Marketing Content Strategist

As a lover of words and storytelling, the Performance Coatings Group (PCG) Content Strategist is a part of the PCG Creative Services team, the in-house team which supports and collaborates with all industrial divisions, as well as internal shared service teams, to bring marketing concepts to life. This role operates as the lead content strategist and communications partner within the PCG Creative Services organization. A strategic and creative position responsible for connecting customer insights, business priorities, audience needs and customer journeys to craft scalable content programs that drive commercial growth across a full funnel experience.

This position works closely with copywriters, designers, project managers, videographers, channel marketers and division marketing teams to design content systems and strategies that support customer journeys while also taking an active role to write and edit content for both internal and external audiences. This individual is responsible for content leadership across all divisions and the Creative Services team.

Additional Details:

• This position will require up to 10% travel.
• This role is not remote/hybrid. This role will report Sherwin-Williams Cleveland Global Headquarters located at 1 Sherwin Way, Cleveland, OH 44115
• This position is also eligible for [bonus] [commissions] [long-term incentive compensation awards] based on performance and subject to the terms of the Company's applicable plans.

Job duties include contact with other employees and access confidential and proprietary information and/or other items of value, and such access may be supervised or unsupervised. The Company therefore has determined that a review of criminal history is necessary to protect the business and its operations and reputation and is necessary to protect the safety of the Company's staff, employees, and business relationships.

Content Planning & Development

• Collaborate with Creative Services team and internal division teams, such as marketing communications, sales, market segment directors, product marketing, R&D, Corporate Communications, executive leadership, etc. to develop strategic content strategies aligned to customer journeys, personas, buying stages and commercial priorities.
• Lead modular content strategy and messaging framework development, translating audience insights, customer journey needs, and business objectives into personalized, scalable content experiences across channels.
• Demonstrated expertise developing and managing integrated marketing content strategies across both digital and print channels, ensuring brand consistency, audience relevance, and business impact.

• Partner cross-functionally with marketing, sales, and product leaders to define messaging frameworks, content architectures, and customer journey strategies that build scalable content assets, balancing short-term marketing needs with long-term objectives around customer education, lead nurturing, digital discoverability, and sales enablement.

• Write and develop engaging and informative content that adheres to AP style and brand guidelines for various audiences within PCG divisions across more than 40 business segments.
• Content development examples:
  • Marketing materials such as brochures, sell sheets, print ads, trade show materials, taglines, banners, sales presentations and direct mail.
  • Video script development and on-screen graphics, including technical and how-to demonstrations and customer interviews.
  • Digital storytelling including by not limited to website content optimized for SEO/GEO/AEO, social media (organic and paid) and Marketo emails.
  • Articles, case studies, white papers and press releases.
• Serve as content and communications lead for select sales meetings and commercial initiatives, shaping narratives, executive messaging, presentation content, and supporting communications (e.g., pre- and post-event messaging, sales-facing communications) to drive clarity, alignment, and action.

Ideation & Measurement

• Act as a content thought leader, advising stakeholders on modern content approaches across earned, owned and paid channels, storytelling techniques and best practices to advance brand, product and commercial priorities.
• Demonstrate adaptive thinking and continuous learning by leveraging emerging technologies (including AI-enabled tools) to improve content development, quality, workflow efficiency, and scalability within assigned projects and workflows, while maintaining brand and quality standards.
• Read, edit and revise division marketing materials submitted for review to ensure brand and copy guidelines are upheld; offer to discuss recommended changes in content, style, organization, brand standards and legal requirements with authors and stakeholders.
• Understands and actively researches the evolving performance coatings landscape, bringing forward innovative ideas and solutions that align with PCG's content, overall marketing and sales enablement goals.
• Ideates and recommends measurement opportunities within the context of cross-channel performance based on overall impact on reputation and applications.
• Participates in meetings and presentations to discuss marketing content performance, interpretation of data and identifies actionable plans based on findings.
• Maintain and update PCG Copy Style Guide and lexicon on an annual basis.
• Identify and present new opportunities/areas of marketing content that will improve audience favorability.
• Lead or co-lead creative brainstorming, ideation, concepting and critique meetings.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead creative content team of two specialists as part of PCG Creative Services across all online and offline content needs.

• Mentor and train copywriting team on best practices across content, partner relations and project management.
• Develop employees through experience, continuing education and new content opportunities.
• Collaborate with Corporate, GAM, and PCG teams on content development for external facing, enterprise-wide initiatives.

Minimum Requirements:

• Must be at least eighteen (18) years of age
• Must be legally authorized to work in the country of employment without needing sponsorship for employment work visa status now or in the future
• Must be willing to travel as required by the position
• Must have a valid driver's license
• Must have a Bachelor's Degree
• Must have at least five (5) years' experience of strategic content planning, content management and writing experience in corporate or agency environments
• Must have experience providing strategic content and messaging guidance to senior stakeholders, including marketing, sales and executive leaders
• Must have experience balancing strategic thinking with hands-on execution in a fast-paced, matrixed environment
• Must have experience learning new tools, including AI-assisted content or workflow technologies, to improve effectiveness and efficiency
• Must have experience with strong conceptual thinking, problem-solving and communications
• Must be training in AP style
• Must have experience in research, interviewing subject matter experts, and writing content tailored appropriately to target industrial audiences and business segments, with a portfolio of completed examples
• Must have experience developing and working with content style guides
• Must have experience demonstrating the ability to balance numerous projects while maintaining attention to detail, priorities and deadlines
• Must have experience giving presentations
• Must have at least one (1) year experience with Microsoft Word and PowerPoint
• Must have experience working cross functionally, especially across marketing, sales, product teams and subject matter experts
• Must have experience with web content, keyword placement and SEO/GEO/AEO.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Have a Bachelor's degree in journalism, communications, marketing, or business
• Have at least eight (8) years of strategic B2B content planning support, content management and writing experience in corporate or agency environments.
• Have experience working with executives to create impactful presentations from a business perspective
• Have a strong creative portfolio, available online
• Have experience leading integrated campaigns from concept to completion
• Have at least three (3) years' experience in mentorship or leadership
• Have experience with Workfront or another project management platform
• Have experience with Adobe Creative Suites/basic graphic design knowledge
• Have Industrial Coatings knowledge or experience