Title: Senior Manager-Direct Mail Marketing

Employee Working Location: Remote/Virtual (Canada)

Employment status: Permanent full time

Salary band: $70,771 - $95,208/year

The Canadian Red Cross (CRC) – one of the most inspirational not-for-profit organizations on this planet and an awardee on the Forbes list of Canada’s Best Employers 2022 - is seeking an experienced, motivated, and strategic-minded Direct Mail Marketing Senior Manager to join our team.

We are guided by our Fundamental Principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality. We help people and communities in Canada and around the world in times of need and support them in strengthening their resilience.

Starting with the hiring process, we are committed to having an accessible, diverse, inclusive, and barrier-free work environment where everyone can reach their full potential. We encourage all qualified persons who share our values and want to contribute to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace to apply.

The incumbent will play a key role in overseeing and optimizing one of the lead revenue generating channels for CRC. You will be responsible to effectively convert, renew, upgrade and reactivate donors as well as continually attract new donors to support our important mission.

In this role, you will:

Responsibility 1 – Budget & Planning

• Manage the overall annual budget for Direct Mail Marketing by providing all necessary budgets and projections for the mail programs
• Lead the quarterly meeting with the primary agency to review file trends and testing strategies
  
• Contribute to the multi-year fundraising strategy with tactical plans for the migration of donors within stages of giving
• Report monthly to senior leadership at the monthly monitoring meetings on direct mail revenue trends
• Provide reporting to CDO and CMO as required
• Review the bi-monthly results, ensuring that these are aligned with the annual plan and targets and adjust the mail plan as needed to ensure success
• Flag any unexpected variances and develop plans to address these in cooperation with the agency
• Regularly monitor the results and the related key performance indicators and provide monthly variance reporting and key insights to Finance and Senior Leadership
• Ensure invoices are processed in a timely manner and expenses are tracked against budgetEscalate any risks to the program that the Director should be aware of

Responsibility 2 – Oversee Campaign Planning and Management

• Oversee the development and execution of highly complex direct mail strategies and campaigns to ensure maximum effectiveness
• Expertly review over 400 unique data segments for each appeal to determine mail data selects based on historical data and current forecasts and trends
• Oversee a team of two staff responsible for direct mail campaign execution
• Ensure that the direct mail program’s campaign development is on track, approve all campaign briefs, provide feedback at all stages of production, approve initial design and copy and determine multi-channel strategy (ie email and paid ads) as applicable
• Manage the relationship with the external vendor(s)
  
• Ensure there is consistency and brand alignment in overall messaging and creative direction
• Lead direct mail emergency appeal campaigns to raise critically needed funds to help people in need
• Work with internal teams to ensure matching gift partners are secured, ensuring these are in place for each campaign according to the campaign timeline
• Provide any information required to support internal teams to pitch organizations or individuals as matching gift donors, report back on success of campaigns to partners as required
• Work with colleagues to ensure donor journeys are in place and optimized

Responsibility 3 –Testing & Innovation for the Direct Mail program

• Lead the control and testing strategy
• Build upon the established environmental roadmap through innovative environmentally-conscious test and campaign strategies
• Ensure there is a fulsome plan designed to meet specific organizational goals, with cost containment via testing/donor segmentation as part of the design
  
• Report back on the test plan, recommend any necessary changes
  
• Source new, innovative fundraising and marketing strategies and tactics to inform the test plan
  
• Share any innovations with other parts of the Digital & Direct Marketing team that might help support other parts of the program
  
• Manage the external vendor(s) that execute the test plan
  
• Work with colleagues on cross-channel test initiatives, including completing campaign briefs, meeting with internal colleagues to establish resources required, follow the process to ensure the campaign is set up in the CRM for tracking results
• Monitor direct mail market trends in Canada and innovative practices from around the world to recommend strategies and plans for Red Cross fundraising initiatives and priorities

Responsibility 4 – Internal Thought Leadership

• Act as a subject matter expert with other teams at CRC, with an emphasis on using direct mail
• Collaborate with colleagues across the Society on shared projects as needed
• Summarize campaign trend analyses and test results and present to key stakeholders as needed

What we are looking for:

• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant discipline from a recognized academic institution, preferably in Marketing, Communications, or Fund Development
  
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive, relevant experience in direct mail marketing
  
• Superior analytical skills and the ability to interpret complex information and to communicate it to a variety of audiences
  
• Demonstrated track record of providing strategic direction in the development and implementation of targeted direct mail marketing campaigns designed to achieve growth objectives while maintaining effective cost ratios
  
• Superior knowledge of direct mail donor relation principles and data segmentation techniques
  
• Knowledge of Blackbaud CRM is an asset
  
• High level of knowledge of direct marketing testing strategies, ability to interpret results
  
• Ability to effectively develop strong cross-functional partnerships, evidenced by a track record of teamwork and collegiality, building relationships within and beyond the fundraising and marketing functions
  
• Excellent management and team building skills with demonstrated supervision and leadership qualities, superior interpersonal and public relations skills, tact and diplomacy
  
• Excellent organizational, planning and hands-on implementation skills
  
• Demonstrated project management and strong presentation skills
  
• Proficiency in budgeting and financial management skills

Working conditions:

• Eligibility to work in Canada: At this time, we welcome applications from candidates eligible to work in Canada. If you are not a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, we encourage you to carefully review your visa to find out whether you are eligible to work in the job you are considering applying for. Refer to our FAQ for more information.
• If you are selected for this role, you will be required to complete a successful pre-employment screening process which includes a satisfactory Enhanced Police Information Check (E-PIC).
• At this time, the CRC has temporarily suspended our Covid-19 vaccination policy and does not require but continues to strongly encourage full vaccination of all our personnel.
  

Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible - those who apply after the selection process has started may be held for a second review if needed OR reviewed for alternative roles. We appreciate the time and effort it takes to apply and thank you in advance.

If you require accommodation measures during any phase of the hiring process, please notify us as soon as possible. All information received in relation to accommodation requests will be kept confidential.

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