Associate Director, Sales & Marketing- Private Label

POSITION: Associate Director, Sales & Marketing

COMPENSATION: Pursuant to applicable regulations, if this job is performed in a relevant State, the salary range is $95,000-$125,000 plus bonus potential. Eligible to participate in the company benefits plan. We offer health, vision, dental, and pet insurance. We offer a 401(k) retirement plan, student loan assistance, licensing and continuing education reimbursement, parental leave, and housing allowances or gifts.

REPORTS TO: Director, Sales & Marketing

SUMMARY:

The Associate Director of Sales and Marketing is responsible for overseeing all sales & marketing-related efforts and responsibilities associated with a designated group of Portfolio Sales and Marketing Managers within Cardinal Group's main business vertical, Student Housing. The Associate Director of Sales and Marketing is most importantly a client-centric role, as this individual serves as the first line of communication to internal clients (Operations leadership) and external clients. The Associate Director of Sales and Marketing is primarily responsible to manage, coach, and support the Portfolio Sales and Marketing Managers that are responsible for overall sales and property marketing performance across Cardinal Group's portfolio.

A deep understanding of vertical-specific business cycles, seasonal marketing trends, and strategy surrounding the preparation for key leasing windows is a core competency of the Associate Director of Sales and Marketing role. This client-facing role requires exceptional communication skills and the ability to speak to Cardinal's vertical integration and effectively infuse thought leadership into interactions with both Operations stakeholders and Clients. The Associate Director of Sales and Marketing reports to the Director of Sales and Marketing, a resource to this role in actively seeking ongoing guidance, coaching, and strategic support; especially related to client relations and customized strategic support.

RESPONSIBILITIES (Including but not limited to):

• Responsible for the sales and marketing success of 50-100 communities, ensuring each community hits its leasing goals, stays in line with the market and performs as well as prior year.
• Directly manage Portfolio Sales and Marketing Managers (PSMs); providing coaching, strategy insight, support, and ensuring continuity across the position.
• Collaborate with PSMs to brainstorm and conceptualize collateral development and execute/launch custom marketing campaigns as needed for strategic marketing efforts or specific client requests.
• Strategic Planning leadership for department-lead onsite sales and marketing and roadmap initiatives on a quarterly, bi-annual, and annual basis, including in preparation for both academic and calendar-year budget seasons relating to Student Housing.
• Liaison to Learning and Development department to foster alignment with ongoing training efforts across CGM, and plan training opportunities within existing roadmap, prioritizing critical-need training when necessary.
• Assist in the reviewal and approval process of all design projects that are quoted over $2,500 in addition to providing recommendations on preferred vendors, as well as assist with presenting options and approved designs to clients for feedback.
• Effective time management and prioritization of critical needs to manage the expectations and ongoing shifting of priorities related to covering a typical number of communities (or a combination of client portfolios) that most often ranges from 50 - 100 communities, depending on the number of PSMs that report to the incumbent, their seniority, community type, and specific client needs.
• Utilize reporting dashboards, internal marketing team members, and agency partners to proactively and routinely monitor marketing tactic and property or portfolio performance across; communicating key findings in a manner where insights and recommendations for improvement or lift are easily understood, attainable, and executable that align with property goals/budget
• Monitor and prioritize actions relating to 'red light' properties weekly, ensuring that the sales and marketing performance evaluations are completed by the PSMs, and recommendations are delivered to Ops/Client; changes are put into motion upon approval; and the ongoing tracking of performance lift is documented and shared with key stakeholders.
• Regular communication with key Operations stakeholders, such as Director of Marketing and Strategy, VP, and Director of Operations for assigned Group; building a partnership and ongoing collaborative relationship as it relates to property performance, managing client expectations, and ensuring alignment and understanding of key areas of focus and priority projects or communities.
• Effective change management oversight as it relates to the rollout of new sales & marketing programs and initiatives, marketing campaign launches, and new vendor relationships and ongoing vendor management; ultimately responsible for efforts resulting in key stakeholder adoption of important Cardinal Group Companies initiatives in which the Sales and Marketing team is a partner and champion
• Oversee efforts, manage bandwidth, and ensure needed support is realized from the assigned Marketing Specialist in key areas such as takeovers/property onboarding, general property support, and the ongoing collection of performance metrics and other Group-related marketing needs
• Operate as a level of higher strategic support to Portfolio Sales & Marketing Managers assigned to specific portfolios or cell teams, providing ongoing coaching and thought leadership relating to sales & marketing strategy and property positioning
• Manage relationships with internal and external marketing agencies, vendors, ILS providers, lead generation, video, and other partners to build successful partnerships that result in best-in-class marketing results
• Utilize and promote the use of approved marketing resources, such as Annual Marketing Plan templates, Outreach Marketing Plan templates, social media planning tools, virtual tour platforms, and other tools needed in an ever-changing environment
• Responsible for creating customized lease-up strategic marketing plans for all incoming lease up properties, working in conjunction with development partners, investment partners, clients, assigned PSMs and Operations stakeholders
• Act as either project manager, consultant, or with direct agency oversight for projects relating to property naming, branding and identity creation, and development of brand narrative; involvement level is determined by open communication with Director of Marketing and Strategy, Portfolio Manager, Director of Operations and Client partners
• Lead and inspire the Portfolio Sales & Marketing Managers through regular creative brainstorming to come up with out of the box solutions for onsite team members to market their communities and engage with current residents.
• Manage and update the PSM Redbooks and SOPs to ensure continued accuracy.
• Ability to embody the Cardinal Culture and Cardinal Core values every day

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor's degree in marketing, Public Relations, Communications, or a related field preferred, or combined level of related years of work experience and direct capabilities and skill set

Student housing marketing experience required

Ability to quickly analyze and obtain a deep understanding of Cardinal Group Management markets as it relates to property locations, whether large DMA or sub-markets

Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple marketing campaigns and brands simultaneously

Strong attention to detail, highly organized and committed to perfection

Must be creative, efficient, and willing to learn

Exceptional writing, grammar, and proofreading skills

Overnight travel may be required to attend company functions, training, property visits, and other situations necessary for the accomplishment of special projects that may be assigned from time to time

Ability to travel 2-3 weeks per quarter, plus additional travel during Student Housing Turn season to chip in where needed

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a Team Member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Incumbents work in an office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the Team Member is regularly required to use hands to finger, type, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The Team Member is frequently required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms, and stoop, or squat. The Team Member is often required to sit. The Team Member must be able to push, pull, lift, carry, or maneuver office products and supplies of up to twenty (20) pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. The above job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions, and perform any other related duties, as assigned by their Team Leader.