*Director, Marketing Communications

Ascend Learning is a national leader in data driven, online educational solutions for learners, educators and employers in high-growth, licensure-driven professions spanning healthcare, fitness and wellness, skilled trades, insurance and financial services. We are passionate about accelerating learning while impacting job readiness, employment success and employee retention with the belief that our work changes lives.

Our culture is intentionally results-driven and selfless with a relentless focus on our customers. We believe in trust, transparency, freedom and responsibility with a commitment to meritocracy, inclusion and diversity of thought. Continual investment in our over 1500 employees is also a core principle realized through ongoing professional development and providing opportunities to grow, develop and lead. Ascend Learning is headquartered in Burlington, MA with additional office locations and remote workers in cities across the U.S

The Ascend Learning Healthcare segment is searching for a Director, Marketing Communications to join our team as we build our marketing organization for the future.

Reporting to the chief marketing officer, the Director, Marketing Communications will lead a team of marketing communications professionals to develop, drive and implement impactful marketing communications programs and initiatives in support of the Healthcare sub-segments' objectives.

The ideal candidate has a strong track record of building and managing multifaceted initiatives in a matrixed organization, has experience building effective processes and is willing to roll up their sleeves to get the job done. This person needs to be a creative and critical thinker, a transformer, a curious self-starter, an innovator, a leader, a collaborator, and a brand ambassador at heart.

Responsibilities

• Strategic management of marketing communications channels - creative services, content marketing and event marketing - with a focus on impact, positioning, brand alignment, messaging, and consistency
• Work collaboratively with sub-segment marketing leads, their teams, and other areas of the organization to:
• Develop and execute high-impact content strategy to drive thought leadership and demand generation
• Develop and execute a high-impact event marketing strategy including hosted live and virtual events, tradeshows, and conferences
• Develop and implement marketing communications strategy and programs with consistent themes, messaging, and branding
• Development, management and continuous improvement of marketing communications intakes,workflows, prioritization, and project management processes
• Set a high creative bar, managing teams and agencies that execute work that delivers against marketing
• Plan, manage and track annual marketing communications budget/expenditures
• Ensure marketing communications campaigns achieve business objectives within budget and deadlines
• Participate in continuous learning and research to maintain best practices and make recommendations on new opportunities and marketing channels
• Partner with sub-segment teams to review and analyze results of each initiative; develop and execute changes to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and ROI
• Guide, motivate, and develop marketing communications staff including goal setting and performance management

Education and Experience

• 10+ years of experience in marketing leadership roles with progressive responsibility
• Extensive hands-on experience owning both the strategy and execution of the marketing communications function
• Proven experience developing, managing, and executing high-impact, integrated marketing communications programs
• Creative management experience across a combination of agency and in-house environments
• Experience directing and effectively critiquing high-volume creative work (visual and written) from internal producers, agencies and contractors
• Experience building, managing, and operating with scale, and complexity (across brands)
• Experience hiring and developing talented marketers and building highly effective teams
• Experience building processes and leveraging project management tools to manage those processes (g., Monday.com)
• Experience developing, managing and executing top-tier live and virtual events
• Bachelor's degree or postgraduate qualification in Marketing, Advertising, Communications, or related field preferred
• Experience managing budgets, cost management and methods for improving operational efficiency

Skills and Abilities

• Exceptional organization and project management skills, with the ability to balance multiple deadlines and sometimes conflicting priorities to deliver on objectives with a proactive communication approach
• Exceptional leadership and collaboration skills, and ability to build strong cross-functional partnerships
• Critical eye for visual design and ability to provide actionable feedback
• Superb written communication skills - including strong marketing writing and editing abilities
• Ability to tell compelling stories and present with confidence to a broad range of audiences
• Detail oriented, organized and process-driven
• Highly effective listening and critical thinking skills
• Strong content marketing skills - development and execution
• Functions autonomously with a sense of urgency; You can roll up your sleeves and do what is necessary to produce results and can balance hands-on involvement with team empowerment and delegation

Location

• This position is located in Leawood, KS. Remote candidates will also be considered.

Ascend Learning, LLC is proud to be an equal opportunity employer (M/F/Vets/Disabled). No agency or search firm submissions will be accepted. Applications for U.S. based positions with Ascend Learning, LLC must be legally authorized to work in the United States and verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

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