Director of Web and Organic Strategy

As the Director of Web & Organic Strategy, reporting to the VP of Performance Marketing, you are responsible for enhancing the online visibility and search engine ranking of our website and our programs, serving as the SEO subject matter expert. You will play a key role in developing our student base, evolving our brand, and enhancing the user experience. As a key team member within marketing, you will ensure alignment with the company’s business objectives, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and advocate for the importance of SEO across the organization.

Benefits

Who is American College of Education
Founded in 2005, American College of Education continues to be a leader in professional development through our online programs. The mission of ACE is to deliver high-quality, affordable and accessible online programs grounded in evidence-based content and relevant application. Our graduates are prepared to serve, lead and achieve personal and professional goals in diverse, evolving communities. As a socially conscious institution, we’re dedicated to making a positive impact and inspiring our students to do the same.

ACE is a premier organization that is continually recognized for its commitment to social responsibility. In 2016, ACE became a Certified B Corporation. As a socially conscious institution, we believe we have a responsibility to our students, alumni, employees, local communities, and society. We strive to make an impact in the world that goes well beyond our bottom line.

Who You Are

You are passionate about helping students achieve their educational goals. You thrive in a competitive and collaborative team environment. You are comfortable working remotely and have experience collaborating with others in a virtual environment. You possess a strong attention to detail.    

As the Director of Web & Organic Strategy, reporting to the VP of Performance Marketing, you are responsible for enhancing the online visibility and search engine ranking of our website and our programs, serving as the SEO subject matter expert. You will play a key role in developing our student base, evolving our brand, and enhancing the user experience. As a key team member within marketing, you will ensure alignment with the company’s business objectives, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and advocate for the importance of SEO across the organization.

Compensation

ACE is committed to paying a competitive wage while staying true to our mission of maintaining high quality, affordable programs for our students. The starting salary range for this position is $155,000 plus all full-time employees are eligible for an annual bonus. Offers vary depending on education, prior experience, and expertise being applied to the role.

What We Look for in the Ideal Candidate

• Demonstrates self-reliance by meeting/exceeding workflow needs. 
• Demonstrates positive attitude and motivation, concern for students, teamwork, and excellent time management skills. 
• Follows established processes as outlined by organization and leadership. 
• Completes assigned duties based on daily business needs and individual skill set. 
• Consistently produces a high volume of quality work. 
• Capable, and adapts as needed, to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines. 
• Proven ability to work independently with limited supervision and with other department personnel. 
• Must support and embrace the College’s B Corp mission to improve the people and communities we serve through our civic engagement initiatives.  
• Must have exceptional communication, organization, and time management skills. 
• Must be "self-motivated" as well as creative and efficient in proposing solutions to complex, time-critical problems. 
• Must be collaborative in driving decisions and a team-player. 
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a high attention to detail. 
• Builds and maintains student satisfaction. 
• Recognizes and anticipates student needs. 

Day to Day Responsibilities

In this role you will wear different hats, but your skills will be especially essential in the following areas:

• Execute and refine an SEO-centered digital marketing strategy to expand reach and reduce acquisition costs.
• Lead the organic marketing team, including in-house and external agencies, and develop an SEO-focused group.
• Partner with marketing leaders to align marketing with organizational goals.
• Enhance team skills through ongoing training and professional development.
• Perform regular SEO audits and optimize content for better search results.
• Analyze data to inform strategic decisions and report insights to senior management.
• Innovate and implement cost-saving technologies in marketing practices.
• Maintain brand guidelines across all owned marketing channels.
• Monitor digital performance metrics and provide regular reports to leadership.
• Craft and update lead generation strategies based on market analysis.
• Oversee the website's overall functionality, ensuring optimal performance and user experience.
• Internal owner for all internal website change requests, coordinating with the Director of Marketing Operations and ACE departments to prioritize and implement changes.
• Establish and enforce guidelines for website updates to maintain consistency and quality across all content.
• Manage the website's technical and content updates with agency partners and in-house staff, ensuring they align with strategic business objectives.
• Evaluate and approve proposed changes from various departments, ensuring they meet established SEO and brand standards.

Qualifications and Education Requirements

• 10+ years of digital performance marketing experience, preferably in higher education.
• 5+ years’ experience selecting and/or managing external digital and/or marketing agencies or managing specialized in-house teams.
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience in Marketing, Business, or related field. Masters preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in generating profitable growth in a highly competitive industry, education experience preferred.
• Proven ability to lead and manage high-performing teams.
• Demonstrated ability to improve business processes.
• Strong experience consolidating and leveraging technology to lower costs.

Our Commitment to Employees

Just as we strive to empower our students for success, we also aim to enrich the lives of our employees. For five years, ACE has received recognition as one of Indiana’s Best Places to Work, winning the #1 spot for medium-sized companies in 2020. As a virtual first organization, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating a family-like inclusive work environment. For our full-time employees, we offer the following benefits:  

• Medical, dental, & vision Insurance 
• HSA and FSA options 
• Paid parental leave 
• Paid volunteer time 
• Tuition reimbursement & reduction programs 
• Generous PTO  
• 401k and employer match 
• Full-service wellness and EAP program 
• Employee recognition and awards programs 
• Employer paid life & AD&D insurance 
• Short-term disability 
• Employer paid long-term disability 
• And more…

Physical Demands

The physical demand described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to communicate with and receive communications from students and ACE employees in real time using online and other electronic media.

Diversity

At American College of Education, we believe that the best learning environment for students and staff is one in which we encounter viewpoints and experiences that are different, yet complementary to ours. This environment is fostered by the presence of persons with diverse backgrounds.  We recognize that acknowledging diversity is a necessary precondition, but sustained effort is necessary to ensure equity and greater inclusion.  Through strategic planning and initiatives, we seek to develop programs that promote equity and inclusion for everyone so that all members of ACE’s community can reach their full potential. To create and maintain a truly diverse, equitable and inclusive learning community, we strive to make all feel equally valued, and we uphold our Commitment to Freedom of Expression.  We may celebrate diversity, but we “live” inclusion.

Additional Notes

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.  Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Internet bandwidth speeds from an employee's remote work location must be a minimum of 50Mbps download speeds and 5Mbps upload speeds. Please note if the bandwidth is shared across multiple devices (tablets, computer, streaming, phone, etc.) you will need higher overall speeds. You can test the speed of your connection by visiting speedtest.net Purchase, setup, installation, support, and ongoing maintenance of reliable internet service is the responsibility of the individual.  

American College of Education seeks to attract and retain a diverse staff consistent with its diverse student body and surrounding communities. At this time we cannot consider candidates residing in Alaska, Washington D.C., Massachusetts, South Dakota, or Alabama.

ACE is an Equal Opportunity Employer.