Marketing Specialist at AFX Inc – Waukegan, Illinois

Marketing Specialist (Creative & Digital)

Job Summary

AFX Lighting is seeking a creative, tech-forward Marketing Specialist to support our growing brand and product portfolio. This role is ideal for a visually driven marketer who combines strong photography and graphic design skills with modern digital marketing practices, including the effective use of AI tools to enhance content creation, efficiency, and performance. The ideal candidate brings 5–7 years of experience and is comfortable blending creativity, technology, and data in a fast-paced, product-focused environment.

Key Responsibilities

Photography, Video & Visual Content

• Capture high-quality product, lifestyle, and event photography
• Edit, retouch, and color-correct images using Adobe tools and AI-assisted features (e.g., content-aware tools, generative fill, automated masking)
• Create and edit short-form video content for web, social, and marketing campaigns using tools such as Adobe Premiere Pro and AI-assisted video editing platforms
• Use AI tools to assist with image enhancement, background cleanup, object removal, upscaling, and format optimization
• Maintain a consistent visual identity across all assets and manage digital asset libraries

Graphic Design & Creative Development

• Design marketing materials including brochures, sell sheets, presentations, social media assets, and website graphics
• Leverage AI-assisted design tools to accelerate concept development, layout variations, and asset resizing
• Collaborate with marketing and product teams to develop creative concepts for campaigns and product launches
• Ensure all creative output aligns with AFX brand standards and elevates overall brand consistency

Social Media & Content Strategy

• Develop and execute social media content plans to increase brand awareness and engagement
• Create, schedule, and publish content across platforms including LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube
• Use AI tools to assist with caption writing, content ideation, hashtag research, and post optimization
• Monitor engagement, respond to comments and messages, and analyze performance metrics
• Apply insights from analytics and AI-driven recommendations to refine content strategy

Website & Digital Marketing

• Maintain and update website content including product pages, imagery, and marketing content
• Collaborate with internal teams to support landing pages, blogs, and campaign-specific content
• Use AI tools to assist with SEO optimization, keyword research, content structuring, and metadata creation
• Ensure web content is visually compelling, user-friendly, accessible, and optimized for search performance
• Track and analyze website traffic, campaign performance, and engagement metrics, producing actionable reports

Marketing Operations & Optimization

• Support product launches, campaigns, and tradeshow or event marketing initiatives
• Use analytics dashboards and reporting tools to measure performance across channels
• Apply AI-assisted insights to recommend improvements in content, campaigns, and workflows
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail and deadlines

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in marketing, Communications, Graphic Design, or a related field

5–7 years of relevant marketing experience

Strong photography and visual storytelling skills

Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator, InDesign; Premiere Pro a plus)

Experience managing brand social media platforms

Working knowledge of website content management and digital marketing fundamentals

Comfort using AI tools as part of everyday creative and marketing workflows

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities

Preferred Qualifications

Familiarity with generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Midjourney, Sora, Instories, Adobe Firefly)

Ability to use AI for content ideas, drafting, and creative production

Experience enhancing images and videos using AI (generative fill, background removal, upscaling, etc.)

Use of AI for SEO, metadata support, performance insights, and reporting

Experience with SEO best practices and analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Search Console)

Familiarity with CMS platforms such as WordPress

Understanding of accessibility and inclusive design standards (WCAG awareness)

Ability to work with structured product data, spec sheets, and technical content

Basic HTML/CSS knowledge is a plus but not required

Experience supporting B2B or product-driven brands preferred