Manager, Emerging Media

National University•Remote, California, CA

2d•$70,092 - $94,622•Remote

About The Position

The Manager, Emerging Media leads paid media initiatives across PPL partnerships, emerging media, and audience testing to support National University’s enrollment goals. The role manages and optimizes PPL campaigns while identifying and testing new media partners, channels, and audience opportunities to expand the university’s ability to reach and engage prospective students. Working with internal teams and external partners, the manager oversees campaign execution, partner performance, and ongoing optimization, while identifying opportunities to strengthen the Demand Capture media mix. Responsibilities also include evaluating audience and channel tests, monitoring campaign performance, and translating results into recommendations for marketing leadership. The position may take on supervisory responsibilities as the team evolves, including providing guidance, coaching, and performance management to direct reports. It is remote in the USA and involves occasional travel.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in advertising, communications, marketing, management, or a related field.
At least 5 years of experience in paid media, digital marketing, performance marketing, Demand Capture, or a related area.
Experience managing external media or lead-generation partners, including performance-based or PPL campaigns.
Experience managing and optimizing paid media campaigns against lead-generation and conversion goals.
Experience testing new media opportunities, audiences, targeting approaches, or emerging digital channels.
Working knowledge of paid search, paid social, display, video, programmatic, and other digital media channels; hands-on experience across every channel is not required.
Experience with audience segmentation, targeting, testing, and campaign measurement.
Experience leading projects and working cross-functionally.
Strong understanding of paid media and Demand Capture principles, including lead generation, audience targeting, campaign measurement, and multi-channel media strategy.
Strong understanding of performance-based and PPL media models, including lead quality, conversion, optimization, and partner performance.
Curious, test-and-learn mindset and ability to identify and evaluate new opportunities.
Ability to analyze performance and translate data into actionable recommendations.
Strong partner and project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities and stakeholders.
Ability to balance ongoing campaign performance with innovation and experimentation.
Strong collaboration, interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and ability to learn and adapt to new systems and technologies.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities.

Nice To Haves

Experience managing direct reports.
Experience in higher education marketing.

Responsibilities

Manage assigned PPL partners and campaigns, including planning, execution, performance monitoring, optimization, and partner communication.
Work with PPL partners to improve lead quality, conversion, efficiency, and campaign performance.
Evaluate new campaign concepts, placements, products, and growth opportunities with media partners.
Identify and test emerging channels, platforms, and partnerships that complement established Demand Capture efforts.
Develop structured tests and pilots to evaluate new media opportunities and their potential for optimization and scale.
Stay informed about evolving media platforms, technologies, partner capabilities, and industry trends to identify opportunities.
Identify and test audience segments, targeting approaches, data sources, and media capabilities to expand prospective student reach.
Partner with platforms and external partners to identify new and incremental audience opportunities.
Analyze audience performance and apply learnings to improve lead quality, conversion, and media efficiency.
Recommend future audience tests and investments based on performance insights and evolving media capabilities.
Manage day-to-day relationships with assigned media partners and establish expectations for objectives, deliverables, lead quality, and performance.
Manage campaigns from planning through execution, including asset coordination, tracking, timelines, stakeholder communication, and optimization.
Collaborate with creative, web, analytics, and other team members to support effective campaign execution.
Work proactively with partners to surface ideas, capabilities, and opportunities while holding partners accountable for performance.
Monitor PPL and emerging media performance, including lead volume, lead quality, conversion, efficiency, and other key performance indicators.
Translate campaign and audience performance into actionable recommendations for marketing leadership.
Monitor spend and collaborate with finance and analytics teams on budget management, forecasting, and reporting.
Recommend where investment should be optimized, scaled, shifted, or discontinued based on performance insights.
Share learnings from PPL, emerging media, and audience tests to inform broader Demand Capture strategy.
As applicable, provide guidance, coaching, and performance management to direct reports.