ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, MARKETING OPERATIONS / CMU ONLINE

Central Michigan University is seeking an Associate Director of Marketing Operations for CMU Online. This operations-focused role drives the organization, coordination, and execution of integrated marketing efforts supporting online and adult learners.

About the role

The associate director manages the development and delivery of full-funnel marketing content across digital (web, social, email) and print channels, ensuring projects move efficiently from concept to completion. While contributing to content direction and writing as needed, the primary focus is maintaining momentum by keeping projects on track, aligning stakeholders, and ensuring timely execution. This position works closely with CMU Online's marketing director to coordinate campaigns, manage timelines, and align marketing efforts with audience needs and enrollment goals.

Responsibilities

• Develops, creates, and manages high-quality marketing content across social media, blog, web, email, and print/traditional channels, including flyers, brochures, and other recruitment collateral.
• Executes and optimizes CRM and email communications using Slate, including campaign setup, segmentation support, and content development.
• Develops and maintains a comprehensive content calendar for CMU Online in collaboration with the marketing director, ensuring alignment with campaign priorities and institutional initiatives.
• Coordinates the execution of integrated marketing campaigns across multiple channels (digital and print), ensuring timelines are met and deliverables are completed.
• Contributes to content ideation and creative direction in partnership with marketing leadership, while maintaining a focus on execution and delivery.
• Collaborates closely with the University Marketing and Communications office and other internal stakeholders to ensure alignment with institutional messaging, priorities, and processes.
• Works cross-functionally with teams across CMU Online (e.g., student services, business and community outreach, Central Bound) to gather content, support initiatives, and align messaging.
• Assists in coordinating external vendors as needed to support campaign execution and content production.
• Monitors campaign timelines, workflows, and deliverables to ensure projects remain on track and do not stall.
• Supports ongoing updates and enhancements to CMU Online web and landing page content.
• Tracks and reviews basic performance metrics across digital channels to inform content improvements and campaign adjustments.
• Ensures all marketing content reflects the appropriate tone, clarity, accuracy, and audience alignment.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, journalism, public relations, or a related field.
• Two years of professional marketing experience with demonstrated success executing multi-channel marketing efforts.
• Demonstrated experience developing and managing content across multiple platforms, including social media (LinkedIn, Meta), web, email/CRM systems, blogs, and print/traditional marketing materials.
• Demonstrated experience working with CRM platforms (e.g., Slate) to support email communications, audience segmentation, and campaign execution.
• Demonstrated experience collaborating with cross-functional teams and managing projects across multiple stakeholders and priorities.
• Strong writing and storytelling skills with the ability to develop clear, engaging, and audience-focused content across formats.
• Exceptional organizational and project management skills, with a demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent projects, maintain detailed content calendars, and ensure timely execution of campaigns.
• Ability to balance creative thinking with operational discipline, contributing to content development while ensuring projects move forward efficiently and do not stall.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in marketing, communications, journalism, public relations, or a related field; or progressively advanced experience in a related field.
• Demonstrated experience developing marketing content for higher education or adult learner audiences.
• Familiarity with Sitefinity or similar content management systems.
• Demonstrated understanding of social media performance metrics and content optimization best practices.
• Demonstrated experience supporting multi-channel campaigns that include email, social media, web, and print content.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating with third-party service providers (e.g., printers, agencies).
• Relevant certification(s) in digital marketing, content marketing, or analytics platforms.

Benefits

CMU employees enjoy access to a nationally recognized wellness program along with health care and benefits that exceed regional, state, and national norms.

Pay

$66,000 - $86,600 annually, determined based on candidate's work location.

Schedule

• Full-time, 12-month position.
• Weekly work schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., with weekends and evenings as needed.
• Flexible work arrangements, including remote, hybrid, or on-site work, may be considered where appropriate.

Location

Mount Pleasant, Traverse City, Troy, or Grand Rapids, Michigan. The work location for this position is negotiable based on the selected candidate's qualifications, business needs, and operational requirements.

About CMU Online

Central Michigan University has a more than 125-year legacy of preparing students to become leaders and changemakers. We serve nearly 15,500 students on our Mount Pleasant campus, in satellite locations around the state and throughout the country, and through flexible online programs. Many of our approximately 300 undergraduate, master's, specialist, and doctoral programs in the arts, media, business, education, human services, health professions, liberal arts, social sciences, medicine, science, and engineering are nationally ranked for excellence.

CMU leads the nation in leadership development programming through our Sarah R. Opperman Leadership Institute and is proud to be among only 5% of U.S. universities in the top two Carnegie research classifications. Our faculty work with graduate and undergraduate students in areas such as Great Lakes research, medical innovation, engineering technology, and more.

Central is home to 17 men's and women's Division 1 sports, with student-athletes achieving success in competition and maintaining an average cumulative GPA of 3.17.

CMU is located in Mount Pleasant, a community blending small-town living with big-city amenities. It is part of the culturally varied and vibrant Great Lakes Bay Region, which includes Saginaw, Bay City, Midland, and the state's largest Native American community. Area residents enjoy outdoor activities, cultural events, shopping, dining, and family attractions. Major Michigan destinations such as Lansing, Grand Rapids, Detroit, Traverse City, wineries, beaches, golf, and ski resorts are within easy reach.