Lifecycle Marketing Manager

The Organization:  Merit America

The American economy is broken. Today, 53 million working adults–nearly half of the U.S. workforce–do not earn a living wage. These talented workers have few options to advance: college is too long and expensive, full-time boot camp programs don’t offer enough flexibility, and online courses don’t have the structure or support to translate learning into a new career. The result? Talented workers, disproportionately people of color and women, get stuck in low-wage roles with no way to build a better life for themselves and their families.

Merit America is a national nonprofit that creates pathways to family-sustaining careers for Americans stuck in low-wage work. Our fast, flexible solutions are built for working adults: We start by analyzing tens of millions of job postings to identify in-demand, high-paying tech careers and then work with industry-recognized partners to train for these roles with part-time programs that combine flexible online learning with best-in-class coaching. Finally, we support our learners in their job search, helping them connect with a broad constellation of local and national employers such as JPMorgan Chase and Infosys to land higher-earning, family-sustaining jobs, driving an average wage gain of $24k three months or more after completing the program. Merit America is on a mission to build a scalable pathway for workers to join the middle class through merit, not money. Since our founding in 2018, we’ve generated a projected $1 billion in near-term wage gains for our learners. 

Job Overview:

The Lifecycle Marketing Manager is responsible for creating and implementing strategic email marketing campaigns that nurture and engage prospects throughout their journey, from initial awareness to enrollment and beyond. This role focuses on leveraging email automation tools to build personalized communication flows that guide learners through the decision-making process and foster long-term relationships with alumni. The Lifecycle Marketing Manager will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to develop compelling content and ensure seamless integration of email marketing efforts with the overall marketing strategy. This is an exempt role and will report to Melissa Nguyen, Director of Growth Marketing.

Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the Lifecycle Marketing Manager will include, but are not limited to, the following:

Email Marketing Tools Management (20%):

• Platform Management: Oversee the organization's email marketing platform (e.g., Pardot) and any related automation tools.
• Consolidation & Integration: Supports efforts to consolidate disparate email tools and ensure seamless integration with the CRM (Salesforce) for effective lead tracking and performance reporting.
• Organizational Standards: Establish and maintain email marketing best practices, including data hygiene, segmentation strategies, and list management, to optimize deliverability and engagement rates.
• Cross-Team Support: Provide guidance and support to other teams utilizing the email platform, ensuring consistent messaging and adherence to best practices.

Nurture Campaign Development (20%):

• Lifecycle Campaigns: Design and implement automated nurture campaigns targeting prospects at different funnel stages (awareness, consideration, decision).
• Content Collaboration: Collaborate with content, growth, and admissions teams to develop engaging email content that educates, nurtures, and drives conversions.
• Optimization & Testing: Conduct A/B testing and utilize data-driven insights to continually improve campaign effectiveness (subject lines, CTAs, content personalization).

Pre-Lead Engagement Strategy (40%):

• Long-Term Relationship Building: Develop strategies to engage and cultivate relationships with potential learners before they formally enter the lead funnel.
• Audience Segmentation: Analyze audience behavior and demographics to create targeted email content that resonates with prospects at different stages of their journey.
• Data-Driven Personalization: Leverage data insights to deliver personalized email experiences that foster meaningful connections with prospects.

Cross-Department Collaboration (10%):

• Seamless Transitions: Work closely with marketing, admissions, and program teams to ensure smooth handoffs and effective lead nurturing throughout the enrollment process.
• Data & Analytics: Collaborate with analytics teams to track and report on email campaign performance, utilizing insights to inform ongoing optimization efforts.
• Communication Optimization: Proactively address concerns related to email frequency and ensure a positive experience for recipients receiving multiple communications.

Reporting, Analysis and Optimization (10%):

• Performance Tracking: Monitor key metrics (open rates, click-through rates, conversions) to measure campaign success and identify areas for improvement.
• Data-Driven Insights: Present findings and recommendations to leadership, continuously refining email strategies based on performance data.
• Industry Trends: Stay abreast of the latest email marketing trends, tools, and technologies to maintain a competitive edge.

Skills and Competencies

We recognize that individuals from marginalized backgrounds, including women, people of color, and those with disabilities, are often less likely to apply when they don’t meet 100% of the job qualifications. Don’t let that be the reason you miss out on this opportunity! We want to emphasize that your unique skills, experiences, and perspectives are valuable, and we encourage you to apply if you can demonstrate many of the skills and competencies. Below are the skills that are relevant for thriving in this role:

Must Haves: 

• Demonstrated success in managing and executing email marketing campaigns, ideally in a B2C or lead nurturing context
• Familiarity with email marketing and lifecycle management tools such as Marketo, Pardot, or similar 
• Committed to Merit America’s mission to pave pathways to family-sustaining careers, break the poverty cycle, and create upward mobility for low-wage workers
• Demonstrated history of embodying our values, which inform our work and drive our organization's culture
• Shared sense of responsibility and ownership for our collective work in making a positive impact on the community we support, true to our value of Win & Lose Together
• Committed to continuous learning and growth in understanding and addressing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Passionate about fostering a workplace culture that embraces and values individual differences, aligned with our core value of inclusivity

Other Logistics 

• This position is full-time: 4-day work week (Fridays are an operating day if there is a holiday closure during the week)
• Location: Remote
• Salary:  $83,700 - $91,000

Our goal is to have competitive and equitable compensation.  We have a market-based compensation approach, which means we benchmark each role from reputable data sources. We compare our benchmarks against similarly sized non-profit organizations with comparable annual budgets and geographical areas. We pay the same rate for the same roles and adjust to comply with statutory mandates. 

We take care of our employees by providing the following perks and benefits: 

• 4-day work week (Fridays are an operating day if there is a holiday closure during the week)
• Medical, Dental and Vision insurance (100% Paid Employee Only Coverage)
• Flexible Spending Account and Health Savings Account
• Dependent care Flexible Spending Account
• Health Reimbursement Account fully funded by Merit
• Education reimbursement & personal development stipend
• Short and long-term disability
• Unlimited vacation (after a 90-day introductory period)
• Paid Parental Leave and Adoption benefits (after 1 year of employment)
• 11 federally recognized holidays
• 1 week office closure in July (week of July 4th)
• 2 week holiday office closure in December/January
• 401(k) retirement plan with automatic Merit contribution
• Wellness Benefits/Wellness Resources
• Discount perks at work program
• Phone/technology stipend
• Home office setup stipend

Remote Work & Sponsorship

Candidates must reside within the 50 states or District of Columbia and have full authorization to work in the 50 U.S. states & the District of Columbia (international work abroad, including the U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, and other islands are excluded). In addition, Merit America doesn't offer employment visa sponsorship.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Building an inclusive, high-performing team that is diverse across lines of personal identity is integral to our success and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

This means we do not discriminate against any job applicant or employee because of their race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This applies to all terms and conditions of employment.

We actively strive and evolve to develop and maintain workspaces that are fully inclusive. We encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply.

Still excited about our work?  You can learn more about our work in this video we made with our founding partner, Google.

Fair Chance Ordinance

Applicants who have arrest or conviction records and are in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County will be considered in accordance with the state’s fair chance ordinance law. Employment under the ordinance includes part-time work, seasonal work, contract work, contingent work, work on commission, and work through the services of a temporary or employment agency.

E-Verify Statement

This employer participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the I-9 Form.