Assistant Director of Retail Marketing

The Assistant Director of Retail Marketing is responsible for developing and executing comprehensive retail marketing strategies that drive revenue growth, enhance brand visibility, and strengthen student and community engagement for the University's Campus Stores. This position oversees digital and print marketing, promotional campaigns, market research, and communication initiatives that support course materials, retail merchandise, technology products, and other bookstore services. The Assistant Director of Retail Marketing collaborates closely with campus partners, vendors, and retail operations leadership to ensure marketing efforts align with University standards, customer needs, and departmental business objectives. This position has a dotted-line relationship with the Executive Director of Brand Strategy in University Marketing and Communications in order to ensure close alignment with institutional priorities and branding.

Outstanding U of A benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; U of A/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to U of A recreation and cultural activities; and more!

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Duties And Responsibilities

Strategic
Marketing & Planning

• Develop, implement, and assess multi-channel marketing plans that support annual sales and brand goals.
• Monitor industry trends, competitive activity, and student buying behavior to inform strategy.
• Ensure initiatives align with University brand standards and departmental mission.
• Direct pre- and post- marketing activity data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Hire, train and manage the marketing team including 2-3 full-time staff, student workers and interns.
  

Digital
Marketing, Content & Social Media

• Create & grow a dynamic social media presence designed to engage students, strengthen brand loyalty and drive both in-store and online revenue.
• Manage social media strategy including content creation, scheduling, engagement, and analytics tracking.
• Implement targeted digital advertising and email marketing campaigns to drive traffic and conversions.
• Brand
  Promotion, Campaigns & Creative Development.
• Lead promotion of seasonal events, product launches and exclusive merchandise.
• Develop compelling marketing assets including signage, graphics, video, and print collateral.
• Support school spirit and brand affinity through coordinated retail and student-engagement initiatives.

Campus
Partnerships & Community Engagement

• Partner with academic units, athletics, student organizations, and external vendors to support collaborative marketing efforts.
• Coordinate pop-ups, giveaways, author events, and community outreach programming.
• Strengthen loyalty programs and campus outreach to increase repeat business.
  

Market
Research, Reporting & Project Management

• Analyze data from POS systems, digital platforms, and surveys to evaluate performance.
• Prepare regular reports tracking KPIs, customer insights, and campaign ROI.
• Assign marketing projects to each team member and monitor the individual and collective team workflow to ensure all project deadlines are met.
• Lead cross-functional coordination to ensure deadlines, budgets, and project scope requirements are met.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Knowledge of retail marketing strategies including promotional planning, product positioning, and seasonal sales optimization.
• Ability to support merchandising strategies, pricing decisions, and product launches.
• Advanced proficiency in managing brand presence across major social platforms.
• Skilled in developing compelling context tailored to a student and alumni community and campus culture.
• Proficiency with design and creative tools such as: Adobe Creative Cloud (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere Pro)Canva, Figma, or equivalent graphic content tools.

This job posting reflects the general nature and level of work expected of the selected candidate(s). It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The institution reserves the right to amend or update this description as organizational priorities and institutional needs evolve.

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent advanced learning attained through professional level experience required.
• Five years of related work experience, including two years of managerial experience, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.