(Hybrid) Digital Marketing Operations Manager - Strategic Communications and Marketing

The Digital Department at West Virginia University is currently accepting applications for a hybrid Digital Marketing Operations Manager.

About the Opportunity

The Digital Marketing Operations Manager manages and optimizes West Virginia University's SFMC environment, supporting admissions and recruitment communications through Salesforce CRM, Marketing Cloud, and Blackthorn. This role develops journey strategies, automates workflows, and tracks performance-requiring expertise in marketing automation, CRM integration, event management, and analytics.

Reporting to the Assistant Director - Digital Marketing and UX Technology, this role drives system efficiency, campaign performance, and data strategy to support enrollment and brand growth. The role also assists in mentoring teams and steering the evolution of marketing automation across the university.

We strongly believe in work-life balance and keeping time for things we love outside our work. WVU offers generous benefits, including:

• 37.5-hour work week
• 13 paid holidays (staff holiday calendar)
• 24 annual leave (vacation) days per year (employee leave)
• 18 sick days per year (for when you're ill, for when you need time to care for sick family, for your own, or your family's, regularly scheduled medical appointments. Who is family for the purpose of this leave? A lot of people in your life including immediate relatives and in-laws as well as others considered to be members of your household living under the same roof)
• WVU offers a range of health insurance and other benefits
• 401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks. Looking for more retirement benefits information? Check out retirement health insurance benefits, retirement income, and FAQ's.
• Wellness programs

What You'll Do

Marketing Campaign Management

• Assist in collaborating with cross-functional teams to drive engagement through every stage of recruitment through advanced personalization, automation, and monitoring journey health.
• Assist with managing campaign subscriptions at the campus, SFMC business unit and organizational levels.
  
  Journey Strategy and Branding
• Design, execute, and monitor campaigns, journeys and automations using SFMC Journey Builder, Email Studio and Automation Studio.
• Utilize journey entry filters, exit criteria and automation timing to target specific contact criteria and/or behavior.
• Develop comprehensive journey strategies using Journey Builder that nurture and facilitate a contact's progression through each opportunity stage of the recruitment funnel.
• Utilize shared data extensions and Salesforce reports to send emails in Journey Builder based on audience segmentation.
• Utilize journey testing and Litmus to preview subscriber experiences and verify quality and function of email communications.
• Assist with building HTML emails, using templates in Content Builder, Salesforce and Blackthorn to maintain a consistent brand and voice.
  
  CRM and Contact Management
• Maintain a working knowledge of WVU's CRM data model and establish criteria and approaches to target specific contacts and/or actions.
• Support contact management by identifying duplicate records and missing data, monitoring bounces, and assessing contact sync status between the CRM and SFMC.
• Utilize Salesforce reports and imported data sources to create manual data extensions and filter existing data extensions for email fulfillment.
• Help to monitor database integrity and compliance (e.g., internal system audits, data cleaning).
  
  Analytics and Reporting
• Monitor campaign performance metrics and provide data-driven insights and recommendations to marketing and recruitment team members.
• Utilize SFMC Analytics Builder, Intelligence Reports and custom reporting capabilities to generate comm reports.
• Monitor performance of Einstein STO, Google Analytics and other integrated SFMC tools.
• Troubleshoot email delivery issues and answer questions from Admissions staff and marketingcloudsupport@mail.wvu.edu.

• Assist with SFMC training and workshops for other University departments and groups.

  Strategic Marketing Operations

• Be an integral part of leading the development and optimization of WVU's digital marketing ecosystem, leveraging SFMC, Salesforce CRM, and Blackthorn to drive personalized, automated communications.
• Assist in translating institutional goals into operational strategies that enhance audience engagement and conversion.
• Partner with Enrollment Management, IT, and other facets of University Relations to align campaign planning, automation workflows, and data governance.

• Evaluate new tools, integrations, and process improvements to expand WVU's digital marketing maturity.

  Leadership and Collaboration

• Serve as a strategic advisor to leadership on digital marketing operations, automation strategy, and audience engagement.
• Assist in mentoring and and educating cross-functional team members in marketing technology and data analytics.
• Foster collaboration between creative, communications, and data teams to ensure an integrated marketing approach.
• Represent digital marketing operations in planning discussions, contributing to long-term digital transformation initiatives.

• Bachelor's degree
• A minimum of five (5) years of related experience including:

  • 3+ years of experience managing email marketing campaigns in SFMC or a comparable platform (e.g., Marketo, Adobe Journey Optimizer)

• Any equivalent combination of related education and/or experience will be considered.

• All qualifications must be met by the time of employment

  Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Working knowledge of AMPscript, SQL, HTML, and CSS as they relate to email development.
• Experience with Litmus and audience segmentation.
• Understanding of CAN-SPAM, GDPR, and CCPA regulations.
• Strong grasp of digital marketing processes, data-driven strategy, and automation best practices.
• Excellent communication, project management, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment with strong attention to detail.
• Proven ability to work independently and lead collaboratively.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading marketing operations, automation strategy, or cross-functional initiatives
• SFMC or similar platform certifications
• Working knowledge of coding languages (AMPscript, SQL, HTML, CSS) as they relate to email

West Virginia University is a place of purpose and community. We take pride in our profound impact on the state of West Virginia and are committed to the personal and professional growth of our employees.

From the groundbreaking R1 research at our flagship campus in Morgantown to the career-oriented programs at WVU Potomac State in Keyser, and the technology-intensive programs at WVU Tech in Beckley, the contributions of WVU employees resonate across the state, touching lives and shaping futures.

At WVU, you will discover a supportive community that champions work-life balance and fosters a collaborative atmosphere. Our core values - service, curiosity, respect, accountability and appreciation - unite us as Mountaineers.

Join us at West Virginia University, where your work will make a lasting impact. To learn more about WVU, visit wvu.edu.

West Virginia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We invite all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or Veteran status.