The salary range for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:

If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

Current WGU employees should submit an internal application before 10/27/2023 to be considered.

The Senior Marketing Manager role is expected to demonstrate creativity, strategic thinking and planning, and to develop ideas from the ground up and oversee their implementation. This position deploys a wide range of marketing initiatives that drive awareness and enrollment goals. This role will work with various stakeholders, in particular the Enrollment team and Business Development, on high-level projects and programs that promote WGU Academy, to include annual marketing programs strategies, creative projects, website needs, direct marketing, and other core elements of the marketing effort. The Senior Manager will have a proven track record in developing and executing brand marketing, direct marketing, digital marketing, non-digital marketing efforts, and new product launches. This role requires a strategic thinker and a results-driven, data-focused, detail-oriented, highly organized team player who can work in a rapidly- evolving environment.

The Senior Marketing Manager provides leadership and direction to a small team. As a member of our Marketing Leadership team, you will be responsible for helping develop, implement, and track WGU Academy marketing initiatives and other programs. This individual will work collaboratively with the Director of Marketing and Enrollment, Enrollment Managers, the Director of Operations, the Director of Business Development, and others in support of the Academy’s overall goals and mission.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• In partnership with the Director of Marketing and Enrollment, helps identify and develop the strategy for marketing programs, including messaging, audience segmentation, timing, creative, flow, and results in analysis.

• Manages day-to-day operations for assigned areas, which may include the production of complex campaigns including creation, set up, segmentation, scheduling, and tracking.

• Develops and executes marketing plans while working with writers, designers, and developers to develop message direction, marketing collateral, and website updates.

• Manages the Manager of Communications and leads copywriting efforts, including external copywriting projects.

• Develops and creates email tests and other types of test strategies to refine communication performance, including content, images, colors, messages, subject lines, etc.

• Provides support for a continuous research effort, tracking competition, evaluating alternative product strategies, and exploring new ways to deliver the Academy message persuasively.

• Provides support to the Director for the annual marketing plans and related budget.

• Ensures project deadlines are met and followed to completion.

• Guides implementation and execution of marketing campaigns in support of other WGU Academy departments, such as Business Development and Student Success.

• Maintains effective reporting capabilities that track performance against targets, and provides strategic guidance with analytic efforts – e.g. website analytics, conversion analysis, etc.

• Participates in training programs and professional development workshops and conferences as appropriate to maintain currency in skills and trends related to sales, marketing, enrollment, market research, management, and higher education.

• Creates a department culture in which individuals hold themselves accountable for assigned projects and areas of responsibilities. Provides useful feedback and works with employees to correct deficiencies and recommends and implements corrective action and discipline.

• Coaches, mentors, and assists in the professional development of managers and team members.

• Supports employee engagement and performance recognition programs.

• Participates in department and area staffing activities, including candidate interviewing and selection.

• Communicates and collaborates with all WGU Academy leadership to ensure coordination of operational activities and initiatives are streamlined and effective.

• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skill and Abilities:

• Detailed/deadline-oriented with excellent project management skills.

• Strong analytical skills, including experience with testing design, customer segmentation, tracking, and interpreting results.

• Strong leadership acumen and the ability to coach direct reports for high performance.

• Deep experience with marketing and communications copywriting and messaging.

• Superior knowledge of B2B and B2C marketing strategies.

• Ability to build relationships and influence at all levels in a highly matrixed environment.

• High-level understanding of and advanced experience with marketing principles and tactics for both digital and non-digital channels.

• Robust strategic analysis skills -- the ability to review data and research reports and identify significant trends, implications, and opportunities.

• Disposition for data-driven decision making.

• Excellent Excel and reporting analytics capabilities.

• Basic understanding and knowledge of HTML.

• Experience with Mailchimp, Salesforce CRM, and Google Analytics, or equivalents.

• Ability to develop and lead contractors.

• Proven experience participating in and collaborating with cross-functional teams and personalities successfully.

• Results-oriented, with the ability to make decisions quickly and guide projects efficiently, while following sound strategy.

• Ability to lead, build, and coach high performing teams to ensure projects, initiatives, or other work functions are performed successfully.

• Ability to lead change and maximize team contributions.

• Ability to build strong relationships with direct reports, inspire employee engagement, support a positive environment, and help remove obstacles for team members.

• Ability to effectively teach colleagues and direct reports to facilitate growth in their careers and to help the organization scale.

• Knowledge and ability to practice selfless leadership, possessing an unwavering commitment to supporting the entire team to be successful.

• Proficient in MS Office Suite, particularly Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

Competencies:

Organizational Impact:

• Develops plan to accomplish division or job area responsibilities that align with department.

• Performance may affect department results.

• Work requires some knowledge of the University to recognize impact of decisions made.

• Compiles data to prepare budgets.

Problem Solving and Decision Making:

• Responsible for making improvements of processes or systems to enhance performance of the job area.

• Accountable for coordinating activities and maintaining relationships with internal (and occasionally external) parties.

• Assignments received and problems faced are broad and undefined, and require use of analytical concepts, investigation, and knowledge from prior experience.

Communication and Influence:

• Communicates within job area and occasionally with external groups and external facing professionals (i.e. Admissions)

• Communicates frequently with external groups on routine and more complex matters.

• Ensures compliance with University policies and procedures within job area and may influence others outside of job area to justify and gain cooperation for policies, practices, and procedures.

Leadership and Talent Management:

• Manages a team of professionals. Manages the work of assigned employees and/or supervisors who generally exercise some latitude and independence in their assignments.

• Ensures proper training of team members, and actively participates in hiring, firing, and promotion decisions. Conducts performance reviews and recommends salary reviews.

• Primarily achieves goals through leading a team.

Job Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in marketing campaign planning and execution.

• Bachelor’s degree required.

• 4+ years of people leading experience required, leading teams in meeting marketing program goals and objectives.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Deep experience in both digital and non-digital marketing

• Academic Marketing experience

• MBA
  
  

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As an equal opportunity employer, WGU recognizes that our strength lies in our people. We are committed to diversity.