross-functional teams simultaneously.

• Proficiency with project management platforms such as WorkZone, Airtable, or similar workflow tools.

• Knowledge of digital asset management, file organization, and archival best practices.

• Strong understanding of creative production processes, resource planning, and workflow optimization.

• Excellent communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.

• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships and influence stakeholders across an organization.

• Experience managing print, promotional, and large-format production vendors

• Demonstrated professionalism, discretion, diplomacy, and sound judgment when managing competing perspectives and priorities.

Working Conditions

• This is an onsite role

• Ability to work extended hours including late nights, holidays, and weekends as needed

• Ability to work prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer

• Ability to lift/carry/move up to 10lbs

• Ability to work in cold/hot indoor and outdoor temperatures

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.