Marketing Strategy & Planning Manager, EMEA

As a Marketing Strategy & Planning Manager at Okta, you'll be involved in enhancing the EMEA Field Marketing operations. Your responsibilities include analyzing program performance, developing recommendations for operational improvements, managing budgets, and collaborating with various teams to ensure cohesive marketing strategies. You will also play a pivotal role in driving complex marketing initiatives that align with Okta's business objectives.

To apply for the Marketing Strategy & Planning Manager role at Okta, you should have at least 8 years of relevant experience in Marketing Strategy, Field Marketing, or a similar role, especially in a B2B SaaS environment. Additionally, strong analytical skills, budget management experience, and familiarity with tools such as Asana and Salesforce are essential. A degree in a related field is also required.

At Okta, we nurture a culture of continuous learning and development. As a Marketing Strategy & Planning Manager, you will have access to various training programs, mentorship opportunities, and resources to help you grow your skill set and advance professionally. We encourage our employees to take initiative in their career paths and provide the necessary support to help them succeed.

Success in the role of Marketing Strategy & Planning Manager at Okta requires strong analytical and strategic thinking abilities. You should possess a deep understanding of marketing principles, data-driven decision-making, effective communication skills, and the ability to collaborate across teams. Familiarity with project management tools like Asana and experience in budget management will also be crucial.

A typical workday for a Marketing Strategy & Planning Manager at Okta involves collaborating with the EMEA Field Marketing leadership team to analyze performance metrics, strategize upcoming marketing initiatives, and manage budget allocations. You’ll spend time liaising between various departments, ensuring alignment and effective communication, and leveraging data insights to prioritize business opportunities. Every day offers a new challenge and opportunity to innovate the marketing workflow.

When answering this question, share specific examples of how you've managed marketing budgets in previous roles. Discuss your approach to forecasting, expense tracking, and making data-driven decisions to maximize ROI. Emphasize your ability to collaborate with Finance teams and ensure that marketing initiatives remain within budget.

Explain your process for utilizing analytics tools to assess marketing program performance. Detail the key metrics you focus on, such as conversion rates and engagement levels, and how you translate this data into actionable recommendations. Emphasize your commitment to continuous improvement based on these insights.

Discuss your experience with project management tools like Asana, Salesforce, and any other software you've used to streamline workflows and enhance collaboration among teams. Highlight specific features you find most beneficial, such as task assignments, deadline tracking, and performance metrics, to illustrate your understanding of effective project management.

Share a specific example of a complex marketing initiative you successfully managed. Describe the project's goals, the teams involved, your role, and the outcomes. Focus on your organizational skills, leadership, and ability to collaborate across functions to bring the project to a successful conclusion.

To answer this question, provide an example of a challenging situation where time constraints were a factor. Discuss the strategies you employed to prioritize tasks, communicate with your team, and maintain focus on key objectives. Emphasize your ability to remain calm under pressure and deliver quality results.

Explain the importance of aligning marketing strategies with overarching business goals. Discuss how you collaborate with different teams and stakeholders to understand business objectives, and describe the frameworks or methodologies you use to ensure marketing programs support these goals effectively.

Highlight your belief in the power of data for guiding marketing decisions. Discuss specific data points you analyze and how you use those insights to shape strategy, improve campaigns, and measure success. Your answer should convey a strong analytical mindset and a commitment to data-driven marketing.

Describe your approaches to ensuring effective communication among diverse teams, including regular check-ins, collaborative tools, and transparency in project tracking. Provide examples of past experiences where your efforts led to improved outcomes through collaboration.

Discuss your methods for identifying inefficiencies in marketing operations, such as performance metrics analysis, stakeholder feedback, and regular reviews. Share examples of operational improvements you've implemented in past roles and the impact they had on team productivity or marketing effectiveness.

Detail your commitment to professional development, such as attending industry conferences, participating in webinars, and following marketing thought leaders on social media. Mention any specific resources you rely on to stay informed about current trends and innovative practices in marketing.