Director, Marketing Financial Performance & Optimization

American Public Education, Inc. (APEI); United States; Remote; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

American Public Education, Inc. seeks a Director of Marketing Financial Performance & Optimization to lead the marketing finance function, owning budgeting, forecasting, and reporting across Health+, Military+, and B2B channels.

The role applies investor-style discipline to maximize ROI and guide strategy with Finance and Marketing leadership. You will build the unit economics, justify investments, and drive cost optimization while ensuring policy compliance.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in FP&A, marketing finance, or commercial finance, including 5+ years partnering with marketing leaders
• Deep expertise in budgeting, forecasting, and marketing investment economics (CAC, LTV, ROI)
• Proven track record negotiating agency, media, and technology contracts
• Advanced Excel and financial modeling; familiarity with ERP and BI tools (Tableau)
• Higher education or subscription experience a plus
• Owner mentality; treats every dollar as their own
• Constructive challenger; asks "why" before spending

Responsibilities

• Owns the marketing budget and financial planning
• Lead the annual marketing budget and quarterly reforecasts with Finance, by division, channel, team, and vendor
• Track actuals vs. budget monthly; flag variances early and recommend corrective actions to the CMO
• Own marketing financial reporting for leadership as one view, reconciled with Finance
• Set budget guardrails and approval thresholds so each pillar leader owns their spend with clear accountability
• Define the unit economics of growth (cost per lead, cost per start, LTV, payback) with Marketing Intelligence & Data
• Turn ROI and marginal-return insights into budget moves during the year, with the Data Leader
• Build business cases for new investments (e.g., channels, programs, tools, headcount) and track returns delivered
• Run zero-based reviews of non-working spend (e.g., agencies, tools, consultants) to fund higher-return activity
• Own vendor and consultant governance: sourcing, negotiation, contracts, SOWs, and performance reviews
• Lead insource vs. outsource decisions with pillar leaders; consolidate agencies where scale lowers cost
• Ensure compliance with APEI procurement, legal, and finance policies (approvals, invoicing, and audit)
• Partner with FP&A, Enrollment, Operations, and Academic leadership to tie marketing spend to start and revenue plans
• Build financial acumen across marketing; coach leaders to ask "Would I make this decision if it were my own money?"
• Lead the Vendor & Consultant Management Lead and the marketing finance analysts
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

Budgeting & Forecasting

Excel & Financial Modeling

ROI Analysis

Vendor Negotiation

Education

CPA, CFA, or MBA preferred (not required)

Tools

Tableau

ERP

Job description

Director, Marketing Financial Performance & Optimization

American Public University System, Inc.

The Director, Marketing Financial Performance & Optimization leads the new Marketing Financial Performance & Optimization team, reporting to the CGMO with a dotted line to the VP Finance, APUS. They own the marketing budget from start to finish (planning, forecasting, tracking, and reporting) and are accountable for maximizing the return on every marketing dollar across Health+, Military+, and B2B. They bring an investor's discipline to marketing: challenging spend, weighing alternatives, and moving money to whatever drives profitable starts.

Responsibilities:

Owns the marketing budget and financial planning

• Lead the annual marketing budget and quarterly reforecasts with Finance, by division, channel, team, and vendor
• Track actuals vs. budget monthly; flag variances early and recommend corrective actions to the CMO
• Own marketing financial reporting for leadership as one view, reconciled with Finance
• Set budget guardrails and approval thresholds so each pillar leader owns their spend with clear accountability

Drives marketing investment economics and spend optimization

• Define the unit economics of growth (cost per lead, cost per start, LTV, payback) with Marketing Intelligence & Data
• Turn ROI and marginal-return insights into budget moves during the year, with the Data Leader
• Build business cases for new investments (e.g., channels, programs, tools, headcount) and track returns delivered
• Run zero-based reviews of non-working spend (e.g., agencies, tools, consultants) to fund higher-return activity

Governs vendors, consultants and contracts

• Own vendor and consultant governance: sourcing, negotiation, contracts, SOWs, and performance reviews
• Lead insource vs. outsource decisions with pillar leaders; consolidate agencies where scale lowers cost
• Ensure compliance with APEI procurement, legal, and finance policies (approvals, invoicing, and audit)

Acts as the financial partner to marketing and the business

• Partner with FP&A, Enrollment, Operations, and Academic leadership to tie marketing spend to start and revenue plans
• Build financial acumen across marketing; coach leaders to ask "Would I make this decision if it were my own money?"
• Lead the Vendor & Consultant Management Lead and the marketing finance analysts
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Position Requirements

• 10+ years in FP&A, marketing finance, or commercial finance, including 5+ years partnering with marketing leaders
• Deep expertise in budgeting, forecasting, and marketing investment economics (CAC, LTV, and ROI)
• Proven track record of negotiating agency, media, and technology contracts
• Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills; familiarity with ERP and BI tools (e.g., Tableau)
• Higher education or subscription experience a plus
• Owner mentality; treats every dollar as their own
• Constructive challenger; asks "why" before spending
• Partner, not police; enables growth with discipline
• Data-driven, not data-only; weighs ROI with brand
• Speed with rigor; decides in days, not quarters

Education/Degree:

• CPA, CFA, or MBA preferred (not required)

About Us:

Online, on campus and in the workplace, we provide higher education and training to our country’s heroes – military service members, veterans, nurses, government employees, and motivated professionals that want to make a difference. American Public Education, Inc. educates service-minded students, ranging from the military, public service, federal agencies, and nursing communities, through American Public University System (APUS), Hondros College of Nursing (HCON), and Rasmussen University.

It is the policy of American Public Education, Inc. to afford equal opportunity to all qualified persons. We treat all qualified individuals equally as to their recruitment, hiring, assignments, advancements, compensation, and all other terms and conditions of employment.American Public Education, Inc. does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, or physical, mental, or sensory disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you are a resident of a state with designated pay transparency requirements and this role is available remotely, you may be eligible to receive additional information about the compensation and benefits for this role, which we will provide upon request. Please send an email to [e-mail].