Senior Director of Customer Engagement and Marketing Automation

When you join Sallie Mae, you become a champion for all students. We’re on a mission to power confidence as students begin their unique journey. To help them plan their higher education, successfully finish, and prepare for life after school. To help them Start smart. Learn big. Students need guidance navigating this important time in their life. They need someone who acknowledges that their education path is unique. They need a partner willing to evolve and not only meet but surpass their expectations. We’re changing. Because students need a better way. We’re looking for people who are excited to drive this transformation. To break barriers and think of new ways to adapt, help, and create better experiences for students—and for each other. This is where diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and perspectives matter. It’s where you’re empowered to bring your authentic self to work. Feeling your best allows you to do your best. Our benefits take care of the whole you—from physical and mental to financial and professional. You’ll get opportunities to further your education and career, support for you and your family (including your pets!), paid time off to volunteer for the things that matter to you, and more. We’re obsessed with impact and making a real difference. For us, that means putting relationships first, asking “why not?” when tackling challenges, and continuously learning new skills. Come do more than join something, change something. For students, for future generations, for the future of education. What You’ll Contribute The Senior Director of Customer Engagement and Marketing Automation will spearhead the strategy and execution of all automated, data-driven marketing and engagement programs across the customer lifecycle. This role can be located in our Newark, DE office, our Newton, MA office, our New York, NY office or our Sterling, VA office. Our Sterling office has a planned move to Arlington, VA in Fall 2026. What You’ll Do Develop and execute a comprehensive, long-term customer engagement and marketing automation strategy that aligns with business objectives and key financial services regulations. Champion a customer-centric mindset and data-driven culture throughout the marketing organization. Map, analyze, and optimize the customer journey across all touchpoints, from onboarding to retention and cross-sell opportunities. Utilize customer feedback and data to identify and resolve pain points in the customer experience. Oversee the deployment of feedback loops and voice-of-customer (VoC) programs to gather insights and drive data-informed decisions. Serve as the expert on the marketing automation technology stack, overseeing platform integrations, data governance, and overall system health. Ensure the integration between marketing automation systems and other platforms (e.g., CRM) for seamless data flow and reporting. Manage and optimize the end-to-end customer journey, from initial lead nurturing to retention and cross-sell initiatives. Oversee the maintenance and enhancement of audience segmentation and personalization frameworks for targeted and relevant communications. Direct the development, execution, and optimization of automated lifecycle campaigns, transactional messaging, and multi-channel engagement programs. Collaborate with analytics and data science teams to measure the impact of marketing automation on customer acquisition, lifetime value, and revenue. Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of all automated marketing programs. What You Have 10+ years of experience in marketing automation or similar with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role. Deep understanding of digital technologies, platforms, and trends, including but not limited to CRM, analytics, and e-commerce. Deep expertise with a major marketing automation platform such as Zeta Marketing Platform, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, or HubSpot. Strong understanding of data integrations, data relationships, and email operations. Excellent leadership skills with a track record of building and managing high-performing teams. Demonstrated experience in driving transformation initiatives and managing large-scale data projects. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate data into actionable insights. Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate complex digital concepts to non-technical stakeholders. Preferred Bachelor's degree in business administration, marketing, information technology, or a related field. A master's degree is preferred. 10+ years of experience in a senior leadership role overseeing strategy and delivery, preferably within a complex organization. The Americans With Disabilities Act The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) prohibits discrimination by employers, in compensation and employment opportunities, against qualified individuals with disabilities who, with or without reasonable accommodation, can perform the “essential functions” of a job. A function may be essential for any of several reasons, including: the job exists to perform that function, the employee holding the job was hired for his/her expertise in performing the function, or only a limited number of employees are available to perform that function. Reasonable accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities in all phases of the application and employment process. To request an accommodation please call View phone number on click.appcast.io and choose option 9. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations. Feeling Your Best Helps You Do Your Best Competitive base salaries Bonus incentives Generous PTO, Floating Holidays and 12 Federal Holidays observed Support for financial-well-being and retirement 401k with employer match Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, hospital indemnity, critical illness, pet insurance and more Employer paid short-term/long-term disability and basic life insurance Flexible hybrid working arrangements. Paid parental leave and adoption reimbursement programs Free access to on-site staffed fitness centers (in Delaware) and gym subsidy (for locations outside Delaware) Confidential counseling support (EAP), Health Advocacy services and Wellness program with financial incentives Tuition Reimbursement and Family Scholarship Programs Career development and training opportunities Sallie Mae is proud to be an equal opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, genetic information, gender identity, disability, Veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Click here to view the U.S. Pay Transparency Policy, here for federal job applicant notices, and here to view the California Employee Privacy Notice. #J-18808-Ljbffr Sallie Mae