Performance Marketing Manager (Digital Marketing ) – Student Recruitme

Confidential Company

We are seeking a highly data-driven Performance Marketing Manager to lead paid digital acquisition for student recruitment, with a specific focus on generating qualified admission leads for Schiller University across European and international markets.

This role is not brand marketing, it is revenue-linked performance marketing. The candidate will own the full-funnel paid media strategy across Meta, Google, and other performance platforms, with clear accountability for Cost per Lead (CPL), Cost per Application (CPA), Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), and Return on Enrolment (ROE).

The ideal candidate understands the education decision cycle, multi-touch attribution, long conversion windows, and the optimization required to convert high-intent prospects into enrolled students.

ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES-

1. Paid Acquisition Strategy – Student Recruitment

• Develop and execute performance marketing strategies specifically designed to generate qualified admission leads.

• Align media strategy to intake cycles, program categories (Undergraduate, MBA, Masters), and geography.

• Structure campaigns based on full-funnel segmentation:

• Awareness (program discovery)

• Consideration (lead generation)

• Conversion (application submission)

• Retargeting (offer conversion & enrolment push)

2. Platform Management & Technical Execution

Google Ecosystem

• Search campaigns (high-intent program keywords)

• Performance Max (lead optimization)

• Display remarketing

• YouTube (mid-funnel nurture)

• Implement structured keyword architecture:

• Branded vs non-branded

• Generic vs Program-Specific

• Competitor mirroring

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Meta (Facebook & Instagram)

• Lead generation campaigns (native + landing page)

• Conversion campaigns optimized for qualified leads

• Lookalike modeling from enrolled student database

• Advanced retargeting:

• Website visitors

• Lead form openers

• Video viewers

• CRM uploads

• Creative A/B testing across static, video, carousel and reels

Other Platforms

• LinkedIn (for MBA and Executive programs)

• TikTok (Gen Z undergraduate targeting where relevant)

• Programmatic retargeting where needed

3. Budget Ownership & ROI Accountability

• Own and manage monthly performance budgets.

• Optimize toward measurable business metrics, not vanity metrics.

Core KPIs:

• Cost per Lead (CPL)

• Cost per Qualified Lead

• Cost per Application (CPA)

• Cost per Enrolment

• Lead-to-Application Conversion Rate

• Application-to-Enrolment Rate

• ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)

• ROE (Return on Enrolment Revenue)

Candidate must demonstrate ability to:

• Maintain target CPL benchmarks aligned with regional education costs.

• Improve lead quality through continuous audience refinement.

• Allocate budgets dynamically based on intake timelines and program performance.

• Scale campaigns while maintaining profitability thresholds.

4. Conversion Tracking & Attribution

• Implement and manage:

• Google Tag Manager

• Meta Pixel & Conversion API

• Enhanced Conversions

• Offline Conversion Uploads (Application & Enrolment events)

• Build multi-touch attribution models considering long decision cycles (30–120 days typical in education).

• Integrate CRM data to optimize campaigns toward actual enrolments, not just leads.

5. Landing Page & Funnel Optimization

• Work with marketing and web teams to:

• Optimize landing pages for lead conversion.

• Improve form completion rates.

• Reduce drop-offs.

• Implement CRO testing (A/B testing headlines, CTAs, form length).

• Ensure alignment between ad promise and landing experience.

• Drive improvements in lead-to-application ratio.

6. Audience Intelligence & Segmentation

• Build geo-specific targeting frameworks.

• Segment by:

• Academic interest

• Degree level

• Age bracket

• Language preference (French-speaking markets)

• Build and scale lookalike audiences from:

• Enrolled students

• Qualified applicants

• High-LTV student profiles

7. Reporting & Strategic Insights

• Deliver weekly and monthly performance dashboards.

• Provide actionable insights, not just metrics.

• Forecast lead volumes against enrolment targets.

• Recommend budget reallocation based on intake cycles.

8. Education-Specific Expertise- Preference

• Understand seasonality of admissions cycles.

• Experience handling long consideration cycles.

• Knowledge of:

• Education marketing funnels

• International student recruitment

• Compliance in advertising academic programs

• Ability to differentiate messaging by:

• Undergraduate vs Masters vs MBA audience

• Domestic vs International prospects