Director, Creative Strategy

About EAB

At EAB, our mission is to make education smarter and our communities stronger. We work with more than 2,800 institutions to drive transformative change through data-driven insights and best-in-class capabilities. From kindergarten to college to career, EAB partners with leaders and practitioners to accelerate progress and drive results across enrollment, student success, institutional strategy, data analytics, and advancement. We work with each partner differently, tailoring our portfolio of research, technology, and marketing and enrollment solutions to meet the unique needs of every leadership team, as well as the students and employees they serve.

At EAB, we serve not only our partner institutions but each other-that's why we are always working to make sure our employees love their jobs and are invested in their communities. See how we've been recognized for this dedication to our employees by checking out our recent awards.

For more information, visit our Careers page.

The Role in Brief:

Director, Creative Strategy

The Director, Creative Strategy for Advancement Marketing Services (AMS) will lead the ongoing evolution of AMS's omni-channel marketing programs for fundraising-enhancing existing campaigns and developing new strategies that drive performance, partner retention, and business growth. This individual will apply deep expertise in marketing and higher education advancement, combined with data-driven insights, to continuously innovate AMS offerings across direct mail, email, and digital platforms.

The role is responsible for the management and leadership of the creative teams, improving marketing effectiveness, leveraging generative AI solutions, and strengthening EAB's position in the market as a provider of customized, high-impact marketing solutions for fundraising. EAB managers are also responsible for driving accountability, productivity, and efficiency in a high-volume environment.

In addition to internal leadership and product responsibilities, this role is externally facing-representing AMS in client engagements, industry events, and public forums. The Director will gather and share market intelligence to inform strategy, promote AMS's capabilities, and support long-term innovation.

This position reports to EAB's Managing Director of Strategy and Analytics, and is a key member of the AMS leadership team. The ideal candidate will be a collaborative leader with a strong understanding of advancement marketing, a track record of successful campaign execution, and the ability to drive creative quality, innovation, and strategic growth.

This role may be based in Richmond, VA; Washington, D.C.; or remotely within the continental United States.

Manage and Lead Creative Teams and Content Development

• Partner with Managing Director to lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing team of copywriters, art directors, and digital marketers working in fundraising.
• Foster a culture of excellence, transparency, collaboration, and open communication.
• Ensure creative content development occurs on-time and error free.

Optimize and Innovate Existing Marketing Campaigns

• Collaborate with Partner Success, Partner Development, and Analytics teams to refine and improve existing campaigns across direct mail, email, and digital channels.
• Leverage partner feedback, market insights, generative AI, and performance data to drive campaign innovation and better align messaging with audience needs.
• Ensure campaigns tell a compelling, cohesive story that showcases AMS's unique omni-channel capabilities and delivers measurable partner outcomes.

Lead Development of New Campaign Strategies

• Design and implement new marketing programs informed by industry trends, data, and partner objectives.
• Work cross-functionally to bring campaigns to life across multiple platforms, ensuring they are aligned with EAB's broader advancement goals and brand positioning.
• Promote scalability and customization to meet a diverse range of client needs.

Strategic Client Engagement and Support

• Work closely with the AMS leadership and client services teams to translate client goals into actionable marketing plans.
• Ensure creative teams are aligned and campaigns are executed effectively, with defined milestones and success metrics.

Thought Leadership and Industry Presence

• Represent AMS at conferences, webinars, and trade shows as a subject matter expert and brand ambassador.
• Collaborate with the corporate marketing team to develop and deliver thought leadership content, including presentations, webinars, and articles.
• Support high-profile partnerships and initiatives, such as expert councils or New Executive Intensives.

Market and Competitive Insight

• Monitor advancement marketing trends, competitor offerings, and innovations in adjacent industries.
• Maintain a deep understanding of the marketing and fundraising landscape in higher education to inform AMS product strategy and positioning.
• Provide actionable insights that enhance AMS's competitive advantage.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree
• 7+ years of experience in marketing, advancement, fundraising, or a related field with a minimum of 3 years' experience managing and leading cross-functional teams in a fast-paced, client-driven environment
• Demonstrated success in developing and executing direct mail, email, and digital marketing campaigns
• Strong understanding of higher education advancement, including annual giving and fundraising operations
• Familiarity with AI tools and applications in marketing strategy
• Experience using marketing analytics to guide decision-making and drive program improvements
• Exceptional interpersonal, written, and presentation communication skills
• Agile, adaptable, and comfortable navigating a dynamic marketing and technology landscape

Ideal Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in a related field
• Leadership experience within national or regional advancement organizations
• Strong grasp of the current digital advertising landscape, including technical knowledge of paid social platforms and campaign performance tracking
• Demonstrated use of AI tools to support innovation in marketing strategy and effective personalization of multi-channel campaigns
• Commitment to embracing a continual learning environment and contributing to a dynamic and welcoming culture of fairness, authenticity, and belonging in support of EAB's mission, values, and aspiration.

If you've reached this section of the job description and are unsure of whether to apply, please do! At EAB, we welcome new perspectives and learn from each other's unique experiences. We would encourage you to submit an application if this is a role you would be passionate about doing every day.

Compensation:

The anticipated starting salary (base) range for this role is $105,000 - $127,500 per year. Actual salary varies due to factors that may include but not be limited to relevant experience, skills, and location. At EAB, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the starting salary range for their role.

This hire will additionally be eligible for discretionary bonus or incentive compensation. Variable compensation may depend on various factors, such as individual and organizational performance.

Benefits:

Consistent with our belief that our employees are our most valuable resource, EAB offers a competitive and inclusive benefits package. Our benefits currently include:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance plans; dependents and domestic partners eligible
• 20+ days of PTO annually, in addition to paid firm and floating holidays
• Daytime leave policy for community service and flextime for fitness activities (up to 10 hours per month each)
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with annual discretionary company matching contribution
• Health savings account, healthcare and dependent care flexible spending account, and pre-tax commuter plans
• Employee assistance program with counseling services and resources available to all employees and immediate family
• Wellness programs including gym discounts, incentives to promote healthy living, and family access to the leading app for sleep, meditation, and relaxation
• Fertility treatment coverage and adoption or surrogacy assistance
• Paid parental leave with phase back to work program for birthing and non-birthing parents
• Access to milk shipping service to support nursing employees during business travel
• Discounted pet health insurance coverage for dog and cat family members
• Company-provided life, AD&D, and disability insurance
• Financial wellness resources and membership in a robust employee discount program
• Access to employee resource groups, merit-based advancement, and dynamic professional growth opportunities

Benefits kick in day one; learn more at eab.com/careers/benefits.

This opening is not eligible for visa sponsorship at this time; EAB will thus consider candidates who possess U.S. work authorization that does not require employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future.

At EAB, we believe that to fulfill our mission to "make education smarter and our communities stronger" we need team members who bring a diversity of perspectives to the table and are committed to fostering a workplace where each team member is valued, respected and heard.

To that end, EAB is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we make employment decisions on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need. We don't discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law.