Senior Director, Brand Marketing

Element451 is on a mission to transform higher education-redefining how colleges and universities engage, enroll, and support students. As a fast-growing edtech SaaS company with an AI-first CRM and student engagement platform, we empower institutions to personalize every interaction across the student journey. With strong market momentum and a passionate team, we're shaping the future of higher ed marketing and enrollment.

We’re seeking a visionary Sr. Director of Brand Marketing - a strategic leader ready to elevate our brand awareness, thought leadership, and demand generation. If you're excited about building a category-leading brand in higher education technology and driving impactful marketing initiatives, we want to hear from you!

As Sr. Director, Brand Marketing, you'll be a key leader on our marketing team, responsible for amplifying our story and energizing market engagement. You’ll craft and execute innovative communications strategies that capture the attention of our target audience, positioning Element451 as an industry visionary. This role blends strategic marketing management with thought leadership and community building to influence the higher ed tech narrative.

What you'll do:

• Oversee our Enrollify content platform and Engage Summit event series, leveraging these assets to expand our influence and drive meaningful engagement.

• Work closely with our CMO and cross-functional teams to ensure marketing initiatives align with our revenue and growth objectives.

• Develop and execute a comprehensive communications strategy that not only raises awareness but also positions Element451 as a trusted innovator in higher ed tech.

• Lead initiatives such as whitepapers, webinars, and speaking engagements that resonate with our audience.

• Guide our PR and social media efforts to tell our compelling story. Oversee the creation of high-impact content-from engaging blogs and case studies to dynamic press releases and video content, while managing media relations to secure broad industry coverage.

• Own Enrollify Platform: Expand the influence of our media and learning hub by curating top-tier content, engaging industry leaders, and reinforcing Enrollify’s role as an authoritative voice in higher ed technology.

• Engage Summit Series: Lead the planning and execution of our high-impact virtual and in-person events, ensuring they generate direct engagement and drive demand for Element451.

• Collaborate closely with the CMO and key teams to align all brand and communications initiatives with our revenue and growth goals. Continuously refine messaging to resonate with target audiences and drive tangible business results.

• Build, manage, and inspire a dynamic marketing communications team. Foster a culture of creativity, accountability, and continuous improvement, ensuring efficient operations as the team scales.

• Establish clear KPIs to measure brand awareness, media reach, share of voice, engagement, and lead generation from communications channels. Monitor performance metrics (website traffic, social engagement, event attendance, PR impressions, etc.) and use insights to optimize strategies. Provide regular reporting on the impact of brand and thought leadership initiatives to the executive team.

• Guide and develop a high-performing marketing communications team, across content, social, design and PR functions, fostering creativity and operational excellence as we scale.

What you'll need:

•  8+ years of experience in marketing, with a focus on brand, communications, and thought leadership. Proven success in a senior marketing role at a high growth-stage SaaS or equivalent.

• Experience in higher education, edtech, or B2B SaaS is highly valued.

• Demonstrated ability to craft and scale a brand narrative. Experience developing comprehensive marketing communications plans that elevate brand awareness and influence. A track record of positioning a company as an industry leader through storytelling and consistent messaging.

• Strong background in public relations, content marketing, and social media. Media savvy with existing industry contacts is a plus. Able to oversee content calendars, thought leadership content creation, and multi-channel campaigns that engage target audiences.

• Experience leading events or community programs (e.g., conferences, webinars, content platforms). Skilled at using events and partnerships to grow an audience and generate demand. 

• Analytics mindset with the ability to interpret marketing data and KPIs. Familiarity with tools to track brand metrics, web analytics, and campaign performance. ROI-focused approach to investing marketing resources for maximum impact.

• Exceptional leadership and team management skills. Proven ability to recruit, develop, and inspire a diverse marketing team. Excellent cross-functional collaborator who can work with sales, product, and executive leadership to drive shared goals.

• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills. Adept at crafting messaging for different audiences – from C-suite executives and university leaders to internal teams and external partners. Strong presentation and storytelling abilities.