Associate Creative Director Jobs in Raleigh, NC (NOW HIRING)

We're seeking an Associate Director of Email & SMS Marketing to help lead one of our agency's most impactful service lines. As a performance marketing agency, we believe every marketing initiative should contribute to measurable business outcomes, and Email & SMS play a critical role in helping our clients maximize lead value, increase customer retention and drive revenue growth. In this role, you'll shape lifecycle marketing strategy and oversee the performance of Email and SMS programs across a diverse portfolio of clients. You'll be responsible for helping brands turn customer engagement into business growth through smarter journeys, stronger retention strategies and high-performing lifecycle campaigns.

Our ideal candidate is equal parts strategist, operator and leader. You know how to turn business objectives into scalable customer experiences that drive revenue. You're comfortable moving from executive-level strategy conversations to campaign analysis and optimization, while also mentoring team members and elevating the quality of work across the department. You thrive in an agency environment, embrace accountability and are energized by the opportunity to build, improve and scale programs that deliver meaningful results for clients.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Email & SMS Strategy Leadership

• Own the strategic vision and direction of Email and SMS marketing programs across the agency's client portfolio
• Develop and oversee sophisticated lifecycle marketing strategies that drive customer acquisition, engagement, retention, loyalty, and revenue growth
• Design and optimize full-funnel customer journey frameworks, ensuring seamless communication across every stage of the customer lifecycle
• Lead audience segmentation, personalization, automation, and behavioral targeting initiatives to maximize customer value and campaign performance
• Identify opportunities to expand channel effectiveness through advanced automation, predictive targeting, dynamic content, and emerging platform capabilities
• Establish channel-specific KPIs, measurement frameworks, and reporting standards that align with client business objectives and revenue goals
• Partner with clients and internal stakeholders to translate business priorities into scalable lifecycle marketing strategies and execution roadmaps
• Drive testing and optimization programs across messaging, creative, cadence, offers, segmentation, and customer journeys to continuously improve performance
• Evaluate new technologies, platform enhancements, and industry trends to ensure clients remain at the forefront of Email and SMS marketing innovation
• Serve as the agency's subject matter expert for Email and SMS marketing strategy, providing thought leadership, best practices, and strategic guidance across teams and client engagements
• Collaborate with channel leaders across Paid Media, Creative, CRO, Analytics, and Account Management to create integrated marketing strategies that improve overall campaign performance
• Develop scalable frameworks, processes, and playbooks that improve consistency, efficiency, and performance across the agency's Email and SMS service offerings

Performance & Optimization

• Monitor campaign, automation, and lifecycle performance across client portfolios
• Analyze customer behavior, segmentation, engagement, and conversion trends
• Develop testing roadmaps focused on subject lines, creative, offers, messaging, and customer journeys
• Identify opportunities to improve deliverability, engagement, retention, and revenue performance
• Leverage data to inform strategic recommendations and drive continuous improvement
  

Operational Excellence

• Oversee campaign workflows, project timelines, and resource allocation
• Ensure campaigns and automations are delivered on schedule and aligned with client goals
• Maintain documentation, processes, reporting frameworks, and strategic playbooks
• Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency and scalability
• Collaborate cross-functionally with paid media, creative, web, analytics, and account management teams

REQUIREMENTS

• 7+ years of experience in email marketing, SMS marketing, lifecycle marketing, CRM marketing, or a related field
• 3+ years of experience leading teams or managing direct reports
• Strong experience with marketing automation and CRM platforms such as Klaviyo, HubSpot, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Iterable, Braze, or similar platforms
• Deep understanding of customer lifecycle marketing, segmentation, personalization, and automation strategies
• Experience developing and executing email and SMS campaigns that drive measurable business outcomes
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret performance data and translate insights into action
• Experience managing client relationships in an agency, consulting, or client-facing environment
  
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication skills
• Strong organizational, project management, and prioritization abilities
• Highly collaborative with a commitment to quality, accountability, and continuous improvement