Associate Director, Marketing

Associate Director, Marketing

Job ID: 2013-16491

# of Positions: 1
Posted Date: 3/27/2013
Job Location: US-IL-Elk Grove Village
Position Type: Regular Full Time
Category: Marketing

Overview

Pearson has one defining goal: to help people progress in their lives through learning. We champion innovation and we invest in models for education that deliver on our promise for effective, accessible, and personal learning from early literacy, college and career readiness to professional education, through data informed instruction and inventive applications for mobile and digital learning.

Pearson, the world's leading learning company, has global-reach and market leading businesses in education, business, and consumer publishing and is listed on the London and New York stock exchanges (UK: PSON; NYSE: PSO). For more information, visit www.pearson.com.

Pearson is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer, and a member of E-Verify. All qualified applicants, including minorities, women, veterans, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

The Associate Director, Marketing position manages a team of Marketing Managers and develops and executes all elements of the marketing program, including setting the organization's student acquisition strategies, partnering with the Media team for all media and lead generation campaigns, and achieving the student lead-generation and enrollment goals for the portfolio of universities and programs.

Reporting to the Director of Marketing, this position manages a team of Marketing Managers and develops and executes all elements of the marketing program, including setting the organization's student acquisition strategies, partnering with the Media team for all media and lead generation campaigns, and achieving the student lead-generation and enrollment goals for the portfolio of universities and programs. The Associate Director role has responsibilities across a number of internal functions and must successfully partner with internal stakeholders (Recruitment Services, Student Support Services, and Academic Partnerships) and external clients. The Associate Director, Marketing is required to continually demonstrate highly effective and advanced strategic marketing capabilities, in-depth and broad subject matter expertise, and ability to manage a team of direct reports and a portfolio of programs, as well as have advanced account/client servicing proficiency. The Associate Director is the visionary and the strategist" on the Marketing team and has a perspective that reaches across all areas of strategy, planning, campaigning and enrollment.

Responsibilities
Program Management (New & Existing Programs)
- Manage all the activities, timelines and deliverables to successfully launch new programs from new or existing clients
- Lead the development and implementation of online and offline marketing strategy through analysis, research and competitive intelligence review
- Provide team leadership and an advanced understanding of marketing strategy, branding and product positioning:

o Oversee the implementation of strategies from detailed marketing plans and briefs for each program in the portfolio
o Enhance program positioning though research, analysis and industry/brand/program knowledge
o Define audience segmentation/profiling
o Optimize the program offering and positioning in market
o Develop and update industry size, growth and other characteristics
o Effectively achieve program performance targets and objectives
o Drive on-going program challenge/opportunity analysis though industry, competitive and program reviews
o Foster the development of innovative marketing solutions tailored to brand/program characteristics
- Create quarterly or marketing campaign reports for management, and regularly report results of campaigns/starts to senior management and clients
- Create framework, outlines, presentations and documents for all client meetings (onsite and offsite)
- Be the lead subject matter expertise in program verticals to support the portfolio
- Develop/suggest enhancements and improvements to marketing materials (website, banner, directory copy, email, landing pages, brochure, e-newsletter, print, tradeshow/conference, whitepaper, podcast, webinar and demos) with the goal of increasing lead generation volume and media effectiveness
- Work with Media and Studio to develop/draft direct response messages (copy/images) to various marketing segments
- Develop new strategies/enhancements for program positioning, value proposition and unique selling propositions to various market segments
- Act as lead contact point for clients on all marketing issues and provide regular reporting and updates to clients, including following up on all projects, initiatives and action items
- Successfully interfacing/coordinating with multiple internal departments (Recruitment Services, Client Services, Business Development, Knowledge Partner Development, Student Services & Program Support) to achieve organizational and marketing department objectives
- Identify new market segments and develop the strategy to target effectively
- Develop annual and quarterly strategic planning for portfolio of accounts
- Engage in long-term forecasting for program enrollments
- Manage the team on the tactical implementation of marketing and enrollment strategies
- Ensure brand stewardship and maintain institutional reputation of the partner through brand and program knowledge
- Supervise monthly audits to validate marketing materials, messages and placements for quality and accuracy

Creative/Studio Management
- Collaborate with the Studio and clients to create compelling direct response marketing messages designed to drive lead generation. Creative elements include: website, banner, directory copy, email, landing pages, brochure, e-newsletter, print, tradeshow/conference, whitepaper, podcast, webinar and demos
- Work with copywriters/graphic designers in developing new creative materials
- Manage and schedule creative work of the program team and the projects submitted to the Studio

Client Management
- Lead the creation and preparation of files, reports and documents for in-depth client meeting/summits
- Lead the development of plans/presentations to new and existing clients
- Lead weekly/bi-weekly calls with clients, report on performance and follows up on action items
- Act as the Marketing subject matter expert for all client interactions

Recruitment Services Management
- Partner with Recruitment Services to develop projections and plans for annual and quarterly enrollment
- Work with Recruitment Services on their enrollment progress and ensure targets are met/exceeded though a combination of Marketing and Recruitment Services activities
- Partner with key Recruitment Services representatives to enhance departmental and organizational performance

Media Management
- Coordinate with the Media team on lead generation efforts, working to find new sources and methods for enhancing lead generation efforts
- Jointly own all related Marketing & Media deliverable and work together to ensure that all timelines and objectives (cross-functionally) are met

Team Management
- Manage and mentor Marketing Managers
- Responsible for resource planning and management including hiring/interviewing, training, coaching, developing, objective setting and performance management
- Implement strategic development plans for individuals
- Engage in quarterly and annual performance reviews and evaluations
- Develop a positive environment and contributing to the organizational culture through balanced wins

Research Management
- Coordinate the collection, analysis and reporting of/on market and competitor information that can be utilized effectively for marketing purposes

Other
- Participate in departmental and organizational task forces/committees designed to boost performance and enhance organization/departmental effectiveness
- Prepare weekly reports on portfolio status
- Demonstrate the organization core values (winning, innovation, solutions, ownership) in daily activities
- Keep abreast of industry best practices and share solutions with team
- Develop new and innovative methods for cost effectively reaching audiences, improving media effectiveness, enhancing positioning, executing on strategy
- Contribute to the departmental effectiveness by making suggestion for process and output improvement based on experience, observation and data collection

Qualifications

Qualifications
- A Bachelor's degree in marketing, business administration or related field, MBA preferred
- 5+ years of experience in marketing, including experience in account management/direction/planning, strategic marketing planning and direct marketing - online and offline
- 3+ years of leading/managing a team of at least a team (2+) of direct reports
- Outstanding project/time management and communication (verbal and written) skills are a must
- Strategic development and marketing planning orientation
- The ability to envision the implementation and measurement of strategy effectiveness
- Ability to engage in productive innovation development, bring new solutions to challenges
- Ability to analyze and work with numbers (analytics, budgets), particularly as it relates to direct response reporting and analysis
- Excellent leadership and management skills, focused on developing team members
- Good working knowledge of a variety of online and direct marketing strategies and tactics
- Ability to engage in strategic/account planning and develop and apply in-depth product knowledge
- Eagerness to learn, willingness to develop, desire to support team, department and organizational development
- Strong team player with excellent and proven inter-personnel skills
- Willing to work extended hours when required
- Ability to anticipate and provide prompt resolution on issues
- Proactive, solutions oriented and focused on business objectives
- Focused on quality and delivery of results
- Ability to develop efficient and effective communication strategies for engaging internal and external stakeholders
- High attention to detail and administration
- Proficient in MS Office - special emphasis on Excel, PowerPoint and Word (required to create effective reports)
- Excellent presentation and negotiation skills
- Strong relationship building skills, ability to develop strong cross functional working relationships
- High level of professional business acumen

Supervisory Responsibilities
- Responsible for managing a team of Marketing Managers.

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