Senior Manager, Salesforce Marketing Cloud at Indiana University Foundation in Indianapolis, IN, United States

Job description

• This is an exciting moment to help shape the future of digital engagement at Indiana University. As we advance the Never Daunted campaign and IUAA’s digital-forward strategy, we’re looking for a Senior Manager, Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) who can help us build what comes next. Today, our Marketing Cloud work is primarily email; our future includes text messaging, more sophisticated digital journeys, greater personalization, and increased volume and functionality. This leader will help create the strategy, capabilities, and partnerships to get us there.
• We need someone with deep SFMC expertise who is much more than a technologist. You’ll lead a team of three SFMC professionals and bring hands-on credibility across tools like Journey Builder, Automation Studio, Contact Builder, CloudPages, AMPscript, SQL, and integrations. But your greatest impact will come from being a phenomenal player-coach, collaborator, and change leader We need someone who can translate technical possibilities into organizational solutions, develop people, build trust across departments, and bring others along through change. Early on, you’ll be closer to the technical work; over time, your focus will increasingly shift toward leadership, strategy, and organizational enablement.
• A major part of this opportunity is reimagining how the work gets done. You’ll partner across Annual Giving, Donor Relations, Alumni Engagement, Marketing, IT, data teams, and other areas to improve processes, clarify ownership, and create more scalable ways of working. Sometimes that means solving a complex SFMC challenge; other times it means pushing back on a request, moving work to the team that should own it, or giving colleagues the tools and knowledge to get started themselves. We’re looking for a leader who doesn’t measure success by how much work their team absorbs, but by how much stronger and more capable the organization becomes.
• If you’re an experienced Salesforce Marketing Cloud leader who loves the technology and the people, strategy, and transformation around it, this is a chance to make a significant impact. You’ll help expand IU’s digital capabilities, develop a talented team, improve how teams work together, and influence how we engage alumni and donors at a pivotal moment for Indiana University. If you want to do more than manage a platform and instead help build the next generation of digital engagement at IU, we’d love to hear from you.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of three SFMC professionals and bring hands-on credibility across tools like Journey Builder, Automation Studio, Contact Builder, CloudPages, AMPscript, SQL, and integrations.
• Partner across Annual Giving, Donor Relations, Alumni Engagement, Marketing, IT, data teams, and other areas to improve processes, clarify ownership, and create more scalable ways of working.
• Manage subscriber preference center.
• Ensure compliance with email regulations (CAN-SPAM, GDPR, etc.).
• Partner with cross-functional teams to deliver scalable solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and develop a team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
• Exceptional organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Experience leading cross-functional projects and collaborating with diverse stakeholders.
• Strategic thinker with a hands-on approach to execution.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to lead a team and collaborate across departments.
• Passion for leveraging technology to enhance engagement and drive fundraising results.
• Ability to balance technical expertise, marketing strategy, and leadership responsibilities effectively.
• Adaptability in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment with evolving needs.

Requirements

• Expertise in Salesforce Marketing Cloud, including Email Studio, Journey Builder, Automation Studio, Contact Builder, CloudPages, and AMPscript; experience with SSJS and SFMC REST/SOAP APIs a plus.
• Current Salesforce Marketing Cloud Engagement certifications (Engagement Specialist, Administrator, Consultant, or Developer) preferred.
• Familiarity with Salesforce AI capabilities, including Einstein features and Agentforce, and their application to marketing automation.
• Strong knowledge of HTML/CSS for responsive email design.
• Proficiency in SQL for audience segmentation, reporting, and data extraction.
• Familiarity with API integrations between SFMC and CRM platforms (Salesforce, Blackbaud, etc.).
• Manage subscriber preference center.
• Ensure compliance with email regulations (CAN-SPAM, GDPR, etc.).
• Partner with cross-functional teams to deliver scalable solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and develop a team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
• Exceptional organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Experience leading cross-functional projects and collaborating with diverse stakeholders.
• Strategic thinker with a hands-on approach to execution.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to lead a team and collaborate across departments.
• Passion for leveraging technology to enhance engagement and drive fundraising results.
• Ability to balance technical expertise, marketing strategy, and leadership responsibilities effectively.
• Adaptability in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment with evolving needs.
• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of experience in email marketing, including at least 5 years of hands-on experience with Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
• Proven leadership experience managing a technical marketing or marketing operations team.
• Experience working in higher education, nonprofit fundraising, or alumni/donor engagement marketing is highly preferred.
• Strong communication, interpersonal and organizational skills, both oral and written.
• Excellent customer service and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to effectively work with diverse constituencies in a large, fast-paced professional work environment.
• Experience creating and managing data-driven email marketing strategies that deliver measurable results.
• Ability to troubleshoot complex issues across SFMC, including journeys, automations, data, and integrations, and provide technical guidance to the team when needed.
• Experience with MobileConnect, MobilePush, SMS campaign management, and opt-in/opt-out processes.
• Ability to analyze campaign data, identify trends, and recommend actionable improvements.
• Strong understanding of A/B testing methodologies and email optimization techniques.

Skills

Required

• Strategic thinking
• Problem-solving skills
• Adaptability