Email Marketing Specialist

Job Summary

HigherEd+ is a disruptive growth-stage eLearning SaaS start-up seeking a part-time or full-time E-mail Marketing Specialist with experience in the higher education space to lead all aspects of our e-mail marketing operations. This includes strategy, list segmentation, copywriting, visual layout, A/B testing, automation, and performance tracking – all while maintaining the tone and trust required to reach academics and university leaders. This position will report directly to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Key Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end e-mail campaign lifecycle for the purpose of generating incoming sales leads: strategy, segmentation, copywriting, design, testing, optimization, and reporting
• Design visually appealing and mobile-optimized e-mails (basic HTML/CSS or visual builders)
• Write high-converting, academically appropriate e-mail copy for multiple higher ed personas
• Build and manage e-mail sequences for live online events, lead nurturing, drip campaigns, and newsletter engagement
• Monitor performance metrics and continuously improve open rates, CTR, and conversion rates
• Coordinate with a graphic designer when visual assets are needed
• Collaborate with the COO, CEO, and lead gen support staff
• Maintain compliance with GDPR, CAN-SPAM, and university e-mail preferences

Required Qualifications

• Native or Fluent English proficiency
• Bachelor’s degree or higher
• 3+ years of hands-on e-mail marketing experience with focus on sales lead generation
• Proven track record of High open rates (30–40%), Low unsubscribe rates (<0.3%), Strong CTA engagement
• Mastery of ActiveCampaign platform, Google Analytics
• At least one e-mail deliverability tool (ZeroBounce, NeverBounce, etc.)
• At least one CRM platform (Salesforce, Zoho, etc.)
• Strong understanding of persona-based marketing and complex customer journeys
• Experience managing list segmentation and campaign sequencing
• Experience writing clear, compelling copy tailored for professionals in higher education settings
• Comfortable building e-mails from scratch and designing clean layouts
• Personality: Self-starter and self-accountable, strong work ethic, teamwork skills, outcome-driven, creative problem-solver, reliable, and embraces what it takes to be able to work in a fast-paced and challenging start-up environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Existing connections within higher education
• Experience with e-mail deliverability platforms like ZeroBounce or NeverBounce
• Familiarity with Qualtrics

Compensation

Highly competitive with bonus and stock option opportunities.

Benefits

• Work from anywhere with a reliable internet connection
• Make a real difference in the lives of students, faculty, and academic leaders around the world
• Be a core member of the team, working directly with the COO and CEO to shape the future of the company
• Unlimited access to the HigherEd+ Course Library to enhance your own skills and earn microcredentials
• Opportunities to attend webinars with thought leaders, industry conferences, and learning events relevant to your role
• Ownership and autonomy where you are empowered to lead in your domain to deliver results – no micromanagement, just trust and accountability
• Rapid decision-making and ability to see the immediate impact of your work
• Flexible paid time off (PTO) policy

Performance Goals

E-mail Campaign development Goals

• Strategically design and launch at least 3–5 e-mail campaigns per month, tailored by audience segment
• Create and manage at least 2 automated e-mail workflows (e.g., event follow-up, onboarding series, re-engagement drip)
• Implement A/B testing for subject lines and CTA copy in all outbound campaigns

Key E-mail Performance Benchmarks

• Open Rate: Maintain an average of 30–40%
• Click-Through Rate (CTR): Achieve 3–6% across campaigns
• Click-to-Open Rate (CTOR): Maintain 10–20%
• Unsubscribe Rate: Keep <0.3% per e-mail
• Spam Complaint Rate: Keep <0.05%

Email Conversion Outcome Goals

• Generate minimum 10 incoming sales leads per week by running effective e-mail marketing campaigns
• Drive 1–3% of total e-mail recipients to schedule introductory Zoom calls with a sales representative
• Convert 0.5–2% of recipients (from B2C-focused campaigns) into paid HigherEd+ members