Digital Marketing Strategist, Smeal College of Business

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Current Penn State employee (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

Current Penn State student (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

If you are not a current employee or student, please click "Apply" and complete the application process for external applicants.

Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.

Penn State Smeal College of Business is bringing key strategic agency functions in-house to drive greater agility and performance. We are seeking a Digital Marketing Strategist to replace the agency’s strategic oversight by converting enrollment goals into paid media direction, remarketing frameworks, and high-conversion landing page strategies.

This role architects the paid media strategy and conversion optimization that happens before a prospect enters our CRM. The external agency executes buys; you define strategic direction, hold partners accountable for performance, and direct internal web and content resources to ensure every click has a clear, high-performing destination.

Paid Media Strategy & Agency Management

• Architect enrollment-driven channel strategies for paid search, paid social, and programmatic; direct agency pacing, budgets, and CPL/CPA targets to maximize cost-per-enrolled-student efficiency.
• Lead regular performance reviews with the media agency and recommend optimizations aligned to recruitment cycles.

Remarketing & Audience Strategy

• Define retargeting frameworks and lookalike audience strategies using first-party data in coordination with the media agency.
• Ensure paid tactics are synchronized with email journeys and on-site experiences.

Conversion Strategy & Landing Pages

• Define wireframe logic, conversion requirements, and UX/layout specifications for landing pages; provide strategic briefs to the Marketing Content & Web Specialist to ensure technical execution aligns with campaign goals and user experience best practices.
• Own landing page strategy and wireframes; partner with the Marketing Content & Web Specialist to test forms, headlines, and CTAs for higher conversion.
• Conduct audits to remove friction from click to lead.

Research & Competitive Intelligence

• Serve as the strategic lead for the pre-CRM journey, ensuring seamless integration between paid media, landing pages, and lead capture systems.
• Monitor competitor spend levels, CPL/CPA benchmarks, and industry trends (e.g., privacy regulation impacts); brief leadership and program strategists with actionable insights.

Team Management & Development

• Manage a team of at least two web and data professionals; define roles and responsibilities to ensure coverage across all degree programs.
• Set clear individual and team goals; conduct performance reviews, provide mentorship, and identify professional development opportunities to foster a high-performance culture.
• Prioritize staff assignments and manage workflow to ensure deadlines are met across multiple simultaneous recruitment cycles.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, or related field.
• 6+ years of experience in digital marketing focused on paid media/CRO.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience accepted.
• Proficiency with GA4, Google Ads, Meta Ads Manager, and testing methodologies.
• Demonstrated success managing agency relationships and achieving ROI targets.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Higher education or enrollment marketing experience.
• GA4 or Google Ads certifications; familiarity with heat mapping/user testing tools.
• Understanding of privacy trends (e.g., cookie deprecation) and their impact on attribution.
• 1 or more years of supervisory experience.

Bachelor’s Degree, 6+ years of…