Marketing Manager – Trade and Children's Books

Ascension

. - Develop and own the go-to-market strategy for each Books unit title — including audience targeting, positioning, messaging, pricing considerations, and channel prioritization — with the goal of maximizing conversion and revenue at every stage of a book's lifecycle.

Posted 4/21/2026full-timeRemote • 🇺🇸 United StatesMid-LevelSeniorWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

- Develop and own the go-to-market strategy for each Books unit title — including audience targeting, positioning, messaging, pricing considerations, and channel prioritization — with the goal of maximizing conversion and revenue at every stage of a book's lifecycle.
- Build a deep understanding of each book's target audience: who they are, where they engage, what motivates them to buy, and how to reach them most effectively.
- Identify and evaluate the best mix of channels, placements, and tactics for each title, balancing investment against expected return.
- Partner with Editorial and Product Development early in the product lifecycle to provide marketing input that shapes positioning and launch readiness.
- Analyze market trends, competitor positioning, and category dynamics in Catholic publishing to identify opportunities and sharpen strategy.
- Translate positioning strategy into integrated marketing campaigns across email, social media, paid advertising, organic content, and retail channels.
- Write and contribute to compelling copy for marketing materials, including emails, website content, ad creative, and social posts — and provide clear creative direction to the Marketing Producer.
- Manage and optimize paid advertising campaigns on Meta and Amazon, with a focus on audience targeting, creative performance, and return on ad spend.
- Oversee campaign schedules, proactively identify risks and opportunities, and make timely decisions to maximize results.
- Review and approve creative assets, copy, video content, and photography produced by the Marketing Producer and external contractors.
- Lead product launches end-to-end, coordinating across internal teams and guiding authors through their marketing and PR plans.
- Own the Books team's Amazon marketing strategy — including listing optimization, search visibility, advertising strategy, promotional planning, and performance measurement.
- Identify and develop additional distribution and channel opportunities (e.g., DTC, wholesale, reseller partners) in collaboration with Operations, providing channel-specific marketing support where it drives meaningful sales impact.
- Coordinate with Operations as needed to ensure marketing plans align with inventory availability, distribution timing, and channel requirements.
- Define success metrics for each campaign and title, and hold the team accountable to measurable outcomes.
- Analyze campaign performance, consumer behavior data, and channel-level results to assess effectiveness and continuously optimize strategy.
- Gather and interpret data from web traffic, ad platforms, Amazon, and e-commerce channels to surface actionable insights.
- Design and analyze customer surveys to inform positioning, product development, and messaging decisions.
- Report key results, learnings, and recommendations to leadership on a regular cadence.
- Collaborate with the Marketing Producer to ensure Marketing and Creative are aligned to the creative vision and objectives for individual campaigns and overall team goals.
- Manage and direct marketing contractors as needed — assigning work, setting expectations, reviewing deliverables, and integrating their output into broader campaign plans.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Editorial, Product Development, PR/Communications, Operations, and Technology teams to ensure cohesive campaign execution.
- Steward the Books team marketing budget, allocating investment to maximize revenue impact across the portfolio.
- Serve as the primary marketing contact for authors throughout the product lifecycle, providing strategic direction and setting clear expectations for their role in marketing and PR.
- Lead marketing kickoffs with authors, sharing go-to-market strategy, channel plans, and deliverable timelines.
- Collaborate with authors and creators to develop marketing assets that support campaign goals and feel authentic to their voice and platform.

Requirements

What you’ll need

- Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration, or a related field.
- 5+ years of marketing experience, with a strong track record of developing positioning and go-to-market strategies that drive measurable revenue results.
- Demonstrated ability to think strategically about audience, positioning, and channel mix — and to execute hands-on within those plans.
- Experience managing and optimizing paid media campaigns, particularly on Amazon and Meta platforms.
- Excellent copywriting skills, including the ability to adapt tone and voice across audiences and formats.
- Strong analytical skills and comfort with data; experience with tools such as Google Analytics and Amazon Seller/Vendor Central.
- Experience providing direction to creative team members or contractors and translating strategy into clear creative briefs.
- A deep understanding of the Catholic faith and teaching.
- Familiarity with the Catholic market and faith-based audiences is strongly preferred.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; able to collaborate cross-functionally and build strong working relationships with authors and external partners.
- Comfortable working in fast-paced, ambiguous environments and taking ownership to drive complex, multi-stakeholder projects forward.
- The ability to travel to Ascension’s headquarters in Pennsylvania several times per year is required.
- Exemplify and live our core values of humility, passion, and integrity.

Benefits

Comp & perks

- Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
- Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
- Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
- Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
- Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
- Short Term & Long Term Disability
- Training & Development
- Work From Home
- Wellness Resources

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

go-to-market strategyaudience targetingpositioningcopywritingpaid media campaignscampaign performance analysismarketing analyticschannel mix optimizationcreative directionbudget management

Soft Skills

strategic thinkinginterpersonal skillscommunication skillscollaborationownershipadaptabilityleadershipproblem-solvingdecision-makingrelationship building