Affiliate Media Manager

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Manage the daily operations of the affiliate channel and oversee budget distribution across the vendor portfolio, which includes executing campaigns, monitoring pacing, optimizing performance, and resolving issues to meet spend targets and performance objectives.

• Lead the external agency partner providing additional affiliate support, determining scope and priorities, aligning on standard operating procedures and quality assurance standards, ensuring accountability for performance expectations, and adjusting the engagement level as channel requirements and internal resources fluctuate.

• Oversee and expand the affiliate vendor portfolio, which involves monitoring performance, resolving issues, maintaining ongoing communication with current partners, and sourcing, reaching out to, and testing new vendors to fill coverage gaps.

• Spearhead the modernization of affiliate contracts in collaboration with Procurement and Legal teams.

• Assist in campaign planning and readiness for launch by coordinating efforts across creative, tracking, data, and analytics departments prior to activation.

• Implement quality assurance processes to avert tracking issues, billing discrepancies, and data integrity concerns across affiliate programs.

• Aid in managing monthly and quarterly budget pacing, accruals, and billing reconciliation in conjunction with the budget manager and Finance team.

• Generate affiliate reporting outputs and convert channel performance data into clear insights for internal stakeholders and partner-facing reviews.

• Own the affiliate channel roadmap and testing agenda, identifying and cultivating opportunities for AI and automation to enhance workflow and reporting, while translating hypotheses, findings, and recommendations into prioritized improvements for the channel.

• Oversee the transition from agency-led to in-house affiliate management by managing knowledge transfer, documentation, and process continuity.

⛳️ Requirements

• A bachelor's degree is required.

• Over 5 years of experience in managing affiliate or performance media campaigns in a hands-on operational role.

• Strong knowledge of affiliate marketing models, including cost-per-lead (CPL), cost-per-click (CPC), and fee-for-service structures.

• Proven ability to manage and direct agency and vendor partners, defining scope and priorities while ensuring accountability for performance.

• Experience with campaign trafficking, tracking, quality assurance, and performance optimization across various programs.

• Practical experience with Salesforce or a similar CRM for lead management and reporting is highly desirable.

• Background in higher education or lead-based performance marketing environments is advantageous.

• Experience in sourcing and onboarding new media partners, as well as supporting vendor contract or procurement processes, is a plus.

• Familiarity with budget processes, including pacing, accruals, and billing reconciliation with Finance partners is beneficial.

• Exposure to testing, process improvements, or automation within paid media or affiliate programs is a plus.

• Comfort in utilizing AI tools such as Claude or ChatGPT to enhance workflows is advantageous; curiosity in this area is valued more than extensive prior experience.

🏝️ Benefits

• Opportunities for professional development

• Compensation for certifications

• Options for remote work