Fast Facts
InStride is seeking a strategic Manager, Brand Marketing to craft and execute brand strategies that enhance awareness and engagement, primarily in a B2B context.
Responsibilities: Key responsibilities include developing B2B brand strategies, conducting market research, crafting impactful narratives, managing brand campaigns, and fostering cross-functional collaboration.
Skills: Required skills include strategic thinking, storytelling, project management, market analysis, and a strong understanding of B2B marketing dynamics.
Qualifications: Preferred qualifications include 7+ years in B2B marketing or related fields, exceptional communication skills, and a data-driven mindset.
Location: Job can be done remotely or from Los Angeles, CA.
Compensation: Not provided by employer. Typical compensation ranges for this position are between $90,000 - $130,000.
What we're looking for:
InStride is seeking an experienced and strategic Manager, Brand Marketing to develop and execute brand strategies that drive awareness, engagement, and conversion. This role requires a blend of strategic thinking, storytelling, and data-driven marketing execution to ensure our brand’s message resonates with the intended audience. The ideal candidate is forward-thinking, detail-oriented, and adept at collaborating cross-functionally to create compelling narratives and campaigns that align with business goals.
Skills we’d love to see you show off:
- Strategy and Execution: Develop and implement B2B brand strategies that position InStride as a leader in workforce education.
- Market Research & Analysis: Conduct market research to understand customer needs, industry trends, and competitor positioning to inform brand initiatives.
- Storytelling & Brand Messaging: Craft compelling narratives that build emotional connections, reinforce brand value, and drive awareness.
- Marketing Communications & Content Creation: Develop sales content, messaging frameworks, and case studies to support internal and external marketing efforts.
- Project & Campaign Management: Execute brand campaigns, track performance, and optimize based on insights and results.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with teams across marketing, sales, product, and external stakeholders to drive alignment and impact.
- Media & Stakeholder Relations: Build and maintain relationships with key industry influencers, media outlets, and customers to enhance brand credibility and visibility.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilize analytics and performance metrics to assess brand impact and refine strategies.
Who you are:
- 7+ years of experience in B2B marketing, brand strategy, public relations, communications, or a related field.
- Proven track record of successfully executing brand campaigns and messaging strategies.
- Strong understanding of customer behavior, market research, and segmentation.
- Outstanding written and verbal communication skills with a portfolio showcasing the ability to craft compelling narratives, using different “voices” for different audiences and business needs.
- Experience developing and maintaining strong relationships with journalists and media outlets and an understanding of the current media landscape.
- Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams and external stakeholders.
- Highly analytical with a data-driven approach to marketing and communications.
- A creative self-starter who enjoys bringing new ideas and initiatives forward.
- Process and detail-oriented, with strong project and program management skills.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with an early-stage company mentality.
How you will create impact:
- Develop and execute brand strategies to effectively position InStride’s solutions in the market.
- Conduct competitive analysis and market research to identify customer preferences, industry trends, and positioning opportunities.
- Create and manage brand guidelines, ensuring consistency across all marketing materials and touchpoints.
- Develop value propositions, messaging frameworks, and solution positioning that align with InStride’s key goals.
- Collaborate with internal teams to create compelling sales and marketing collateral, messaging, and internal/external communications to drive adoption and conversion.
- Build pitch plans and media lists with a deep understanding of the HR and education media landscape, fostering relationships with key journalists and proactively identifying story opportunities that resonate and strengthen brand recognition.
- Think creatively about storytelling approaches—through research reports, surveys, client case studies, or multimedia formats like short-form videos—to craft unique narratives around the transformative impact of InStride’s solutions.
- Partner with internal and external stakeholders, including the content and design teams, to develop thought leadership materials such as whitepapers, opinion pieces, and event speeches.
- Strengthen brand recognition and visibility through strategic media relations, thought leadership initiatives, and award submissions.
- Monitor industry media, product awards, and analyst relations landscapes to identify brand-building opportunities.
- Regularly analyze media coverage and PR performance metrics to assess the effectiveness of strategies, optimize outreach efforts, and identify new PR opportunities.
- Stay informed of emerging PR tools, trends, and platforms—such as podcasts, industry roundtables, or influencer collaborations—to help InStride reach new audiences and make a meaningful media impact.
- Foster a culture of psychological safety and trust, empowering team members to grow, collaborate, and share ideas while aligning efforts with company objectives.
- Provide regular feedback and support through career development conversations, driving both individual growth and team success.
- Enhance team performance by implementing strategies that boost productivity and align with business goals.
- Address challenges with empathy and lead by example to inspire trust, accountability, and measurable impact.
