Email Marketing Lead, Principal Associate

Capital One Group; Chicago, Northern (IL, KY); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Capital One in Chicago, IL seeks an Email Marketing Lead, Principal Associate to own end-to-end CRM and email marketing. You will stand up the ESP instance, collaborate with engineering and IT, and drive a data-driven CRM program for US and Canada merchants.

You’ll write direct-response copy, design automated email journeys, and manage QA, regulatory compliance, and cross-functional initiatives to optimize lower-funnel metrics.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years of marketing operations and CRM experience, specifically leading the technical setup of ESP instances and data syncs with Salesforce.
• At least 4 years of hands-on experience with Salesforce architecture, Pardot (Account Engagement), or SFMC, including defining CRM fields and system integrations.
• At least 4 years of experience in direct-response email copywriting.
• At least 5 years of experience evaluating marketing performance using lower-funnel conversion metrics (reactivation volume, CPR, velocity)

Responsibilities

• Email journeys: Design automated, trigger-based email sequences aligning with offline marketing touchpoints.
• Project management: Roll out enterprise ESPs and migrations, bridging marketing requirements and engineering builds.
• SQL: Write queries for dynamic audience segmentation and inspect HTML/CSS templates and copy.
• Lower funnel for the win: Use reactivation volume, CPR, velocity to measure performance.
• Attention to detail: Manage QA, cross-client rendering checks, and data validation for compliance.
• Collaborative: Work with engineering, analytics, and marketing with a continuous testing mindset.
• Copywriting & persuasion: Write clear, persuasive email copy to drive action.

Skills

Email marketing

CRM

SQL

HTML/CSS

Salesforce (SFMC/Pardot)

Copywriting

Project management

Regulatory compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree or military experience

Job description

Email Marketing Lead, Principal AssociateIf you’re a ‘builder’, consider yourself highly organized (yet scrappy at heart), and love getting inside the mind of your customer, look no further. We’re looking for an end-to-end customer relationship management (CRM) marketer (with a focus on email marketing) who will be part of our expansion to digital channels. You’ll play a critical role in not only owning this channel, but also building the system from the ground up. You’ll own standing up the email service provider (ESP) instance, collaborating with engineering, compliance, IT, and more to build our email marketing infrastructure, and then be the end-to-end orchestrator of what we hope is a robust CRM program to our critical audience of US and Canada merchants. We’re looking for both a proven track record in owning an email and/or CRM program, as well as someone who ‘leans into’ data instead of away: you look for conversion metrics, NOT just vanity metrics of opens and clicks. You’ve been known to be dangerous enough with SQL or HTML (you know who you are). That said, at a baseline you are a marketer and haven’t forgotten your basic marketing skills (copywriting, eye for design, and attention to detail).**What You'll Do*** **Email journeys:** Design automated, trigger-based email sequences that seamlessly align with offline marketing touchpoints, including telemarketing calls, site visits, and direct mail campaigns.* **Project management:** Project manage enterprise ESP rollouts and migrations, serving as a functional bridge between marketing requirements and engineering builds.* **SQL anyone?** Write custom SQL queries for dynamic audience segmentation and directly inspect/troubleshoot HTML/CSS templates and copy.* **Lower funnel for the win:** Evaluate campaign performance using lower-funnel conversion metrics—such as reactivation volume, Cost Per Reactivation (CPR), conversion rates, and funnel velocity—rather than relying on vanity opens and clicks.* **Attention to detail:** Manage campaign Quality Assurance (QA), cross-client rendering checks, dynamic data validation, and strict alignment with regulatory compliance standards.* **Collaborative:** Collaborate effectively across cross-functional engineering, analytics, and marketing teams while maintaining a continuous testing agenda and a curious, growth-oriented mindset.* **Copywriting & persuasion:** Apply direct-response copywriting principles and sales psychology to write clear, persuasive email copy that drives customer action. **Basic Qualifications:*** Bachelors Degree or military experience* At least 5 years of marketing operations and CRM experience, specifically leading the technical setup of email service provider (ESP) instances and managing data syncs with Salesforce.* At least 4 years of hands-on experience with Salesforce architecture, Pardot (Account Engagement), or Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC), including defining CRM fields and system integrations.* At least 4 years of experience in direct-response email copywriting* At least 5 years of experience evaluating marketing performance using lower-funnel conversion metrics (reactivation volume, CPR, velocity) **Preferred Qualifications:*** Bachelors in Marketing, Advertising, Communications or Consumer Behaviors* Strong project management skills, organization skills, and attention to detail* Demonstrated experience managing multiple stakeholders and working cross functionally* At minimum 1 year of hands-on experience writing SQL queries for database segmentation and troubleshooting HTML/CSS templates* Excellent communication skills, paired with constant testing and a curious, growth mindset* Experience writing or auditing direct-response call scripts, field briefs, and objection-handling documentation.* Experience navigating regulatory or legal compliance reviews for marketing operations* 2+ years of vendor management **At this time, Capital One will not sponsor a new applicant for employment authorization for this position.**The minimum and maximum full-time annual salaries for this role are listed below, by location. Please note that this salary information is solely for candidates hired to perform work within one of these locations, and refers to the amount Capital One is willing to pay at the time of this posting. Salaries for part-time roles will be prorated based upon the agreed upon number of hours to be regularly worked.Chicago, IL: $109,900 - $125,400 for Principal Associate, MarketingRiverwoods, IL: $109,900 - $125,400 for Principal Associate, MarketingCandidates hired to work in other locations will be subject to the pay range associated with that location, and the actual annualized salary amount offered to any candidate at the time of hire will be reflected solely in the candidate’s offer letter.This role is also eligible to earn performance based incentive compensation, which may include cash bonus(es) and/or long term incentives (LTI). Incentives could be discretionary or non discretionary depending on the plan.Capital One offers a comprehensive, competitive, and inclusive set of health, financial and other benefits that support your total well-being. Learn more at the Capital One Careers website. Eligibility varies based on full or part-time status, exempt or non-exempt status, and management level.This role is expected to accept applications for a minimum of 5 business days.No agencies please. Capital One is an equal opportunity employer (EOE, including disability/vet) committed to non-discrimination in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Capital One promotes a drug-free workplace. Capital One will consider for employment qualified applicants with a criminal history in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable laws regarding criminal background inquiries, including, to the extent applicable, Article 23-A of the New York Correction Law; San Francisco, California Police Code Article 49, Sections 4901-4920; New York City’s Fair Chance Act; Philadelphia’s Fair Criminal Records Screening Act; and other applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding criminal background inquiries.If you have visited our website in search of information on employment opportunities or to apply for a position, and you require an accommodation, please contact Capital One Recruiting at 1-800-304-9102 or via email at [e-mail]. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations.