The Assistant Director of Marketing reports to the Executive Director of Enrollment Marketing and Digital Strategy as part of the Performance Marketing, Data, and Analytics team. This role supports enrollment marketing across digital and non-digital channels as needed, leading digital marketing initiatives to align with the university's mission and institutional goals.

The Assistant Director develops and implements strategic digital marketing initiatives to enhance recruitment yield and drive increased enrollment. They oversee digital marketing efforts, including paid media campaigns, website management, and email marketing, while collaborating with agency partners to optimize performance across platforms such as Google, Meta, LinkedIn, and affiliate networks.

This role is also integral to data management and reporting, ensuring the accuracy of data flow into systems and maintaining data integrity. The Assistant Director tracks campaign performance, develops insights, and optimizes digital marketing strategies to maximize return on investment.

Duties

• Digital Marketing Leadership and Strategy: Lead the development and execution of digital marketing strategies, working closely with the Executive Director. Manage paid media campaigns across platforms (Google, Meta, LinkedIn, affiliates) and oversee website management, email marketing, and other digital and non-digital initiatives. Ensure all digital marketing activities align with the university's mission and institutional goals. 
• Campaign Management and Content Development: Develop and manage digital campaign communication strategies, including website updates, email marketing, social media content, and advertising. Collaborate with creative teams and external partners to produce high-quality, optimized content. Maintain consistency with brand identity and messaging across all digital channels. 
• Data, Reporting, and Optimization: Track campaign performance, develop insights, and ensure data flows correctly into software systems. Participate in budget management, optimizing paid marketing allocations and tracking expenditures to ensure efficient use of resources. Conduct regular audits to optimize campaign performance and prevent wasteful practices. 
• Stakeholder Collaboration and Project Management: Serve as the primary point of contact for external digital marketing partners. Lead project management for digital initiatives, collaborating with internal and external stakeholders. Facilitate coordination and communication between marketing and other university departments. 
• Budget Management and Compliance: Assist in managing the digital marketing budget, including allocations and tracking. Ensure compliance with data governance standards and avoid wasteful marketing practices. Maintain financial accountability by optimizing spend and reporting on budget utilization. 
• Additional Duties as Assigned: Perform other tasks as directed by the Executive Director and Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) leadership. 
• Uphold the university mission through all work performed. 

The above information has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.

Skills and Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in design, communications, liberal arts, marketing or related field.
• Three plus years in brand management, product management, product development, sales, advertising and/or marketing.
• Experience in digital marketing strategy, campaign execution, data analysis, and project management, with strengths in communication, collaboration, and proficiency with digital marketing platforms.
• Ability to successfully lead across organizational boundaries, including strong relationship management skills.
• Demonstrated leadership qualities and ability to lead diverse and cross-functional groups, including outside vendors.
• Strong team orientation, both internal and external, with the ability to coach and mentor regardless of reporting relationships.
• Proven project management and analytical skills.
• Solid communication skills dealing with internal and external clients and multiple projects/deliverables simultaneously.
• General knowledge and experience running ads on major digital marketing platforms.
• Advanced experience with standard MS Office applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.)

Preferred:

• Master’s in Marketing, Business, Finance, or a related field.
• MBA and/or equivalent work experience.
• Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills.
• Strong business acumen.
• Demonstrated creativity and effectiveness in marketing programs including but not limited to promotions, marketing communications, sales tools, etc.
• Ability to analyze issues, and develop and deploy solutions within a dynamic environment.
• Ability to think critically.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple assignments simultaneously.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including speaking in front of small and large groups.
• Strong time and project schedule management skills are required to consistently meet deadlines.
• Well-organized, strong administrative and detail-oriented skills.
• Understanding of the higher education landscape and the ability to analyze industry trends as they relate to enrollment and recruitment.
• Experience with digital marketing, content marketing, Adobe Suite products and video editing, CRM (Salesforce), ESP (Marketing Cloud), and HTML knowledge a plus

Qualified individuals should be able to show respect for workplace differences, and have the ability to work effectively with individuals from different backgrounds.

Offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a criminal, education, and employment screening. The University conducts such screenings in compliance with applicable laws and with the objectives of evaluating risk and supporting a safe environment for students, faculty, staff, and guests; safeguarding key University assets including people, property, information, and the University’s reputation; and providing comprehensive job-related information to University leaders to enable them to make prudent hiring decisions. Qualified individuals with criminal histories will be considered for employment in compliance with applicable laws, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance.

This is a Regular, Exempt, 40 hour per week position that may be eligible for remote or hybrid work in accordance with the University Policy Manual.

Expected Pay Range: $72,688 - $80,765 per year 

The above pay range reflects what Pepperdine University reasonably expects to pay for this position at time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on relevant factors such as work experience, market conditions, education/training, and skill level. In addition to base pay, Pepperdine offers a robust and highly competitive benefits package.

Pepperdine is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of any status or condition protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.