Marketing Lead (Cincinnati)
A NOTE FROM OUR CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Marketing at brightSTAR is a build, not a maintenance job. We are a fast-growing operator in an industry that has been slow to professionalize its marketing and adopt modern technology, and every community we add makes the opportunity bigger. I want a marketer who can run the entire function solo, using AI to do the work of a full team, and who is energized by shaping something from the ground up alongside a leadership team that moves quickly. This seat starts as a builder role, and it grows in scope and ownership as the function proves itself. If you want to define how a growing company shows up to residents, RV travelers, home sellers, and the market, and you're excited by AI as your primary lever rather than headcount, I want to talk. -Mike Daley, Chief Operating Officer ABOUT BRIGHTSTAR brightSTAR Communities is a premier operator of Manufactured Home Communities (“MHC”), Recreational Vehicle Resorts (“RV”), and marinas across the United States. Our mission is to create vibrant, affordable communities for working families and retirees, attractive vacation destinations for RV travelers, and well-run marinas for boaters. At brightSTAR, we empower exceptional leaders to combine institutional discipline and professionalism with a fierce entrepreneurial spirit. That approach has fueled our rapid growth, transformed ordinary “parks” into strong communities, and fulfilled our promises to our residents and investors. We are guided by a few Core Beliefs : CHARACTER MATTERS Business should be a FORCE FOR GOOD We all profit most when we work for a PURPOSE GREATER THAN OURSELVES Every decision should maximize LONG-TERM VALUE FOR ALL STAKEHOLDERS We strive to live our Values every day: AUTHENTICITY – We are real, honest, and transparent. EXCELLENCE – We solve problems and are obsessed with greatness. PARTNERSHIP – We bring out the best in each other. THE POSITION Manufactured Housing, RV Resorts, and Marinas are among the most under-professionalized asset classes in real estate: historically fragmented, light on operating discipline, and generally untouched by modern technology. brightSTAR exists to change that, and marketing is how the world sees it happen. We are scaling toward 10,000 home sites and 25 destination outdoor communities valued at $1 billion. As our Marketing Lead, reporting to the COO, you will build and run the function that fills our communities, sells and leases our homes, and earns the brightSTAR name in every market we enter. This role starts as a builder seat: you will set the strategy, run the budget, and execute the work yourself, using AI to operate at the output level of a full team. As the function proves itself and the portfolio grows, so does the scope of what you own, and the team and resources behind you. WHAT YOU'LL OWN Strategy & Planning: Set the marketing strategy and own the budget. Build a forward-looking promotion and campaign calendar in partnership with Operations, so campaigns, creative, and outreach are ready before launch. Digital Marketing, Website & Technology: Lead paid and owned digital across search, social, Facebook Marketplace, listing sites, email, and organic. Own the website, SEO and AI search visibility, HubSpot, and the connections to our property management platform, so every lead is captured, routed, and followed up. Measurement & Attribution: Define lead sources and funnel metrics, and report on cost per lead, cost per move-in, and return on spend. Hold marketing accountable to occupancy, leasing, and home sales, not activity. PR, Brand & Reputation: Own brand standards, press releases, media relations, LinkedIn and social presence, and online reputation across local listings and reviews. Field Marketing & Tactical Vendors: Direct sign, print, and media vendors as needed to deliver the signage, collateral, promotional products, and events that equip our community teams to win residents and buyers. Acquisitions & Growth Support: Make every new community launch smoothly, with the website presence, listings, signage, and announcements ready on day one. Support seller-facing outreach for the Acquisitions team. Multiply Your Output with AI: Build and document the AI workflows, agents, and automated content pipelines that let you run this function solo at full-team output. This is a core part of the job, not a side skill. Collaboration: Work side by side with Operations, Acquisitions, Asset Management, and the executive team to align marketing with where and how we are growing. HOW THIS ROLE GROWS This is an explicitly two-phase mandate, and we want candidates who see both phases as part of the opportunity, not just the first one. Phase 1 – Build the Engine: Run the marketing function solo, AI-first. Prove the playbook: the channels, the content systems, the attribution, and the AI workflows that make one person as productive as a small team. Phase 2 – Scale It: As we grow, you will shape the team, budget, and structure around you. You will have shaped the playbook yourself, so you will be the natural person to build and lead what comes next. REQUIRED EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS 2–4 years of hands-on, full-stack marketing experience, with a track record of owning outcomes, not just channels. We hire for what you've built, not how long you've been building. Broad, hands-on experience across multiple marketing functions: paid digital (search and social), internally managed channels (email, web, SEO, social), and brand and collateral. A demonstrated, verifiable track record of using AI to multiply your output: workflows, agents, or automated content pipelines that compressed days or weeks of marketing work into hours, which you can demonstrate live. Working fluency with tools such as HubSpot (or a comparable CRM) and Google Analytics, including lead attribution and funnel conversion. Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to present strategy and results clearly to executives. Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or a related field preferred. We weight your portfolio and track record over credentials. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States and must be able to pass pre-employment background and drug screening. brightSTAR Communities maintains a drug-free and tobacco-free workplace. WHO YOU ARE A Solo Builder with Range: You're comfortable operating as a department of one today, and you've led people, vendors, or partners at some point in your career. You know what building a team eventually requires, and you won't force one into existence before the volume justifies it. Data-Driven and Technology Fluent: You decide with evidence, reach for automation and AI before brute force, and change course quickly when the numbers say so. Owner Mindset: You are accountable for outcomes, not activities. You own mistakes immediately and bring solutions, not just problems. Fast and Collaborative: You move with urgency, prioritize ruthlessly, and bring vendors and colleagues along with clear communication. WHO YOU ARE NOT This role is not the right fit if: You measure success in impressions and posts rather than leases, move-ins, and sales. You need a team or an agency in place before you can start, or you're comfortable where you are. This seat is built to grow, and so is the person in it. You do work by hand that AI or automation could do in a fraction of the time, and you have no plan to change that. HOW WE HIRE Every brightSTAR candidate completes a Culture Index survey as the first step. Finalists for this role will also complete a live AI workflow demonstration: you will show us, screen-share and in real time, a workflow you built that compressed days or weeks of marketing work into hours, using a realistic artifact such as a messy lead-source report or a monthly ad performance summary. No pre-prepared slides. We are not looking for enthusiasm for AI. We are looking for someone who already treats it as their operating system, because in this role you will be doing the work of a full team at one headcount until growth justifies your first hire. If that sounds like fun rather than a hurdle, you are probably our kind of marketer. WHAT WE OFFER A front-row seat, and real ownership, in building marketing for a high-growth platform targeting rapid expansion and a billion dollar valuation. The mandate to shape the function, the playbook, and the technology stack as we grow, with direct access to the executive team. A role designed to grow with you: as the function you build proves itself and the portfolio scales, your scope, your team, and your seat at the table grow with it. A competitive salary based on experience and a comprehens
