Marketing Manager

Ascent is a leading provider of innovative financial products and student support services that enable more students to access education and achieve academic and economic success. Everything Ascent offers is designed with the best-in-class teams and technology to increase every student's ability to plan, pay, and succeed in their education and career. Ascent's planning tools and financing resources are co-created by students for those in college, graduate school, and career training programs. Ascent offers financial wellness education, student success services, and one-on-one and digital career coaching that put students' academic and professional goals within reach. Ascent has been widely recognized for its strong culture – named “Best Places to Work” by the San Diego Business Journal for the past 5 years – and as an industry leader – named “Best Student Loan” by NerdWallet for the past 3 years.

Ascent is looking for a Marketing Manager with a proven track record in overseeing brand and content strategies with various stakeholders, multiple audiences and a business with strong seasonality.  

The ideal candidate will have 4-6 years of brand experience, a strong background in content development and oversight, and the ability to drive engagement through creative out-of-the-box initiatives, while constantly maintaining and upholding compliance and brand standards. 

Qualities we’re looking for: 

• Self-sufficiency on projects combined with significant team work/collaboration with marketing colleagues
• Management experience, including hiring, managing and leading.  
• Experience working in a fast-paced environment, able to juggle multiple projects and adapt to change quickly. 
• Passionate about sharing the brand and mission through various channels, including design, content, and PR. 

• Expertise in developing creative initiatives that promote brand consistency and engage diverse audiences. 

• Ability to think creatively and strategically to solve problems and challenge the status quo. 

• A proactive approach to identifying new ways to enhance brand presence through events like webinars, awards, podcasts (including launching our own!), and on-campus activations. 

• Strong leadership and collaboration skills to work with an abroad design team, manage an external PR agency, and multiple internal teams to implement campaigns and initiatives. 

In this role you will: 

• Lead the design and execution of Ascent's brand strategy across all channels, ensuring alignment with organizational goals. 
• Develop marketing talent and support the growth of the marketing department through brand/product expertise, as well as team collaboration

• Oversee content creation and strategy, maintaining a consistent tone and voice across campaigns and materials. 

• Manage awards submissions, speaker submissions, ad campaigns, webinars, on-campus activations, and any other engagement strategies that enhance the brand’s visibility. 

• Partner with and manage relationships with a PR agency to ensure Ascent is effectively represented in the public sphere. 

• Collaborate with internal teams to develop creative assets, manage timelines, and ensure that projects are completed on time. 

• Analyze performance data and make recommendations for optimizations to improve marketing and engagement efforts. 

You could be a fit if you have: 

• 4-6 years of marketing experience, with very strong writing capabilities 

• Experience working in an agency overseeing 6+ accounts, with a desire to move into an in-house role 

• A strong understanding of brand management, SEO, content strategy, and event marketing 

• Experience managing external vendors 

• Excellent organizational and project management skills 

• The ability to work both independently and collaboratively, balancing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment 
  
  Competitive pay with bonus, and comprehensive benefits package that includes, but not limited to:
• Compensation includes base salary of $80,000 - $95,000 commensurate with experience, plus bonus and options
• Company Stock Options
• 401(k) + Company Match
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Annual HSA contribution of $1,600
• Life insurance, disability, and critical illness
• 14 Paid Holidays! Eleven (11) + Two (2) Community Days + Your Birthday!
• Snacks and drinks in the office
• Tuition reimbursement program
• Generous paid leave policies
• $2,000 Vacation Incentive Plan after 3 years + $1,000 Sabbatical Day
• Wellness, Work from Home funds, and more!