Director Of Paid Media Brand & Awareness

Position Summary

Director of Paid Media is a dynamic, strategic, and innovative leader with expertise in Brand & Awareness advertising strategy and mid to upper funnel media buying. This leader is responsible for crafting and executing comprehensive Paid Media strategies that elevate brand awareness, drive engagement, and establish a strong presence for National University in the upper & mid-funnel marketing landscape. This critical role will manage agencies, build, and lead a media team, and collaborate closely with cross-functional teams. Responsible for developing and executing comprehensive Paid Media strategies monitoring performance metrics with a primary focus on driving brand and consideration metrics while maximizing benefit from our media investments. This leader is a key player contributing to the overall media marketing strategy and university outcomes.

Essential Functions:

Lead Go-To-Market Strategy & Operations for all Brand Advertising

• Connect operations to overall Marketing strategies, creating priorities through budget, segment, and geography decisions collaborating with direct response Paid Media teams, the brand and strategy team and data resources.
• Develop and implement brand-focused Paid Media strategies across various channels, emphasizing upper funnel initiatives to enhance brand visibility and resonance.
• Channel management of OTT/CTV, Linear TV, Streaming Video, Streaming Audio, Awareness social media, Display advertising, Sponsorships, Influencer Marketing, and leveraging affiliates.
• Utilize qualitative and quantitative insights to inform upper funnel media buying decisions, refining targeting strategies and optimizing budget allocation for maximum brand impact.
• Work jointly with Brand and Strategy teams and other members of the organization to develop audience focused campaigns, messaging and KPIs.
• Support new program launches with mid-funnel advertising efforts as appropriate.
• Collaborate with Creative Team on development and execution of compelling brand-focused ad creatives that resonate with the target audience and align with brand guidelines.
• Operational and management including, but not limited to, Brand & Awareness, lead nurturing, student nurturing, partnerships, and new programs.

Own Brand Advertising and Mid-funnel Performance and Budget

• Oversee a multi-million dollar Paid Media upper-funnel budget as a percentage of the overall Paid Media budget to meet Brand & Awareness goals on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) related to brand awareness and perception, and high funnel visits and engagement, providing insights and recommendations for continuous improvement.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including the Paid Media direct response team, NU Brand & Strategy Team, marketing automation, accounts, creative, content, PR, marketing analytics, web dev, IT, CRO, internal account and enrollment teams, to ensure cohesive and effective campaign execution.
• Work cross functionally to ensure KPIs align with full-funnel objectives including marketing automation and enrollment goals.
• Consistently monitor and provide guidance for tagging, tracking and campaign attribution
• Work directly with brand, content, enrollment, student success and marketing automation teams to support both lead and student nurturing efforts with a focus on moving prospects through the funnel and improving student retention and success.

Lead a brand performance focused team and manage vendor & agency relationships.

• Lead a specialized team, providing guidance on media planning, brand positioning, and upper funnel campaign execution to effectively communicate key brand messages.
• Build, mentor, educate and inspire a team of dedicated digital marketing professionals. 
• Foster relationships with external partners, vendors, and advertising platforms to identify opportunities and negotiate favorable terms. 
• Stay abreast of industry trends, emerging platforms, and creative approaches to brand marketing to proactively identify opportunities for innovation.
• Lead review and implementation of new vendors, capabilities and technologies including, but not limited to Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Supervise a team of direct response marketers that include 2-3 direct reports.
• On-going management of external vendor/partners

Requirements:

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, Advertising, Business, or a related field; advanced degree or certifications are a plus.
• Minimum of 8+ years of hands-on experience in Paid Media, with a specific focus on brand strategy and upper funnel media buying.
• Higher Education experience is preferred.
• Coursework or prior experience emphasizing marketing and business and/or quantitative disciplines within a higher education environment, preferred.
• Proven success in managing multi-million-dollar budgets and achieving Brand & Awareness performance goals in a fast-paced environment.
• In-depth understanding of digital marketing channels, including display, video, social media advertising, and native advertising.
• Proficiency in leveraging analytics platforms and marketing technology to track and measure the impact of brand-focused campaigns.
• Strong strategic thinking and creative problem-solving skills, with the ability to contribute to the development of impactful brand strategies.
• Excellent communication skills to convey brand messages to general and targeted markets and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.

Competencies / Technical / Functional Skills:

• Proven Track Record: Minimum of 8 years of demonstrable success in a hands-on role within Paid Media, with a strong emphasis on upper funnel brand and awareness strategy.
• Budget Management: Proven ability to effectively manage budgets and achieve brand-focused objectives within a dynamic and competitive marketing environment.
• Channel Expertise: In-depth understanding of digital marketing channels, including display, video, social media advertising, and native advertising, with a focus on crafting impactful upper funnel campaigns.
• Analytics Proficiency: Proficient in leveraging analytics platforms and marketing technology to track, measure, and analyze the impact of upper funnel campaigns, providing actionable insights.
• Strategic Thinking: Strong strategic thinking and creative problem-solving skills, showcasing the ability to contribute to the development of impactful brand strategies aligned with business goals.
• Communication Skills: Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, to effectively convey brand messages, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and articulate complex strategies.
• Leadership Experience: Leadership experience in managing and mentoring teams, fostering a collaborative and results-driven team culture to deliver high-quality and strategic Paid Media campaigns.
• Continuous Learning: Commitment to staying abreast of industry trends, emerging platforms, and creative approaches to brand marketing to proactively identify opportunities for innovation.

Location: Remote

Travel: as needed

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Candidate receiving offers will be offered a salary/pay rate commensurate with experience that vary based on a candidate's qualifications, skills, and competencies.  Absent exceptional circumstances, candidates will be offered a salary within this range for this position. The minimum salary will be offered based on the minimum exemption threshold based on state of residency. Base pay is one component of National University's total rewards package, as we are dedicated to supporting the needs of the "whole you" with our holistic approach to employee benefits by offering comprehensive well-being benefits for you and your family.  For full details about our benefit plan offerings, please visit benefits.nu.edu. For Part-time benefits, please click here.

Compensation Range:

Annual Salary: $79,930.00 - $107,900.00

National University is committed to maintaining a high-quality, diverse workforce representative of the populations we serve. National University employs more than 5,000 faculty and staff and serves over 41,000 students. We are united in our mission to meet the global education demands of the 21st Century and are dedicated to creating a supportive academic and work environment that allows students, faculty and staff to develop their interests and talents while experiencing a sense of community and a commitment to diversity. With programs available both online and at our many campus locations, National University is a leader in creating innovative solutions to education and meeting the needs of our diverse student population, including adult learners and working professionals.

National University offers an opportunity to work in an innovative environment that supports diversity.

National University (NU) is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and does not unlawfully discriminate against any employee or applicant for employee per applicable federal, state and local laws. At NU, a diverse mix of highly talented, innovative and creative people come together to make the impact of a lifetime for each of our student learners. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment, education, and admission at National University. We are focused on equality and believe deeply in diversity of race, color, ancestry, age, family care status, veteran status, marital status, creed, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin, and other legally protected group status.