Director, Marketing Financial Performance – Optimization

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

📋 Description

• Direct the new Marketing Financial Performance & Optimization team.

• Report directly to the CGMO with a dotted line to the VP Finance, APUS.

• Manage the marketing budget from its planning and forecasting stages through to tracking and reporting.

• Enhance the return on marketing investments across Health+, Military+, and B2B sectors.

• Oversee the annual marketing budgeting process and quarterly reforecasts in collaboration with Finance by division, channel, team, and vendor.

• Monitor monthly actuals against budget, identify variances, and suggest corrective measures to the CMO.

• Take ownership of reconciled marketing financial reporting for leadership.

• Establish budget guardrails and approval thresholds.

• Define the growth unit economics, including cost per lead, cost per start, LTV, and payback periods.

• Translate ROI and marginal-return insights into budget adjustments.

• Develop business cases for new channels, programs, tools, and headcount while tracking returns.

• Conduct zero-based assessments of non-working expenditures.

• Oversee vendor and consultant management, including sourcing, negotiation, contracts, SOWs, and performance evaluations.

• Lead decisions on insourcing versus outsourcing and streamline agencies when appropriate.

• Ensure adherence to procurement, legal, and financial policies.

• Collaborate with FP&A, Enrollment, Operations, and Academic leadership to align marketing expenditures with start and revenue objectives.

• Foster financial acumen within the marketing team and mentor leaders.

• Supervise the Vendor & Consultant Management Lead and marketing finance analysts.

• Execute additional duties as assigned.

⛳️ Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in FP&A, marketing finance, or commercial finance.

• 5+ years of collaboration with marketing leaders.

• Extensive knowledge in budgeting, forecasting, and marketing investment economics (CAC, LTV, and ROI).

• Demonstrated success in negotiating agency, media, and technology contracts.

• Proficient in advanced Excel and financial modeling techniques.

• Experience with ERP and BI tools (e.g., Tableau) is advantageous.

• Background in higher education or subscription services is a plus.

• CPA, CFA, or MBA preferred (not mandatory).

• Owner mentality; treats every dollar as if it were their own.

• Constructive challenger; asks "why" before incurring expenses.

• Acts as a partner, not a police officer; fosters growth with discipline.

• Data-driven approach, not exclusively data-focused; balances ROI with brand considerations.

• Quick decision-maker; opts for speed with rigor, making choices in days rather than quarters.

🏝️ Benefits

• Equal opportunity employment policy.

• Additional compensation and benefits details are available upon request for eligible residents of states with specific pay transparency mandates.