Email Marketing Specialist at NAFSA: Association of International Educators – Washington DC, District of Columbia

About NAFSA: Association of International Educators

NAFSA: Association of International Educators is an organization of people dedicated to building a global community and fostering a more peaceful world through advancing international higher education. With approximately 10,000 members, NAFSA is the world’s largest professional development and advocacy organization committed to international learning and creating a more globally engaged, welcoming, and educated United States.

NAFSA believes that international education advances learning and scholarship, fosters understanding and respect among people of diverse backgrounds and perspectives, is essential for developing globally competent individuals, and builds leadership for the global community. We believe that international education lies at the core of an interconnected world characterized by peace, security, and well-being for all.

NAFSA is a workplace that not only appreciates diversity but believes it is our strength, and we strive to create an inclusive culture for all our team members. NAFSA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Learn more about NAFSA at www.nafsa.org.

Position Summary

The Email Marketing Specialist is responsible for planning, executing, and optimizing NAFSA’s email marketing campaigns to support organizational, programmatic, and revenue goals. Reporting to the Senior Director of Marketing & Strategic Communications, this role manages email production from concept through deployment and analysis, ensuring campaigns are timely, targeted, on-brand, and data-informed.

The Email Marketing Specialist collaborates closely with internal stakeholders, provides guidance on email best practices, and plays a key role in improving engagement, performance, and operational efficiency across NAFSA’s email communications.

Major Functions and Responsibilities:

Email Campaign Planning & Execution (35%)

• Manage the end-to-end production of email marketing campaigns, including scheduling, deployment, and quality assurance.
• Coordinate campaign timelines and approvals with internal stakeholders in alignment with marketing plans and organizational priorities.
• Produce emails using Informz or other email service platforms, ensuring accurate targeting, formatting, and delivery.
• Ensure all email communications adhere to NAFSA brand, style, accessibility, and messaging standards.

Content, Design, & Creative Collaboration (30%)

• Perform copyediting and light copywriting for select email communications using marketing and communications best practices.
• Collaborate with designers or work independently to develop effective email layouts and supporting visual assets.
• Provide recommendations for subject lines, preheader text, messaging hierarchy, and calls to action.
• Partner with Publishing Services and other internal teams to ensure content clarity, consistency, and quality.

Audience & List Management (10%)

• Build, manage, and maintain targeted email audiences in collaboration with the Technology team.
• Conduct list research and acquisition as needed to support campaign goals.
• Ensure data accuracy, appropriate segmentation, and compliance with email marketing standards and policies.

Performance Analysis & Optimization (10%)

• Monitor email performance metrics including engagement, deliverability, and conversions.
• Prepare and distribute campaign performance reports aligned with campaign objectives.
• Maintain historical performance data and identify trends to inform future strategy.
• Implement testing and optimization strategies to continuously improve results.

Vendor & Project Coordination (5%)

• Serve as a primary point of contact for email marketing vendors and partners as assigned.
• Coordinate with internal production teams, external vendors, and contractors to ensure timely and cost-effective execution.

Consultation & Cross-Team Support (5%)

• Provide guidance to staff partners on effective email marketing practices.
• Advise internal colleagues on improvements to copy, layout, scheduling, and targeting.
• Provide limited support for related multimedia or digital marketing initiatives as needed.

Other Duties (5%)

• Perform other duties as assigned in support of NAFSA’s strategic objectives and organizational goals.
• Support marketing needs for the annual conference and select events, including on-site assistance.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in communications, marketing, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Minimum two years of work experience in an office environment
• Knowledge of marketing principles
• Experience with Informz or other email marketing platforms
• Experience with Canva or similar creative design platform
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite products; ability to master various technology, web, and data management systems
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail

Other Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ability to work in a fast-paced team environment as well as independently with minimal direction
• Demonstrated ability to appropriately prioritize, manage, and complete multiple projects and assignments while meeting competing deadlines
• Ability to manipulate numbers in spreadsheets necessary for project and data analysis
• Commitment and enthusiasm for NAFSA’s mission and international education

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous experience with NAFSA, international education, or other association membership organizations
• Previous exposure to email marketing campaign design
• Experience working with designers and copywriters
• Familiarity with extracting database information
• Experience with iMIS highly desirable
• Understanding of HTML/CSS and XML

Scope of Supervision

The position does not have supervisory responsibilities.

Work Relationships

As representatives of a membership organization with a broad and diverse range of activities related to education and training, NAFSA staff possess more than simply specialized capabilities. Each individual is expected to take the initiative to become knowledgeable about the organization as a whole. Association members and other staff expect colleagues to be accessible and responsive, to convey a positive attitude, and to exhibit a high degree of professionalism.

Office Environment

The workday is generally 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The week after Memorial Day to Labor Day, it is 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Friday.

Travel is required occasionally related to job responsibilities, especially for the annual conference, regional meetings, and other leadership meetings. Participation in the NAFSA annual conference the week of Memorial Day, including the holiday itself, is a job requirement. The annual conference is held in varying cities.

Total Compensation, Benefits

The target salary for this full-time, 35-hour per week Email Marketing Specialist position is $65,000. Total compensation for employment at NAFSA entails a competitive employee benefits package including:

• Competitively priced medical and dental insurance plans with CareFirst
• 403(b) retirement plan with eligibility for up to a 7% employer contribution
• Generous paid vacation, sick, personal, parental, and compassionate leave plans
• Paid days on and around federal holidays
• Fully paid group life and disability insurance coverage
• Health and dependent care flexible spending account plans
• Pre-tax parking and transportation plans
• Free onsite fitness center and secure bicycle parking