Email Channel Operations Analyst

Principal Financial Group•Des Moines, IA

10h•$69,300 - $187,200•Hybrid

About The Position

We’re looking for an Email Channel Operations Analyst who is energized by building smarter, more impactful ways to connect with customers. In this role, you’ll help define the next evolution of our enterprise email strategy—ensuring every B2B and B2C message delivers clarity, value, and measurable impact. This is not a campaign execution role. Instead, you’ll operate at a strategic and operational level—aligning teams, strengthening governance, championing best practices, and driving performance across our email ecosystem. You’ll serve as the bridge between our Retirement & Income Solutions (RIS) business and enterprise shared services, making sure our email channel functions as a scalable, modern, high‑quality communication engine. You’ll join a forward‑thinking RIS Marketing Operations team where your work will influence broader initiatives such as process optimization, data quality, and emerging AI capabilities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
4+ years in email marketing, marketing operations, or digital communications
Hands‑on experience with Salesforce Marketing Cloud or similar platforms (segmentation, automation, personalization; experience with Journey Builder, Automation Studio, and dynamic content strongly preferred)
Strong analytical skills with proficiency in Excel and BI/visualization tools
Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate business needs into clear operational or technical requirements

Nice To Haves

Advanced SFMC experience (Journey Builder, Automation Studio, dynamic content)
Strong understanding of testing, measurement, and optimization for email journeys
Ability to apply industry trends and benchmarking to guide continuous improvement
Knowledge of email compliance requirements and deliverability best practices
Experience with email strategy, journey mapping, or customer experience governance
Background in matrixed or regulated industries (financial services, retirement, insurance)

Responsibilities

Lead Email Channel Strategy & Enterprise Alignment
Define and manage the RIS email channel strategy and roadmap in partnership with enterprise shared services.
Prioritize and govern email‑related requests to ensure alignment with business priorities and customer experience goals.
Serve as the connector across marketing, operations, analytics, and enterprise teams to ensure shared understanding of goals, timelines, and deliverables.
Drive accountability for governance standards, process adherence, and cross‑team commitments.
Build and maintain RIS‑specific best practices, playbooks, and operating frameworks.
Stay ahead of evolving industry trends (e.g., bot‑driven click inflation, UTM blocking, privacy changes) and recommend strategy or platform enhancements.
Strengthen Channel Quality, Personalization & Compliance
Audit processes to identify systemic QA issues and partner with teams to address recurring gaps or workflow challenges.
Ensure adherence to unsubscribe requirements, permission management, and CAN‑SPAM/anti‑spam standards through governance—not campaign‑level QA.
Collaborate with enterprise brand, compliance, and deployment teams to reinforce governance expectations.
Monitor deliverability, sender reputation, and inbox placement; recommend strategies to improve performance.
Guide personalization tactics using dynamic content, segmentation logic, and Salesforce Marketing Cloud capabilities.
Partner with data and analytics teams to enhance personalization models and optimize engagement.
Turn Performance into Actionable Insight
Analyze channel‑level performance data to surface optimization opportunities and improve customer experiences.
Monitor audience file health, data refresh cycles, and data integrity to ensure accuracy and prevent segmentation issues.
Translate technical findings into clear, compelling recommendations for marketers and business stakeholders.
Develop measurement approaches that reflect the evolving privacy landscape and emphasize meaningful, outcome-based metrics.