Marketing Manager, Audience Partnerships at Noodle

Noodle is higher education’s leading strategy, services, and technology partner. We develop infrastructure, provide life-changing learning experiences, and grow the awareness of and the enrollment in some of the best academic institutions in the world. Our vision is “to empower universities to change the world.” We achieve this vision by offering our university partners various products and services that help them be more resilient, responsive, efficient, and interconnected. We are looking for a marketer who knows how to find audiences beyond the usual digital platforms. This role is responsible for discovering where prospective students actually spend their time—professional associations, industry newsletters, podcasts, communities, and niche media—and building marketing partnerships that connect those audiences with university academic programs. Note: This is not a traditional digital advertising role focused on search, paid social, or programmatic media buying. Instead, the role focuses on identifying niche audiences and building marketing partnerships with organizations, media platforms, and professional communities. This role may be a great fit if you have experience in: Partnership or sponsorship marketing Audience development for newsletters, podcasts, or media platforms Media or advertising sales strategy Marketing through professional associations or industry communities Growth marketing roles where you developed new acquisition channels What You’ll Do Discover High-Value Audiences • Identify niche professional and career-oriented audiences relevant to university programs. • Research organizations, associations, newsletters, podcasts, and industry media platforms where prospective students gather. • Build a pipeline of high-potential audience channels outside traditional search and social media advertising. Build Marketing Partnerships • Develop partnerships that provide access to targeted audiences through sponsorships, placements, or collaborative campaigns. • Structure partnership models including newsletter sponsorships, podcast advertising, content partnerships, and other audience-driven opportunities. • Negotiate agreements and manage relationships with external partners. Launch and Manage Campaigns • Lead execution of campaigns across partner channels. • Work with internal creative teams to develop messaging that resonates with specific professional audiences. • Coordinate campaign timelines, placements, and deliverables. Measure and Improve Performance • Establish success metrics and track campaign outcomes such as reach, engagement, and inquiries. • Work with internal marketing and analytics teams to evaluate results and refine channel strategy. • Test and scale the most effective partnerships over time. What Makes Someone Successful in This Role We are looking for marketers who combine three core capabilities: Audience Curiosity You naturally ask: Where do the right audiences gather? You enjoy researching niche communities, associations, and publications that reach the right people. Partnership Thinking You know how to turn audience insight into marketing access by structuring sponsorships, placements, and partnerships. Performance Discipline You approach new channels with a test-and-learn mindset, establishing clear KPIs and working with teams to scale what works. Qualifications Required • 5+ years of experience in marketing, partnership marketing, sponsorship marketing, media strategy, or audience development. • Demonstrated experience identifying niche audiences and building marketing partnerships to reach them. • Experience negotiating sponsorships, media placements, or partnership agreements. • Strong research and evaluation skills to assess audience quality and channel potential. Preferred • Experience working with newsletters, podcasts, media networks, or professional associations. • Experience marketing to working professionals or career-oriented audiences. • Background in higher education, EdTech, or professional development marketing. Noodle Benefits • Work from our beautiful NYC office OR the comfort of your home office! • Great compensation package! • 401K + match, commission potential, and equity opportunities • Tools you need on us! • Our insurance plan offers medical, dental, vision, short- and long-term disability coverage, plus supplementals for all employees and dependents • Paid Parental Leave • Pre-tax commuter benefits • 4 weeks paid vacation + 10 paid holidays + paid sick leave • Access to mental health services like Headspace and Talkspace • Annual education stipend for lifelong learning • Growth - we pride ourselves on creating environments where employees can be themselves and grow within and around the company Eligibility Requirements: This position is based in the United States, and applicants must be legally authorized to live and work in the United States. Employees are required to reside within the United States for the duration of their employment. At Noodle, we hire people who will help us change the future of online education. Even if you don't think you check off every bullet point on this list, we still encourage you to apply! We value both current experience and future potential. Noodle is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace for everyone. We value and celebrate our differences because those differences are what make our team shine. We hire great people from different backgrounds, not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it makes us stronger as a whole. Women, people of color, LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, and members of other underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. Noodle is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against candidates on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, or veteran status.