Client Services Assistant Manager OR Client Services Manager #605891

Job Description

Northern Arizona University is seeking one (1) a qualified individual to serve as a Client Services Assistant Manager OR a Client Services Manager for assigned marketing department internal clients, as well as to coordinate general marketing services that support NAU’s strategic goals and objectives. This position will be filled at the Assistant Manager or Manager level, based on finalists’ qualifications and experience. Details regarding each level are provided below.

Client services manager and assistant manager roles are housed within NAU’s marketing department and include the following: Participates in strategic planning and resource allocation; helps drive major initiatives by understanding effective brand positioning, product promotion, and portfolio/project management. Coordinates with creative, digital, and operations teams to arrange resources, establish budgets, and confirm timelines. Coordinates project scope, timeline, budget, and client communications. Ensures university quality and brand standards are met; ensures project objectives are attained.

Incumbents must be able to leverage strategic, entrepreneurial, and analytical approaches to marketing projects; serve as the point of contact and primary liaison for assigned client portfolios; leverage internal and external resources/personnel to build and execute successful marketing campaigns; and communicate effectively and diplomatically with peers, clients, executives, and across departments. In addition, incumbents must excel in a fast-paced environment, adapt quickly to changing priorities, operate with high attention to detail, maintain marketing and communications skills, work within established department and university processes, and leverage relevant industry trends and indicators.

Essential Functions

Client Services Assistant Manager

Relationship Management - 30%

• Serves as account manager to assigned portfolio of internal university clients (colleges, institutes, etc.), with a primary focus on supporting university strategic goals.
• Interfaces regularly with client and partner key contacts (deans, associate deans, vice presidents, directors, and coordinators) to ensure effective planning, implementation, and evaluation of marketing programs. Serves as a member of each client’s management team by participating in strategic planning and resource allocation discussions.
• Helps define effective marketing strategies on client’s behalf (e.g., clarifies business and marketing goals, establishes measurable outcomes, develops audience personas, guides necessary market research, and evaluates results).
• Helps to develop an annual strategic marketing plan for each client; generates buy-in among key stakeholders; executes plan; briefs clients on monthly progress/results.
• Scopes and initiates projects on behalf of clients and manages client communications throughout the project lifecycle; advocates for client goals throughout the project.
• Maintains and leverages up-to-date knowledge of relevant trends higher education, marketing, recruitment, and communications, to provide sound guidance to clients on marketing investments.

Product Marketing Management - 30%

• Collaborates with marketing, communications, academic, admissions, and alumni teams, and third party/agency resources to raise awareness and consideration.
• Assists in identifying top competitors and competitive positioning.
• Identifies effective marketing channels for specific campaigns and initiatives.
• Plans and implements lead generation campaigns to support recruitment targets.
• Understands and manages all program materials, from flyers to videos, emails, and website copy.
• Upholds knowledge of best practices related to audience assessment, competitor/market analysis, brand awareness, growth marketing, and customer journeys.

Portfolio/Project Management - 25%

• Manages a diverse portfolio of marketing projects, including website optimization, traditional and digital advertising, lead generation campaigns, email campaigns, events, photo and video shoots, signage, and printed collateral.
• Coordinates marketing-related projects and collaboratively leverages marketing department resources (design, editorial, digital, photography, videography, operations), university resources (Strategic Communications, University Events, Advancement, IT Services, Enrollment Management, Student Affairs, etc.), and external resources (marketing firms, recruitment firms, digital firms, etc.) for timely, cost-effective, and successful project resourcing.
• Follows standard project management methodologies to support assigned marketing projects; ensures that projects are completed to specification, within an established time frame and budget; assists in risk analyses and monitors the progress of plans against project milestones and budgets; and helps manage and update project data to ensure access to accurate and timely information.
• Helps monitor the health of assigned project portfolios by: maintaining positive relationships internally and externally; proactively managing project schedules, approvals, and deliverable routing; tracking and documenting issues and project progress in the department’s web-based project management systems; maintaining awareness of creative team capacity; and organizing and/or actively participating in weekly and ad-hoc meetings with project teams (project intake/review meetings, portfolio reviews, project kick off’s, and project post-mortems).
• Complies with established departmental processes and university policies.

Other - 15%

• Provides consulting and support for major institutional initiatives.
• Contributes to the development of policies and procedures related to marketing services.
• Represents University Marketing on assigned committees, work groups, and employee forums.
• Participates in onboarding and training of new marketing staff.
• May be assigned other duties necessary for the effective functioning of the department.

Client Services Manager

Relationship Management - 30%

• Serve as lead account manager to assigned portfolio of colleges and divisions, with a primary focus on supporting enrollment growth.
• Interface regularly with client and partner key contacts (deans, associate deans, vice presidents, directors, and coordinators) to ensure effective planning, implementation, and evaluation of marketing programs. Serve as a member of each client’s management team by participating in strategic planning and resource allocation discussions.
• Provide professional marketing consultation to clients and define effective marketing strategies on their behalf (e.g., clarify business and marketing goals, establish measurable outcomes, develop audience personas, guide necessary market research, and evaluate results).
• Develop an annual strategic marketing plan for each client; generate buy-in among key stakeholders; develop marketing funding requests and manage marketing funds; brief clients on monthly progress/results.
• Scope and initiate projects on behalf of clients and manage client communications throughout the project lifecycle; provide strategic direction to creative and digital teams to ensure deliverables meet client needs; and advocate for client goals throughout the project.
• Serve as a department representative and liaison with campus groups promoting university-wide brand and growth initiatives.
• Maintain and leverage up-to-date knowledge of relevant trends higher education, marketing, recruitment, and communications, to provide sound guidance to clients on marketing investments.

Product Marketing Management - 30%

• Work cross-functionally with marketing, communications, academic, admissions, and alumni teams, and third party/agency resources to raise awareness and consideration.
• Identify top competitors, develop competitive positioning, and ensure competitive positioning is integrated into marketing collateral and recruitment tools.
• Develop tailored value propositions, messaging, and positioning strategies for each program/segment, aligned with the prospective student journey.
• Identify effective marketing channels for specific campaigns and initiatives.
• Plan and implement lead generation campaigns to support recruitment targets.
• Own and manage all program materials, from flyers to videos, emails, and website copy.
• Drive collection and dissemination of testimonials and visual assets to support marketing campaigns.
• Maintain knowledge of best practices related to audience assessment, competitor/market analysis, brand awareness, growth marketing, and customer journeys.

Portfolio/Project Management - 25%

• Manage a diverse portfolio of marketing projects, including website optimization, traditional and digital advertising, lead generation campaigns, email campaigns, events, photo and video shoots, signage, and printed collateral.
• Collaboratively leverage department resources (design, editorial, digital, photography, videography, operations), university resources (University Communications, University Events, Athletics, IT Services, Enrollment Management, Student Affairs, etc.), and external resources (printers, marketing firms, recruitment firms, digital firms) for timely, cost-effective, and successful project resourcing.
• Manage the health of assigned project portfolios by: maintaining positive relationships internally and externally; proactively managing project schedules, approvals, and deliverable routing; tracking and documenting issues and project progress in the department’s web-based project management systems; maintaining awareness of creative team capacity; and organizing and/or actively participating in weekly and ad-hoc meetings with project teams (project intake/review meetings, portfolio reviews, project kick off’s, and project post-mortems).
• Collaborate with marketing team members to ensure brand compliance and to capture and analyze project outcomes.
• Communicate regularly with leadership on the status of assigned accounts/portfolio (project statuses, outcomes, proposed/planned initiatives, etc.); produce monthly and quarterly progress reports and outcomes assessments.
• Comply with established departmental processes and university policies.

Other - 15%

• Supervise support staff, students and/or vendors, as assigned.
• Provide consulting and support for major institutional initiatives.
• Recommend and contribute to the development of policies and procedures related to marketing services.
• Represent University Marketing on various committees, work groups and employee forums.
• Participate in onboarding and training of new client service managers and support staff.
• Perform various other duties, as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Client Services Assistant Manager

• Bachelor’s degree
• 1-2 years of related experience
• Any combination of relevant education and experience may be substituted for the educational requirement on a year-for-year basis.

Client Services Manager

• Bachelor’s degree
• 1-2 years of relevant management experience
• 2-4 years of related experience
• Any combination of relevant education and experience may be substituted for the educational requirement on a year-for-year basis.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, please click on the "Apply" button on this page. You must submit your application by clicking on the "Submit" button by midnight of the application deadline. If you need assistance completing your application there are instructions available on the Human Resources website or in person in the Human Resources Department located in Building 91 on the NAU Campus - on the corner of Beaver and DuPont Streets.

If you are an individual with a disability and need reasonable accommodation to participate in the hiring process please contact the Office of Equity and Access at: 928-523-3312/TDD - 928-523-1006 or PO Box 4083, Flagstaff AZ 86011.

Please see nau.jobs for full job descriptions and details on how to apply online!  NAU is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution. Women, minorities, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.