Salesforce Marketing Cloud Specialist

The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Inc.; Chantilly (VA); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Inc. is seeking a Salesforce Marketing Cloud Specialist to manage and optimize their Marketing Cloud platform. This role involves collaborating with various teams to enhance enrollment and student engagement through multichannel marketing initiatives.

The ideal candidate will possess strong expertise in Salesforce Marketing Cloud, data management, and campaign execution. Experience in higher education marketing strategies is preferred. This position offers a hybrid work schedule.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required.
• Hands-on experience with Salesforce Marketing Cloud administration preferred.
• Ability to manage and analyze multi-channel marketing campaigns.

Responsibilities

• Administer and optimize Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
• Design, build and monitor multi-channel marketing journeys.
• Develop reports and dashboards to monitor campaign performance.

Skills

Salesforce Marketing Cloud administration

Automation of marketing campaigns

Data management

SQL knowledge

Stakeholder support

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Administration, or related field

Tools

Salesforce

Journey Builder

Marketing Cloud Connect

Job description

Department: Cross Functional

Classification: Info Technology Spec 2

Job Category: Classified Staff

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visa sponsorship

Pay Band: 05

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department: In collaboration with the George Mason University community, and as part of the Office of the Provost, the Division for Enrollment Management optimizes student recruitment and retention by developing and implementing strategic enrollment plans, overseeing the admissions process, providing financial aid services, and managing the Mason Student Services Center—a centralized student services resource. The Division’s activities support the achievement of institutional enrollment goals by placing the student (and family) at the center of our work, supporting a culture of transparency, and leveraging data to inform decision-making.

About the Position: The Salesforce Marketing Cloud Specialist serves as the primary administrator and technical subject matter expert for Salesforce Marketing Cloud within George Mason University’s Salesforce Center of Excellence (COE). This role is responsible for administering, configuring, and optimizing Marketing Cloud to support multi‑channel communications and engagement initiatives, with a focus on enrollment, admissions, and student lifecycle communications. The position partners closely with marketing, communications, enrollment, and technical teams across the Office of the Provost to ensure Marketing Cloud is reliable, scalable, well‑governed, and aligned with institutional goals.

Responsibilities

Salesforce Marketing Cloud Platform Administration:

• Serve as the primary administrator and technical owner of Salesforce Marketing Cloud;
• Configure and maintain Marketing Cloud functionality including Contact Builder, Email Studio, Journey Builder, Automation Studio, and Mobile Studio;
• Manage users, roles, permissions, business units, and security settings;
• Maintain data extensions, subscriber models, and data governance standards;
• Monitor platform performance, system health, and data integrity; and
• Review Salesforce release notes and implement relevant enhancements and best practices.

Campaign Execution, Journeys & Deliverability:

• Partner with the Marketing and Communications teams to design, build, test, deploy, and monitor multi‑channel marketing journeys;
• Implement and maintain automated campaigns using Journey Builder;
• Apply email and mobile messaging best practices related to personalization, segmentation, and timing;
• Monitor, analyze, and troubleshoot deliverability issues, sender reputation, and subscriber engagement metrics; and
• Manage preference centers, subscription management, and regulatory compliance (e.g., CAN‑SPAM, FERPA, GDPR).

Data Management, Integrations & Reporting:

• Support Marketing Cloud data models, synchronized data sources, and data extensions;
• Collaborate with Salesforce COE team members on integrations between Marketing Cloud, Salesforce CRM, student information systems, and other enterprise platforms;
• Establish and maintain integration between Education Cloud (Marketing Cloud Connect and Distributed Marketing) and Mogli;
• Assist with automation of data imports, extracts, and transformations;
• Develop and maintain reports and dashboards to measure campaign performance and engagement; and
• Analyze marketing metrics to support optimization and continuous improvement.

Shape Stakeholder Support, Training & Continuous Improvement:

• Provide day‑to‑day operational support and troubleshooting for Marketing Cloud users;
• Serve as a technical partner to enrollment, admissions, and communications stakeholders;
• Develop documentation, training materials, and best‑practice guidance;
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, automation, and platform utilization; and
• Stay current with Salesforce Marketing Cloud capabilities through user groups and professional development.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Administration or related field, or equivalent experience;
• Considerable, hands‑on experience administering Salesforce Marketing Cloud;
• Experience building and supporting automated, multi‑channel marketing journeys;
• Experience managing Marketing Cloud data extensions, subscriber models, and integrations;
• Experience providing technical support and troubleshooting for end users;
• In‑depth knowledge of Salesforce Marketing Cloud architecture, data model and core studios (Email Studio, Journey Builder, Automation Studio, Contact Builder, Mobile Studio);
• Working knowledge of SQL for querying, filtering, and managing data extensions;
• Working knowledge of administration and configuration of Salesforce Marketing Cloud including user management, business units, and permissions;
• Working knowledge of AMPscript for dynamic content and personalization;
• Ability to build, automate, and maintain complex multi‑step journeys using Journey Builder and Automation Studio; and
• Ability to translate business requirements into technical Marketing Cloud solutions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Salesforce Marketing Cloud Administrator certification;
• Salesforce Marketing Cloud Consultant certification;
• Salesforce Marketing Cloud Email Specialist certification;
• Additional Salesforce certifications (e.g., Advanced Administrator, Platform App Builder, Service Cloud Consultant, Education Cloud Consultant, Data Cloud Consultant);
• Experience supporting marketing, communications, and enrollment initiatives in higher education;
• Experience with Marketing Cloud Connect for CRM/Marketing Cloud integration;
• Experience working within a Salesforce Center of Excellence or enterprise Salesforce program;
• Experience working with admissions, enrollment management, or student services organizations;
• Experience operating within a large, complex Salesforce environment;
• Knowledge of higher education enrollment, admissions, or student lifecycle communications and marketing strategies;
• Knowledge of Salesforce Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, and Education Cloud;
• Knowledge of digital marketing best practices, including email deliverability, sender reputation management, and engagement optimization;
• Knowledge of data governance, privacy, and compliance requirements;
• Knowledge of enterprise CRM environments and governance models;
• Working knowledge of ETL or integration tools (e.g., Informatica, MuleSoft or similar);
• Working knowledge of AMPscript and/or Server‑Side JavaScript (SSJS);
• Basic understanding of HTML, CSS, and responsive email design principles; and
• Ability to analyze campaign performance metrics (deliverability, engagement, conversion) and interpret marketing analytics.

Equity Statement

George Mason University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, committed to promoting inclusion and equity in its community. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, or any characteristic protected by law.