Description

AKF HAS ENGAGED THE SERVICES OF STAFFING ADVISORS FOR THIS SEARCH SO PLEASE APPLY THROUGH THEIR WEB SITE AT: https://www.staffingadvisors.com/job/director-of-email-marketing-b8cbe593-1a74-450a-bbbf-96de08039011/

The Director of Email Marketing leads the strategy, development, and optimization of the American Kidney Fund's (AKF) email marketing program within the Office of Communications and Marketing (OCM). Reporting to the Senior Director of Brand Marketing, this role ensures that constituents, patients, advocates, and donors receive meaningful, timely, and personalized communications that deepen engagement and support AKF's mission to fight kidney disease.

As the organizational owner of the Engaging Networks e-CRM system and email channel, the Director oversees the full lifecycle of AKF's email communications-from strategy and segmentation to execution and performance analysis. The Director develops and implements a comprehensive email roadmap, including automated journeys and targeted campaigns that drive acquisition, retention, advocacy, and donor conversion. This role works closely with colleagues across marketing, development, education, and external vendors to ensure email efforts support programmatic and fundraising goals.

The Director manages the Email Marketing Manager and serves as a key advisor to OCM leadership, providing insights, reporting, and strategic recommendations to support organizational decision-making.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy Development

• Develop and execute a comprehensive email marketing strategy aligned with AKF's organizational priorities and OCM goals.
• Design an email roadmap that supports engagement journeys for donors, patients, advocates, caregivers, and general subscribers.
• Lead strategic decision-making related to email acquisition, retention, and reactivation.
• Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) including engagement, deliverability, conversion, and retention metrics.
• Provide regular program performance updates and strategic recommendations to senior leadership.

Campaign Management & Execution

• Oversee the planning, development, scheduling, and execution of hundreds of email communications annually, ensuring timely and targeted executions.
• Partner with the Email Marketing Manager to produce, test, and optimize email content, including A/B tests.
• Ensure all email templates are ADA-compliant, mobile-optimized, and aligned with branding guidelines.
• Collaborate with cross-departmental partners to ensure email campaigns support fundraising, education, advocacy, and brand-building efforts.

Segmentation, Data, & Platform Management

• Lead audience segmentation and targeting strategy within Engaging Networks, including suppression rules, personalization logic, and journey automation.
• Build and manage complex data queries to support program needs.
• Work with data and technology teams to maintain list hygiene, ensure compliance with CAN-SPAM and data privacy requirements, and implement best practices.
• Identify opportunities to improve reporting, analytics, and integration with related systems, including Raiser's Edge and Classy.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with fundraising, development, education, and advocacy teams to build integrated, multichannel communications strategies.
• Collaborate with Marketing & Communication leads to help shape the organization's editorial calendar based on email insights and performance.
• Ensure email considerations and opportunities are represented in organization-wide planning conversations.

Team Management & Vendor Oversight

• Supervise, coach, and support the Email Marketing Manager, ensuring skill development and strong performance.
• Manage relationships with external vendors, consultants, and platform partners to support program needs and ensure high operational performance.
• Collaborate with external agencies or partners as needed to enhance program capabilities.

Other Duties as Assigned

• Additional responsibilities as determined by the Senior Director of Brand Marketing or OCM leadership.

Requirements

Required

• 5-7 years of relevant experience in email marketing, digital marketing, or CRM management, preferably within the nonprofit sector.
• Minimum of 2 years supervisory experience.
• Strong understanding of email marketing best practices, including segmentation, deliverability, and automation.
• Expertise with e-CRM platforms; Engaging Networks experience strongly preferred.
• Proficiency in HTML for email template editing.
• Demonstrated experience with testing frameworks (A/B, multivariate) and KPI-driven optimization.
• Excellent project management skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Ability to handle confidential data responsibly.

Preferred

• Experience with donor databases such as Raiser's Edge or Classy.
• Familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Understanding of digital accessibility (ADA) and web/email compliance requirements.
• Experience linking fundraising and marketing strategies in integrated digital campaigns.

COMPETENCIES

• Strategic planning and execution.
• Data-driven decision-making and analytical thinking.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Creative problem-solving and proactive initiative.
• Ability to balance high-level strategy with hands-on operational execution.
• Commitment to AKF's mission and values.

AKF HAS ENGAGED THE SERVICES OF STAFFING ADVISORS FOR THIS SEARCH SO PLEASE APPLY THROUGH THEIR WEB SITE AT: https://www.staffingadvisors.com/job/director-of-email-marketing-b8cbe593-1a74-450a-bbbf-96de08039011/