Director, Product & Commercial Marketing

AAR Corp•Wood Dale, IL

11h•$127,000 - $145,000•Onsite

About The Position

AAR is seeking an experienced, hands-on B2B marketing director to market complex products and services in technical industries. The role works closely with the VP of Corporate Marketing and the Corporate Marketing team to drive awareness and customer engagement across AAR's commercial aviation aftermarket businesses. It develops marketing strategy, manages integrated campaigns, optimizes digital channels, creates sales enablement tools, measures performance, and strengthens marketing infrastructure and processes. The director collaborates with business-segment subject matter experts, sales, business development, the Brand Manager, Corporate Communications, and external agencies and vendors. The role supports growth across AAR's Parts, Distribution, and Repair businesses through positioning, messaging, go-to-market planning, digital initiatives, advertising, brand standards, video and photography, and campaign measurement. It also provides on-site trade show support as needed and performs other duties as assigned. This position is based in an office setting and requires adapting to a traditional business environment. The employee may regularly sit, stand, bend, reach, and move about the facility. Reasonable accommodations may be made for individuals with disabilities.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive B2B marketing experience.
5+ years leading product marketing, solution marketing, or integrated marketing programs.
Demonstrated success marketing complex technical products, services, or solutions.
Experience partnering directly with commercial and business development teams.
Experience managing agencies, external vendors, and marketing budgets.
Strong writing skills for print and web, close attention to detail, and ability to balance multiple projects at once.
Ability to understand complex technical offerings and translate them into compelling customer value propositions.
Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and thrive in a fast-paced, global organization.
Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree from a four-year college or university.
Experience with Adobe Creative Suite/Cloud, Microsoft Copilot, and SharePoint.

Nice To Haves

Experience marketing complex products or services within aviation, aerospace, defense, industrial manufacturing, logistics, transportation, or another highly technical global B2B industry.
Journalism, Communications, Public Relations, or Marketing major/degree preferred.
Master of Arts or Master of Business Administration degree is a plus.
Experience using a website content management system (CMS).
Experience with PhotoShelter/ThirdLight and paid Meta campaigns or digital advertising.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with business-segment subject matter experts to identify growth opportunities, align marketing priorities, and support strategic business objectives.
Develop and execute integrated marketing strategies that increase market awareness, generate demand, strengthen customer engagement, and enable commercial teams.
Lead positioning, messaging, and go-to-market strategies for commercial products and services across AAR's Parts, Distribution, and Repair businesses.
Partner with Sales, Business Development, and the Brand Manager to create customer-facing messaging, presentations, case studies, videos, competitive positioning, and other sales enablement tools.
Coordinate with AAR Corporate Communications on commercial-offering topics and campaigns for the Company's social media channels.
Negotiate with agencies, vendors, and suppliers, including planning and monitoring budgets.
Measure and communicate campaign effectiveness, marketing contribution, engagement, and ROI; use data to optimize programs and recommendations.
Provide on-site trade show support as needed.
Work with the Brand Manager to ensure company-wide materials and templates follow corporate identity standards and messaging.
Oversee coordination of the monthly global Corporate Marketing and Communications meeting with representatives across business segments, core teams, and regions to advocate for brand standards.
Improve product and commercial content strategy for AAR's digital channels, ensuring website content, landing pages, and customer-facing experiences reflect market positioning, offerings, and brand standards.
Collaborate with internal and external partners to develop and optimize digital marketing initiatives, including search, social, paid media, email marketing, and campaign landing pages.
Work with vendors on advertising fulfillment, media buys, overall strategy, and invoices.
Work with the Brand Manager to create digital ads for Corporate and specified products and services.
Coordinate, measure, and communicate advertising metrics with the advertising agency to maximize ROI and demonstrate business impact.
Develop scripts and coordinate assets for video and photography shoots; coordinate with external photographers and videographers.
Identify and coordinate high-resolution photos for marketing and further use.
Perform other duties as assigned.