Director of Marketing

Rockstar is recruiting for a mission-driven company dedicated to expanding equity in education by providing affordable student loans to high-achieving students. This client addresses financial constraints that hinder educational attainment, contributing to the annual dropout of four million college students. Founded to help solve this issue, the company offers non-cosigned loans based on academic performance rather than credit scores. They believe that hard work, good grades, and responsible borrowing are indicators of a student's ability to graduate and achieve success. In this role, the selected candidate will help grow the mission and the business, increasing access to education.

About the Company

The company's mission is to expand equity in education by providing affordable student loans to high-achieving students. Financial constraints are a significant blocker to educational attainment, contributing to the annual dropout of four million college students. Founded to help solve this issue, the company provides non-cosigned loans based on academic performance rather than credit scores. They believe that hard work, good grades, and responsible borrowing are all indicators of a student's ability to graduate and achieve success - in this role, the candidate will help the company grow the mission and the business and increase access to education!

Overview

The company is looking for a creative, analytical, intelligent, and fun marketing leader to drive growth and brand awareness. The ideal candidate is both an innovator and an executor, with a strong background in direct-to-consumer lending and experience scaling marketing efforts across multiple channels. Reporting to the COO, the ideal candidate will have hands-on experience managing and optimizing SEM/SEO, email marketing, referral partnerships, social media, and school-based sales, with a deep understanding of the analytics that power these channels. Beyond strategy, the candidate will be actively involved in execution—designing compelling collateral, developing pitch decks, managing website updates, and crafting campaigns that amplify the brand. The candidate will bring structure and discipline to the marketing function while embracing the fast-paced, adaptable nature of a startup.

Key Responsibilities

Customer Acquisition & Growth

- Leverage data-driven marketing techniques to optimize funnel conversion rates and manage customer acquisition costs (CAC).

- Partner with the School Sales team to develop targeted marketing outreach efforts (email campaigns, industry conferences, university advisory group initiatives, etc.) to expand the school channel.

- Develop and manage referral partnerships (e.g., NerdWallet, Credible, LendEDU) to grow the affiliate channel, maximizing lead quality and conversion rates.

Marketing Strategy & Execution

- Create and implement a comprehensive marketing strategy to grow loan originations and enhance brand positioning in the student lending market.

- Oversee multi-channel marketing campaigns (digital, social media, paid search, email, partnerships, and school channels) to drive customer acquisition and engagement.

Brand & Market Research

- Maintain and evolve the brand presence, ensuring consistency across all touchpoints (company website, conference materials, print collateral, etc.) and identify opportunities for growing brand awareness in the student lending market.

- Research and analyze industry trends, competitor activities, and customer preferences to inform marketing strategies and product positioning.

- Support the Founder/CEO with the capital raise process and investor relations.

Analytics & Performance Management

- Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and analyze marketing data to assess campaign effectiveness and make data-driven enhancements.

- Partner with the Data & Analytics team to assess channel performance/quality and collaborate with marketing partners to share insights and generate ideas for improvement.

Qualifications & Experience

- 7+ years of experience in direct-to-consumer marketing, preferably in fintech, consumer lending, or financial services.

- Strong basis in growth first principles like conversion rate optimization, usability testing, funnel optimization, etc.

- Sound analytical mindset with expertise in marketing analytics, A/B testing, and data interpretation.

- Thorough understanding of consumer lending products, customer journeys, and regulatory considerations in financial marketing.

- In-depth growth expertise across most topics within paid search, SEO, and retention engineering.

- Proven track record of executing successful performance marketing and customer acquisition strategies.

Preferred Qualifications

- Skilled in graphic/UX design/storytelling

- Background in higher education/student lending marketing

- Familiarity with AI-driven marketing tools and customer segmentation models

- Experience working remotely with fintech startups

What Is Offered

- Health, dental, and vision coverage

- Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

- 401k participation

- Access to counseling, therapy, and other Employee Assistance Programs

- Generous PTO policy

- Holidays: 15 Paid company-recognized holidays

- Work-from-home environment

- Every year, one paid day for professional development and one to give back through volunteering