Executive Director, Growth Marketing at Instructional Empowerment

Job description

Instructional Empowerment is the leader in research-validated school improvement products and services, partnering with K-12 districts and schools nationwide to drive measurable gains in instructional rigor, leadership effectiveness and student outcomes. Our tools and services, including rigor walks, needs assessments, teacher evaluation and compliance solutions, and school turnaround frameworks, are trusted by superintendents, chiefs of schools, and principals across the country. We are seeking an Executive Director to lead the strategy, execution, and continuous improvement of our product marketing, digital marketing, and demand generation efforts, while ensuring our sales team has the tools, assets, and support needed to succeed. This is a remote leadership role, primarily a growth and product/digital marketing function, with meaningful crossover into sales enablement and initially some corporate marketing responsibility. Candidates must have significant K-12 industry marketing experience This is a senior level leadership role, ideal for someone who leads with a clear strategic vision and builds strong, capable teams, while staying genuinely close to the work and is willing and able to dig in personally to clear roadblocks or add capacity when the team needs it. What You'll Own Product & Digital Marketing Strategy • Own the strategy, roadmap, and execution for product marketing across our product and service lines • Develop positioning and messaging that resonates with core K-12 buyer personas which include superintendents, chiefs of administration, chiefs of schools, and principals and teachers. • Lead digital marketing strategy, including social media, web, content, email, paid, and marketing automation programs that build quality pipeline that drives new sales. • Own our SEO, AEO (answer engine optimization), and GEO (generative engine optimization) strategy, ensuring our content and digital presence perform across traditional search, AI-driven answer engines, and generative search platforms Campaign Development & Lead Quality • Design and oversee multi-channel campaign strategy from concept through execution that get to the right buyers and have measurable impact generating quality engagement that allows sales to engage and convert. • Establish the Buyer Journey for each business unit, defining the entry points where buyers first engage with us and the clear next steps that move them forward once they are in the journey. • Own and lead demand generation activities that build awareness with the right buyers, create interest in our products and services and fill the pipeline with quality leads for sales. • Build, manage and improve current systems for tracking lead volume, lead quality, and conversion through the funnel • Partner closely with sales to continuously improve the fit and readiness of leads passed to the sales team, using data to refine targeting and messaging Sales Enablement & Support • Partner with the sales team ensuring they have the tools, content, and assets needed to succeed, and that they know how to leverage those resources effectively to drive sales outcomes • Focus on equipping and supporting an experienced sales team through lead generation strategies and campaigns that compliment their organic sales "hunting" work • Serve as a connective layer between marketing output and sales execution, ensuring alignment on lead handoff, follow-up cadence, and feedback loops Cross-Functional Product Partnership • Work closely with the Product organization as they develop and grow their own team and roadmap, ensuring marketing and product strategy stay tightly aligned from early development through go-to-market • Serve as a key marketing voice in product planning, bringing buyer and market insight into product decisions Team Leadership & Development • Lead, develop, and grow a team of marketing professionals • Set clear strategic direction while remaining hands-on and actively engaging in the details, solving problems alongside the team, and stepping in directly when needed • Build a culture of accountability, curiosity, and continuous improvement Corporate Marketing (Supporting Scope) • Support broader corporate marketing/brand efforts as needed (company narrative, thought leadership, industry visibility) What You Bring- Experience • 10+ years of experience in growth-oriented marketing, sales/sales support, product marketing, or demand generation roles, with progressive leadership responsibility • At least 10 years of experience selling into and/or marketing to K-12 school districts, with direct experience engaging superintendents, chiefs of administration, chiefs of schools, principals, and other district-level decision-makers • Deep familiarity with the K-12 school improvement and turnaround space, including concepts such as rigor walks, needs assessments, teacher evaluation, and compliance frameworks • Demonstrated experience with SEO, AEO, and GEO strategy, with a strong understanding of how buyers discover and engage with content across search and AI-driven platforms • Demonstrated success building messaging and positioning that resonates with education sector buyers leading to sales • Proven experience managing lead tracking, attribution, and quality measurement across marketing and sales systems • Proven experience building Buyer Journeys across multiple business units or product lines, including defining entry points and the next steps that guide buyers toward a sale • Proven experience planning and running demand generation programs that build quality pipeline and lead to new sales • People leadership experience, with a track record of developing high-performing teams Skills & Attributes • Strategic thinker who is equally comfortable setting direction and executing hands-on with the team • A strong data orientation that is comfortable owning funnel metrics and using them to drive decisions • Excellent written and verbal communicator, able to translate educational products and concepts into buyer-relevant messaging • Collaborative operator who can work cross-functionally with sales, product, and executive leadership Reporting & Location This role reports to the Chief Operating Officer. Instructional Empowerment has offices in Blairsville, PA and West Palm Beach, FL. Remote is acceptable within the Eastern and Central time zone areas. Periodic travel (25%) to either the PA or FL offices and other customer or company travel will be required. Compensation & Benefits Instructional Empowerment offers a competitive executive compensation package including: • Competitive base salary • Performance-based incentive opportunity • Comprehensive health benefits • Paid time off • Retirement benefits • Professional Development • The Opportunity to help shape the future of a nationally recognized education company.

Requirements

Must-haves

What You'll Own
Product & Digital Marketing Strategy • Own the strategy, roadmap, and execution for product marketing across our product and service lines
Develop positioning and messaging that resonates with core K-12 buyer personas which include superintendents, chiefs of administration, chiefs of schools, and principals and teachers.
Lead digital marketing strategy, including social media, web, content, email, paid, and marketing automation programs that build quality pipeline that drives new sales.
Establish the Buyer Journey for each business unit, defining the entry points where buyers first engage with us and the clear next steps that move them forward once they are in the journey.
Own and lead demand generation activities that build awareness with the right buyers, create interest in our products and services and fill the pipeline with quality leads for sales.
Build, manage and improve current systems for tracking lead volume, lead quality, and conversion through the funnel
Partner closely with sales to continuously improve the fit and readiness of leads passed to the sales team, using data to refine targeting and messaging
Sales Enablement & Support • Partner with the sales team ensuring they have the tools, content, and assets needed to succeed, and that they know how to leverage those resources effectively to drive sales outcomes
Focus on equipping and supporting an experienced sales team through lead generation strategies and campaigns that compliment their organic sales "hunting" work
Serve as a connective layer between marketing output and sales execution, ensuring alignment on lead handoff, follow-up cadence, and feedback loops
Serve as a key marketing voice in product planning, bringing buyer and market insight into product decisions
Team Leadership & Development • Lead, develop, and grow a team of marketing professionals
Set clear strategic direction while remaining hands-on and actively engaging in the details, solving problems alongside the team, and stepping in directly when needed
Build a culture of accountability, curiosity, and continuous improvement
Corporate Marketing (Supporting Scope) • Support broader corporate marketing/brand efforts as needed (company narrative, thought leadership, industry visibility)
What You Bring- Experience • 10+ years of experience in growth-oriented marketing, sales/sales support, product marketing, or demand generation roles, with progressive leadership responsibility
Deep familiarity with the K-12 school improvement and turnaround space, including concepts such as rigor walks, needs assessments, teacher evaluation, and compliance frameworks
Demonstrated experience with SEO, AEO, and GEO strategy, with a strong understanding of how buyers discover and engage with content across search and AI-driven platforms
Demonstrated success building messaging and positioning that resonates with education sector buyers leading to sales
Proven experience managing lead tracking, attribution, and quality measurement across marketing and sales systems
Proven experience building Buyer Journeys across multiple business units or product lines, including defining entry points and the next steps that guide buyers toward a sale
Proven experience planning and running demand generation programs that build quality pipeline and lead to new sales
People leadership experience, with a track record of developing high-performing teams

Nice-to-haves

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Benefits

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Vision

Paid Time Off

Professional Development