Associate Director, Media Strategy, Appily

About EAB

At EAB, our mission is to make education smarter and our communities stronger. We work with more than 2,800 institutions to drive transformative change through data-driven insights and best-in-class capabilities. From kindergarten to college to career, EAB partners with leaders and practitioners to accelerate progress and drive results across enrollment, student success, institutional strategy, data analytics, and advancement. We work with each partner differently, tailoring our portfolio of research, technology, and marketing and enrollment solutions to meet the unique needs of every leadership team, as well as the students and employees they serve.

At EAB, we serve not only our partner institutions but each other-that's why we are always working to make sure our employees love their jobs and are invested in their communities. See how we've been recognized for this dedication to our employees by checking out our recent awards.

For more information, visit our careers page.

The Role in Brief:

Associate Director, Media Strategy, Appily

The Appily student marketing team helps high school students make confident college choices by offering everything students need to plan, decide, and apply to college on appily.com.

The Associate Director, Media Strategy, Appily is responsible for crafting, managing, and executing digital advertising strategies for our college and university partners. This role will work closely with partners to develop compelling advertising packages designed to raise awareness of their institutions and drive meaningful engagement with Appily's primary audiences: high school students, their parents, and counselors. The ideal candidate will have experience in media strategy, digital advertising, and campaign performance analysis, with a focus on driving results in B2C industries.

Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, are essential, along with the ability to collaborate effectively in a team environment. Familiarity with analytics, CRM, and CMS tools and an eagerness to stay updated on industry trends will be key. This individual should be a self-starter who is eager to brainstorm and test creative strategies for optimal channel performance. A proactive attitude, attention to detail, and a willingness to learn and grow within the company are highly valued.

This hire may be based in Richmond, VA or Washington, DC.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with internal teams and external partners to create targeted digital advertising strategies that support client objectives and align with Appily's mission
• Design advertising packages across multiple channels (display, social, video, etc.) tailored to engage high school students, parents, and counselors
• Oversee the setup, execution, and delivery of digital ad campaigns, ensuring that all activities are timely, accurate, and aligned with campaign goals
• Serve as a point of contact for college and university partners, ensuring campaign goals are met and providing ongoing support to optimize performance
• Monitor, analyze, and report on campaign performance metrics, providing partners with regular updates, insights, and recommendations for optimization
• Ideate and test new platforms, channels, targeting strategies, and tactics to ensure campaigns remain innovative and effective. Evaluate new opportunities to expand the reach and impact of advertising efforts
• Work cross-functionally with other departments (creative, content, analytics, etc.) to ensure campaigns are effective and meet both client needs and audience expectations. Collaborate with the product team to support and enhance the student experience on Appily.com, ensuring seamless navigation and user-centric design for prospective students and parents
• Contribute to the creation of visually appealing ads and content, working closely with the creative teams on graphic design direction to align with campaign themes and objectives
• Stay up-to-date with the latest trends in digital advertising and enrollment marketing, particularly within the education sector, to continually enhance campaign strategies and drive success for partners

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in related field
• 5 years of digital marketing strategy experience
• Exceptional understanding of digital advertising platforms, including Google Ads, Meta Ads, programmatic advertising, and analytics tools (Google Analytics, etc.)
• Exceptional project management skills with the ability to handle multiple clients and campaigns simultaneously
• Excellent client management skills with a focus on building strong relationships
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft engaging and compelling copy and content\
• Analytical mindset with the ability to derive insights from data and translate them into actionable strategies
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and independently - test, produce, and drive innovative solutions from concept to completion
• Minimal travel required

Ideal Qualifications:

• Experience building and reporting on successful, engaging digital advertising strategies
• Experience with higher or secondary education, and/or in an agency
• Strong organizational skills with ability to handle multiple priorities/deadlines
• Desire to innovate and improve practices and processes
• Commitment to valuing diversity, practicing inclusive behaviors, and contributing to an equitable working and continual learning environment in support of EAB's DE&I Promise

If you've reached this section of the job description and are unsure of whether to apply, please do! At EAB, we welcome diversity of background and experience. We would encourage you to submit an application if this is a role you would be passionate about doing every day.

Compensation:

The anticipated starting salary (base) range for this role is $80,000 - $92,000 per year. Actual salary varies due to factors that may include but not be limited to relevant experience, skills, and location. At EAB, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the starting salary range for their role.

This hire will additionally be eligible for discretionary bonus or incentive compensation. Variable compensation may depend on various factors, such as individual and organizational performance.

Benefits:

At EAB, we believe that to fulfill our mission to "make education smarter and our communities stronger" we need team members who bring a diversity of perspectives to the table and are committed to fostering a workplace where each team member is valued, respected and heard.

To that end, EAB is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we make employment decisions on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need. We don't discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law.