Senior Brand Manager

Emeritus; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 6,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Emeritus in Bengaluru is seeking a Senior Manager – Brand to shape and scale brand strategy across eight partner universities in India. You will own portfolio-level positioning, narratives and integrated campaigns, working with GTM, Content, Social and Creative teams.

This hands-on role requires balancing global university identities with local relevance, leading end-to-end brand campaigns across digital, offline, influencer and events, and driving brand equity for the portfolio.

Qualifications

• 8–10 years of experience in brand marketing.
• Strong experience building or managing brands in a B2C environment.
• Experience developing brand positioning and narratives.
• Proven ability to manage integrated campaigns end-to-end.
• Experience across digital and offline channels.
• Experience with media planning and working with agencies.
• Experience in EdTech or education sectors is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own portfolio-level brand strategy for eight universities in India.
• Lead end-to-end integrated campaigns across digital, offline, and events.
• Collaborate with GTM, Content, Social, YouTube, CRM and Creative teams.
• Maintain brand guidelines and ensure consistency across universities.

Skills

Brand marketing

Integrated campaigns

Digital marketing

Offline marketing

Influencer marketing

Media planning

Brand positioning

Gen Z focus

EdTech experience

Job description

Emeritus is redefining global education by making high-quality learning accessible and affordable for individuals, companies, and governments. Through partnerships with over 80 world-class universities, Emeritus delivers industry relevant programs across formats— including short courses, degrees, and executive programs to more than 300,000 learners across 80+ countries.

Daskalos, a strategic initiative of Emeritus, pioneers’ transnational education in India by helping leading global universities establish joint campuses under the evolving Indian regulatory framework. With over 15 institutions in advanced discussions, Daskalos is shaping the next chapter in global higher education.

We are looking for a Senior Manager – Brand to help shape and scale brand strategy and narratives across a portfolio of 8 partner universities.

This is a high-ownership role at the intersection of brand strategy, integrated marketing, content, creative, media and consumer understanding.

You will work with the Head of Brand to define strategy and translate it into differentiated narratives and integrated campaigns, partnering with GTM, Content, Social, YouTube, Performance, CRM and Creative teams to execute across touchpoints.

The Role

You will own brand building for 8 partner universities in India, ensuring a strong portfolio-level strategy while maintaining clear differentiation across universities.

You will lead end-to-end integrated brand campaigns from insight to execution across content, creative, media, influencers, ATL/BTL and measurement.

This is a non-channel-specific role spanning digital, offline, content, social, YouTube, influencers, performance, CRM and events.

Key Responsibilities

1. Brand Strategy & Positioning

• Partner with Head of Brand to define portfolio-level brand strategy.
• Translate strategy into positioning, messaging and narratives for each university.
• Build differentiated brand identities based on audience, strengths, heritage and market context.
• Define communication frameworks and ensure consistency across channels.
• Balance global university identity with Indian market relevance.
• Ensure all campaigns align to long-term brand strategy.

2. Integrated Brand Campaigns

• Own end-to-end campaign development:
• Identify consumer and cultural insights.
• Develop strategic campaign briefs.
• Work with creative teams/agencies to build strong campaign ideas.
• Lead execution across digital, social, YouTube, influencers, ATL, BTL and events.
• Integrate with Performance Marketing and CRM.
• Align with GTM teams for market execution.
• Track performance and improve future campaigns.

3. Portfolio Brand Stewardship

• Act as custodian for 8 university brands.
• Ensure consistency in positioning, tone and communication.
• Maintain brand guidelines and campaign playbooks.
• Ensure clear differentiation across universities and competitors.
• Strengthen brand salience and consideration.
• Align GTM execution with central brand strategy.
• Review and improve briefs and campaign quality.

4. Content & Organic Brand Building

• Partner with Head of Content/Organic Growth.
• Define content role in brand building for each university.
• Build content territories, themes and narratives.
• Align Social and YouTube strategies to brand direction.
• Drive thought leadership, cultural relevance and brand affinity.
• Ensure content builds long‑term brand equity, not just performance output.

5. Influencer, UGC & Creator Marketing

• Own influencer and creator strategy across portfolio.
• Build relationships with creators across platforms.
• Translate brand narratives into creator‑led storytelling.
• Develop content formats with Content team.
• Evaluate partners on brand fit, credibility and impact (not just reach).
• Build repeatable creator programs.
• Work with campus ambassadors for UGC‑led growth.

6. Media Planning (Digital + Offline)

• Understand integration of digital and offline media for brand building.
• Work with media agencies and Performance teams on planning.
• Ensure media choices align with audience, objective and positioning.
• Evaluate media options and recommend optimal mix.
• Measure campaign effectiveness using brand and marketing metrics.

7. ATL, BTL & Experiential

• Design BTL and experiential activations (events, fairs, campus activations).
• Ensure activations reinforce brand narrative (not standalone).
• Adapt central campaigns for market execution with GTM teams.
• Manage agencies and vendors.
• Ensure quality and consistency across executions.
• Work closely with the Head of Creative and Agency partners to develop high‑quality brand communication.
• Translate strategic brand objectives into clear creative briefs.
• Provide strong strategic and brand input into creative development.
• Challenge creative work constructively while protecting the core brand idea.
• Oversee the development of campaign assets across:
• Ensure creative output is distinctive, culturally relevant and consistent with each university’s identity.

9. GTM, Outreach & Cross-Functional Collaboration

This is a central Brand team role and will work closely with the university GTM leads across the portfolio.

You will:

• Provide GTM teams with the strategic frameworks, campaign platforms and brand assets required for execution.
• Work closely with Performance Marketing to ensure brand and performance activity complement each other.
• Partner with CRM to ensure consumer communications reinforce the right brand narratives.
• Work with outreach team to develop brand collaterals

10. Brand Measurement & Insights

• Establish frameworks to measure the effectiveness of brand initiatives.
• Use consumer and campaign data to identify opportunities to strengthen brand performance.Combine quantitative data with qualitative consumer insights.
• Develop regular brand performance reviews and recommendations for the Head of Brand.

11. Team & Stakeholder Management

• Initially operate as a senior individual contributor with the potential to manage one shared brand resource.
• Lead through influence across Content, Creative, GTM, Performance, CRM, Media and other teams.
• Manage external agencies and partners where required.
• Build strong relationships with university GTM leads and internal stakeholders.
• Demonstrate the ability to independently drive projects from strategy through execution.

What We’re Looking For

We are looking for a strategic brand marketer who is equally comfortable with strategy and execution.

Must Have

• 8–10 years of experience in brand marketing, integrated marketing, consumer marketing or related roles.
• Strong experience building or managing brands in a B2C environment.
• Experience developing brand positioning, communication strategy and brand narratives.
• Proven experience managing integrated brand campaigns from strategy through execution.
• Strong exposure to both digital and offline marketing channels.
• Experience working with media agencies and participating in digital and offline media planning.
• Experience across ATL, BTL, digital and experiential marketing.
• Strong understanding of social media, content and digital consumer behaviour.
• Experience managing influencer/creator marketing programmes.
• Preferred experience in EdTech, education, youth, consumer internet, D2C, media, entertainment, travel, fintech or other consumer-facing categories.
• Experience marketing to Gen Z and/or young professionals.
• Experience working with international or global brands.
• Experience in building brands in high-consideration categories

The Kind of Person Who Will Succeed

Looking for someone very hands on who has experience of working in both startup kind of environment and an established company. Someone who understands Offline+Online both. And has worked in internet first kind of eco-system.

Emeritus provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

In press:

• https://inc42.com/buzz/edtech-startup-eruditus-fy23-revenue-crosses-inr-3000-cr-mark/
• emeritus harvard business school: Edtech unicorn Emeritus story now a Harvard Business School case study - The Economic Times (indiatimes.com)