Marketing Automation Specialist

USAC's success is a result of our staff — both in the U.S. and abroad — as well as strong relationships with U.S. universities. We seek high-energy individuals who believe in the importance of international education. The ideal candidate is a self-starter with an energetic, entrepreneurial spirit who is looking to work for an organization that values diversity and teamwork.

Position overview

The Marketing Automation Specialist supports digital marketing performance, audience engagement, lead generation, and marketing automation initiatives through analytics, reporting, testing, audience management, and automation technologies. The role provides performance insights and optimization recommendations across email, websites, landing pages, digital campaigns, forms, automated journeys, and other engagement channels to support data-informed decision-making and improve engagement and conversion outcomes.

This position is responsible for audience segmentation, dashboard development, lead generation and conversion tracking, campaign performance reporting, and support of automated communication journeys. By analyzing audience behavior, engagement trends, digital performance metrics, and conversion data, the Marketing Automation Specialist identifies opportunities and provides recommendations that strengthen recruitment, engagement, and communication efforts across channels.

Working closely with the Director of Marketing and Communications, Sr. Digital Experience Strategist, Digital Marketing Specialist, and communications team, this role supports digital analytics, audience insights, testing initiatives, and marketing automation operations. The position develops reporting frameworks and dashboards, monitors digital performance, supports lead generation and conversion optimization efforts, and assists with Salesforce Marketing Cloud journeys, automations, and workflows.

Through analytics, testing, and performance measurement, the Marketing Automation Specialist helps improve digital experiences and supports student recruitment, alumni engagement, partner communications, fundraising initiatives, and organizational outreach efforts.

This position is a full time, exempt, U.S.-based salaried role. If you're seeking contracted work, are a consultant, or are representing a digital marketing consulting firm, we are not currently seeking these types of applicants. Hybrid and remote options are available.

General responsibilities

As a Marketing Automation Specialist, you will:

Marketing Automation and Campaign Support

Support the execution, testing, and quality assurance of email campaigns, landing pages, SMS communications, automated journeys, audience segments, workflows, personalization rules, and campaign assets in collaboration with the Digital Marketing Specialist and other stakeholders.

• Create, manage, and maintain audience segments, contact lists, and data extensions based on approved communication plans, campaign objectives, and audience criteria.

• Support the development, implementation, and maintenance of automated lifecycle, nurture, and triggered communication journeys in collaboration with the Digital Marketing Specialist and campaign stakeholders.

• Support the administration and optimization of marketing automation platforms, workflows, templates, audience structures, and system configurations that support communication programs and campaigns.

• Coordinate campaign schedules, workflow deployment timelines, testing procedures, approvals, and launch activities in collaboration with content owners and key stakeholders.

• Maintain campaign documentation, workflow records, deployment schedules, testing results, naming conventions, and performance archives in accordance with established marketing operations standards.

• Monitor campaign, audience, and journey performance to identify opportunities related to segmentation, automation, engagement, data quality, and operational effectiveness, implementing approved optimizations as appropriate.

• Support cross-functional marketing, recruitment, alumni engagement, fundraising, and organizational communication projects involving audience segmentation, email communications, automated journeys, reporting, and digital engagement initiatives.

• Develop, document, and continuously improve standard operating procedures, workflow documentation, governance practices, and operational processes related to email marketing, audience management, automation, reporting, and campaign execution.

Reporting and Analytics

• Develop and maintain dashboards, KPI trackers, and recurring reports that measure campaign performance, audience engagement, lead generation, conversion performance, digital marketing effectiveness, and communication outcomes across multiple channels.

• Compile regular monthly, quarterly, and annual performance reports that summarize campaign results, audience behavior, engagement trends, and communication outcomes.

• Organize and synthesize campaign and engagement data to support planning, evaluation, and strategic decision-making by the Director and other stakeholders.

• Present findings in clear, actionable formats that help guide campaign optimization, audience segmentation, communication planning, and future strategy development.

Digital Analytics, Testing, and Optimization

• Monitor and analyze audience engagement and campaign performance across websites, landing pages, lead generation forms, email campaigns, automated journeys, and digital marketing initiatives to identify opportunities for optimization and improved conversion.

• Develop and maintain conversion tracking, campaign measurement frameworks, and performance reporting that support digital marketing and audience engagement goals.

• Analyze user behavior, audience pathways, engagement patterns, conversion funnels, and digital performance trends to identify opportunities and provide recommendations that improve user experience, engagement, and conversion outcomes.

• Collaborate with digital channel owners to evaluate websites, landing pages, emails, social media, blogs, and lead generation performance and provide data-informed recommendations for enhancements.

• Plan, coordinate, and evaluate A/B and multivariate testing initiatives with Digital Marketing Specialist across email campaigns, landing pages, forms, calls to action, audience segments, and other digital experiences.

Lead Generation, Audience Data, Growth, and Insights

• Monitor, measure, and report on lead generation performance, audience growth, conversion metrics, and campaign-attributed outcomes across digital channels, providing recommendations that support organizational goals.

• Analyze lead quality, conversion rates, and audience progression through communication and engagement journeys to identify opportunities for optimization.

• Maintain and support lead scoring, audience qualification, and segmentation methodologies in collaboration with campaign owners and stakeholders.

• Manage and maintain marketing audience data, email lists, and campaign-related contact records in accordance with established data governance, privacy, and communication preference standards.

• Perform ongoing data quality audits, list hygiene, record maintenance, and segmentation reviews to support accurate targeting, reporting, and audience engagement efforts.

• Analyze campaign, audience, lead generation, and digital engagement data to identify trends, opportunities, and actionable insights that support audience acquisition, engagement, conversion, retention, and data-informed decision-making.

• Support the design, distribution, analysis, and reporting of surveys, audience research initiatives, and engagement assessment projects to inform communication and marketing strategies.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, business, digital media, data analytics, or a related field.

• 3-5 years of professional experience in marketing, communications, digital marketing, analytics, data reporting, or a related area.

• Experience creating, testing, or deploying communications through an email marketing platform.

• Demonstrated experience with email marketing, digital campaign execution, reporting, CRM-supported communications, or audience engagement, with the ability to develop deeper expertise in marketing automation and analytics.

• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and related business software.

• Ability to learn new technologies, systems, and processes quickly.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience supporting or executing marketing automation, CRM-based communications, campaign reporting, or digital marketing operations.

• Familiarity with Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Salesforce CRM, Pardot, HubSpot, or similar platforms.

• Experience creating reports, dashboards, or data visualizations.

• Knowledge of Google Analytics, GA4, or similar reporting tools.

• Knowledge of Excel, Smartsheets, and other data gathering tools.

• Experience using Wrike, Asana, or other project management software.

• Experience with Salesforce Data Cloud.

• Experience in higher education, nonprofit, international education, or mission-driven organizations.

• Familiarity with audience segmentation and marketing campaign concepts.

• Basic understanding of SEO and digital marketing best practices.

• Experience with content creation across digital content platforms.

WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL DEMANDS The duties of this job are mainly performed in a regular office environment with occasional small trips outdoors. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, and walk throughout the building. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 15 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Equal Opportunity Employer All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request to HR@usac.edu.