Product Marketing Manager, Graduate Programs

Fairfield University; United States; On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Fairfield University is seeking a Product Marketing Manager for its Graduate Programs. This role involves close collaboration with university leadership to ensure effective market positioning and communication strategies for graduate academic offerings.

With 3-5 years of experience preferred in product marketing or higher education, the candidate will have strong communication skills and expertise in market insights. The position offers a chance to significantly impact enrollment growth and program differentiation.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3–5 years of experience in product marketing, program strategy, or market research.
• Experience in higher education preferred, with a focus on supporting academic programs.

Responsibilities

• Develop positioning and messaging for graduate programs.
• Translate market insights into actionable strategies.
• Partner with enrollment and academic teams to align goals.
• Evaluate how positioning impacts enrollment outcomes.

Skills

Market research and insights

Strong communication skills

Project planning and organization

Understanding of higher education

SEO and digital discovery

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, Education, or related field

Job description

Product Marketing Manager, Graduate Programs

Position Summary: The Product Marketing Manager, Graduate Programs plays a strategic role within the Department of Strategic Initiatives at Fairfield University, serving as the steward of market-facing positioning and program knowledge for the University’s graduate academic portfolio. Working in close collaboration with the Director of Online Programs and Fairfield University’s Director of Graduate Marketing, this role ensures graduate programs are clearly differentiated, accurately represented, and discoverable throughout the prospective student journey. The Product Marketing Manager translates academic offerings into compelling, audience-centered narratives that support enrollment growth while aligning with the University’s mission and brand.

Key Responsibilities

• Program Positioning & Messaging - Develops and maintains clear positioning, value propositions, and key messaging that articulate graduate program strengths, outcomes, and differentiation. Supports product‑aligned content strategy in partnership with the Associate Director of Graduate Marketing to support program launches, growth, and refreshes.
• Market & Audience Insight - Works closely with the Academic Program Strategist to translate market and competitive insights into actionable program positioning and messaging strategies. Leverages search behavior, SEO insights, and emerging AI‑driven discovery trends (AIO) to inform program discoverability and prospective student intent.
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration - Partners with graduate program directors, Deans, enrollment leadership, and admissions teams to ensure alignment between academic priorities and enrollment goals. Leads monitoring, project planning, and online management of graduate program initiatives ensuring clear ownership, accountability, and progress toward enrollment goals.
• Performance & Continuous Improvement - Leverages data and reporting tools to evaluate how program positioning impacts engagement, inquiry, and enrollment outcomes. Applies performance insights to refine messaging, inform recommendations, and support long‑term graduate portfolio strategy.

Education

Bachelor’s degree is required in Marketing, Communications, Business, Education, or a related field.

Knowledge & Skills

• Demonstrated ability to translate market research, competitive insights, and academic offerings into clear positioning and value propositions.
• Experience leveraging market data, search behavior, and performance indicators to inform strategic recommendations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across academic, enrollment, and marketing stakeholders.
• Strong project planning and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple initiatives across a graduate portfolio.
• Strong understanding of the higher education landscape, particularly graduate program models.
• Familiarity with digital discovery environments (e.g., SEO, AI‑driven search) and how prospective students evaluate programs.

Experience

Minimum of 3–5 years of relevant experience in product marketing, program strategy, market research, enrollment strategy, or academic program administration. Experience supporting academic programs in higher education strongly preferred. Proven success working cross‑functionally with academic leaders, enrollment teams, and marketing partners to support program growth and differentiation.

Reporting

Reports to: Director, Online Programs

Location

Fairfield, CT

Equal Opportunity Employment

Fairfield University 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. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. All offers of employment are contingent upon a satisfactory background check.