Director, Marketing Communications Operations

About the roleWe're looking for a Director, Marketing Communications Operations to build the systems, processes, and infrastructure that power Core's marketing and communications engine. This is a high-impact, cross-functional role for someone who thrives on turning complexity into clarity — designing scalable workflows, managing significant contractor budgets, and giving marketing leadership the visibility they need to make smart, fast decisions.You'll own the operational backbone behind our marketing initiatives: from budget lifecycle management and vendor relationships to KPI dashboards and process governance. If you're energized by building infrastructure that lets creative and strategic teams do their best work — and you want to see your impact reflected directly in campaign performance, enrollment growth, and organizational efficiency — this role is for you.What you'll doOwn marketing operations end-to-end: Drive operational planning, process design, and workflow optimization across all marketing and communications initiatives.Manage the contractor budget lifecycle: Lead forecasting, vendor selection, contract negotiation, project scoping, invoicing, and financial tracking for 1099 contractors.Build project management infrastructure: Establish frameworks, timelines, and accountability structures that keep cross-functional marketing campaigns on track and on time.Deliver visibility through data: Develop KPI dashboards, attribution methodology, funnel reporting, and measurement standards that inform strategic decisions at the leadership level.Manage the MarTech stack: Evaluate, procure, license, and optimize marketing technology platforms and strategic vendors.Drive continuous improvement: Identify bottlenecks, propose solutions, and implement process enhancements that increase speed-to-market and campaign quality.Set governance standards: Establish SOPs, QA/UAT processes, intake workflows, and knowledge management practices across the marketing function.Partner with leadership: Serve as a strategic thought partner on resource planning, capacity management, and operational trade-offs.Qualifications8-10+ years of progressive experience in marketing operations, project management, or a related fieldA proven track record managing marketing budgets of $500K+ with strong fiscal disciplineExtensive experience managing external contractors, agencies, and vendor relationshipsAdvanced project management skills, with hands-on proficiency in tools like Asana, Monday.com, Trello, Jira, or ConfluenceStrong financial acumen — budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, and P&L oversightComfort with marketing analytics and reporting tools (Google Analytics, Tableau, Excel, Power BI)Experience in fast-paced, high-growth environments — EdTech, SaaS, or higher education strongly preferredA collaborative leadership style that builds trust and drives alignment without formal direct reportsBachelor's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Communications, Operations Management, or related field (MBA or Master's preferred)PMP certification preferred; MarTech or marketing operations certifications a plus