Director, Brand Strategy

Purpose:  Develop, innovate and implement Nelnet masterbrand strategy and plans across the company.  Creating a consistent brand message and delivery will lead to delivery of key elements of Nelnets strategic plan.

. Background Information on Nelnet:

Company and products:  Nelnet is a diversified education services company with products/services for the consumer market as well as high school administrators and post-secondary institutions. 

For consumers, Nelnet offers college planning and financing services that span over various life stages.  For pre-college students and families Nelnet offers college savings plans, tuition payment plans for private high schools, and college planning services through its college planning center.  This includes affordability matching, college matching and career matching services to help guide a student?s college selection.  For students and families entering into college, Nelnet offers a range of education financing services including Federal loans, private loans, and tuition payment plans.  Post-college, Nelnet offers consolidation loans, career counseling, and placement services.

For the post-secondary education market, Nelnet provides campus solutions for universities through a national sales force that calls on schools and offers services to the various campus administration offices.  For the financial aid office, Nelnet provides federal and private loans, life-of-loan servicing, call center outsourcing and guarantee services. For the business office, Nelnet provides electronic billing, payment processing, tuition management, and campus commerce software solutions.  For the enrollment management office, Nelnet provides enrollment management software, recruitment and retention assistance, call center outsourcing, and student marketing data to identify prospective students.

Business:  Headquartered in Lincoln, NE Nelnet has grown from a small student loan provider into the second largest education service company with Sallie Mae being the dominant industry #1.  Much of this growth has been through acquisition of companies that have taken the company toward its vision of becoming a fully integrated education services company with products designed to meet the needs of the education-seeking family and student through their entire lifecycle.  The companies that have been acquired still function independently.  These must be skillfully integrated into Nelnet while retaining and capitalizing on their strong equity in the school market.  Nelnet is interested in pulling together all of these services under the Nelnet master-brand in the near future and creating a seamless user experience and compelling lifecycle-based CRM.  Key channels will include college campus financial aid office, high school guidance counseling offices,  direct mail, and the web.

Marketing:  Nelnet is experiencing a transformation which makes the creation of a new Marketing and Brand Development department essential. Nelnet has clearly identified a strategy shift to become the expert in the education seeking family and to use this information to develop compelling communications, new products and services and a consumer brand identity to meet their needs throughout different life stages.  Significant investment in this effort is planned, and new skillsets and competencies are needed to take the company forward.  Marketing and Brand Development has been created with key leadership positions currently being filled.  This group directly reports to the CEO of the Education Services division and has a direct role in setting and fulfilling the company?s future growth strategy.

 

Essential Job Functions: 

? Lead the development and execution of Nelnet brand standards

o  Positioning

o  Creative Standards (in conjunction with internal agency creative team)

o  Messaging standards

o  Attributes

? Refine and implement the Nelnet masterbrand architecture

? Work with internal groups to implement brand standards.  Audit existing businesses, create recommendations, work collaboratively to understand business implications.  Create plans for migrations when needed.  Tee up a learning agenda for research findings when necessary and work with Consumer Insights to generate consumer/customer data to impact plans.

? Manage key agency relationships and budget

? Provide oversight from a brand perspective on the development and implementation of the new www.Nelnet.com website, specifically in the development of the user experience and overall look and feel

? Serve as key point person for acquisition due diligence brand evaluations.  Participate in the due diligence process, develop/implement plans for primary or secondary consumer research to aid in decision making. 

? Manage the transition of new acquisitions into Nelnet.  Create brand migration plans for new acquisitions.

? Direct the development of integrated corporate marketing plans for Nelnet across the campus, consumer and guidance counselor audiences to leverage current investments and add new programs to deliver brand and business goals.

? Manage 2-3 direct reports (Manager of integrated marketing planning and Manager of brand strategy)

 

Required ExperienceUndergraduate degree with a total of 10+ years of work experience with a minimum of 6 years of experience in marketing  Proven successful deliverables in brand architecture, positioning, messaging, and marketing plansExperience managing small team of direct reportsExposure to  / responsibility for website development

 

 

Desired Experience:MBA and work experience at a leading brand company desired6+ years of brand/consumer marketing for product and/or services companyKnowledge of financial services, education services and/or youth marketing

 

Skills: 

? Mastry of brand marketing fundamentals

? Strong strategic and analytical skills.  Ability to create strategies and recommendations for individual businesses and services based on the needs of the business and corporate brand standards.

? Ability to collaborate with a wide variety of individuals and teams to influence strategic direction and executional implementation

? Excellent verbal and written communication skills

? Team player, relationship builder

? Ability to effectively creative and strategy agencies including deliverables and budget

? Knowledge of the web and best practices

 

Physical and Environmental Factors:  DC Office location preferred though other locations are possible.  Job requires significant travel.

 

Please apply online at www.nelnet.net