Overview
The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA) is seeking a strategic, results-driven Marketing Manager to partner with fundraising and stewardship teams to identify, prioritize, and execute high-impact marketing initiatives. The ideal candidate brings experience in account-based marketing, lead generation and nurturing, stakeholder-centered communications, and developing donor cultivation materials, along with the ability to turn complex fundraising opportunities into focused, compelling strategies. Working alongside dedicated communications strategists and creative professionals, this role will guide audience strategy, messaging, and campaign execution to deepen donor engagement and inspire philanthropic support.
The Marketing Manager develops and executes integrated marketing strategies and initiatives that advance organizational priorities, increase constituent engagement and philanthropy, and strengthen WFAA and UW–Madison. Provides strategic guidance to partners and stakeholders, translates business objectives into actionable marketing plans, and oversees complex, high-profile projects. Ensures alignment with organizational goals through effective project management, performance measurement, and continuous optimization. This is a hybrid position that will require you to work weekly in our Madison, WI office location.
Who is WFAA?
The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association is a private, nonprofit corporation that encourages individuals and organizations to make gifts to the university and to connect with the UW. In 2014, the UW Foundation merged with the Wisconsin Alumni Association® to better serve a growing population of UW alumni and donors. We believe that private support grows out of good relationships between campus leaders, faculty and program staff who need support, and the alumni and friends who want to invest in UW–Madison. We provide important engagement opportunities to link UW–Madison alumni to each other and to their alma mater, building a strong community of Badgers.
Diversity and Inclusion:
Just as the university community benefits from differing viewpoints, perspectives, and experiences, inclusion and diversity are imperative for the success of our mission. WFAA values people and the differences that they bring to the organization, and creates an environment in which all staff members and constituents feel respected and have opportunities to thrive.
Essential Functions
Provides strategic leadership for integrated marketing strategies and campaigns that advance organizational priorities.
- Drives strategic problem-solving by identifying opportunities, anticipating business needs, and guiding solutions from concept through execution.
- Creates comprehensive marketing plans and leads multi-channel campaigns, providing strategic direction for messaging, creative execution, and constituent experiences.
- Develops and delivers recommendations, plans, and performance insights to leadership and key stakeholders to inform decision-making and future strategy.
- Shares expertise and supports marketing team members while fostering continuous improvement and knowledge sharing.
Manages cross-functional collaboration, project management, and stakeholder engagement.
- Leads cross-functional teams and stakeholder partnerships to deliver marketing initiatives that align with organizational priorities and business objectives.
- Develops and oversees marketing plans, project briefs, timelines, and workflows to ensure clear direction, accountability, and successful execution.
- Manages a high-volume portfolio of projects, balancing priorities and deadlines while maintaining quality and efficiency.
- Establishes and optimizes project management processes and tools to support effective collaboration, coordination, and consistent delivery of work.
- Proactively identifies risks, dependencies, and project challenges, applying problem-solving skills to implement solutions and minimize downstream impacts.
Uses data and performance insights to inform marketing strategy and optimization.
- Collects and analyzes qualitative and quantitative data from multiple sources into strategic business recommendations.
- Identifies audience behaviors and segment-level patterns to inform strategic decision-making.
- Establishes, monitors, and reports on key performance indicators to measure effectiveness and guide optimization efforts.
- Uses reporting, A/B testing, and journey analysis to develop recommendations that improve marketing performance.
- Coordinates the flow of data, insights, and reporting between internal teams and external partners.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
- 5+ years’ experience in Marketing or a related field.
- Superior communication and project management skills
- Knowledge of marketing best practices, brand value, and marketing strategies and tactics, including writing and developing marketing plans.
Other Qualifications:
- Experience with direct-response marketing.
- Project management software experience.
- CRM software experience; Salesforce preferred.
At WFAA, we are dedicated to creating an inspiring, creative, and respectful work environment for our employees. We offer competitive pay and an outstanding benefits program, including a generous 10% 401k contribution after just one year of service! Join us and be part of a team that values your growth and well-being. Click here to learn more about our employee benefits!
The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association is an Equal Opportunity Employer *The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association is the “doing business as” name of the merged organization comprising the University of Wisconsin Foundation (supportuw.org) and the Wisconsin Alumni Association (uwalumni.com). Its legal corporate name is registered as the University of Wisconsin Foundation.