Senior Specialist, Direct Digital Marketing

Orlando, FL, USA|Onsite

Job Overview

Employment Type

Full-time

Work Schedule

Standard Hours

Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Paid Time Off

Retirement Plan

Employee Discounts

Professional development opportunities

wellness programs

Job Description

Universal Orlando Resort is a premier entertainment destination known for its immersive theme parks, thrilling rides, and engaging experiences that attract millions of visitors annually from around the world. Part of Universal Destinations & Experiences, a division of Universal Parks & Resorts, the resort offers guests an unparalleled vacation experience combining entertainment, hospitality, and state-of-the-art attractions. Universal Orlando prides itself on creativity, innovation, and delivering exceptional guest experiences, all while fostering a collaborative and inclusive workplace culture for its employees. As an equal opportunity employer, Universal Orlando is dedicated to diversity and inclusion across all levels of its organization. The employment opportunity described here is a full-time role based in Universal Orlando, where you will contribute to the growth and success of one of the world’s most celebrated entertainment brands. Competitive compensation packages are provided to attract and retain top talent in their respective fields.

The Senior Specialist in Direct Digital Marketing (DDM) holds an essential role within Universal Orlando's marketing team, focusing on the development and execution of omni-channel Customer Relationship Management (CRM) strategies and programs designed to drive annual revenue and attendance growth. This position is responsible for collaborating with multiple internal teams—such as Brand, Resort, and support groups—as well as external stakeholders, to create and deploy robust direct marketing campaigns that leverage various digital channels including email, direct mail, mobile, push notifications, in-app messaging, SMS, and paid social media. The Senior Specialist guides the full lifecycle of these initiatives from initial concept and audience segmentation to tactical deployment, ongoing performance reporting, and optimization based on advanced analytics.

The goal is to deliver a personalized, one-to-one customer experience that increases engagement, conversion, retention, and ultimately drives business results. The role demands a strategic thinker with strong program management capabilities, proficient in targeting and personalization techniques, and someone comfortable collaborating across cross-functional teams to ensure message consistency, privacy compliance, and use of industry best practices. Furthermore, this individual must lead dynamic content strategies and develop audience and event-based communication triggers that correspond with various stages of the customer journey. Reporting and testing frameworks are also critical components, requiring partnership with analytic teams to create segmentation models, conduct A/B testing, and apply learnings to refine campaign effectiveness.

In addition to executing existing programs, the Senior Specialist contributes to innovation by supporting initiatives that enhance new capabilities, integrate cutting-edge tools, and continuously improve direct marketing efforts. Creative collaboration is also a key aspect, as the role liaises closely with creative teams to ensure messaging aligns with brand standards and gains necessary approvals from all stakeholders including senior management, legal teams, and external partners. This may also include providing guidance and mentorship for interns, supporting their professional development and assisting with day-to-day tasks. With a focus on meticulous project management, prioritizing multiple campaigns in a fast-paced environment, and a passion for data-driven marketing, the Senior Specialist in DDM plays a fundamental role in driving Universal Orlando’s marketing success in the competitive travel and hospitality industry.

Job Requirements

Bachelor's degree from a four-year college or university or equivalent demonstrated professional experience
3+ years marketing experience in travel and hospitality preferred
Experience managing marketing programs across direct channels
Strong project management and organizational skills
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Ability to work collaboratively in a matrixed organization
High attention to detail
Data-driven mindset
Experience with campaign tools and analytics platforms
Ability to prioritize multiple projects in fast-paced environments
Knowledge of direct marketing best practices

Job Qualifications

Bachelor's degree from a four-year college or university or equivalent demonstrated professional experience in business, marketing, or communications
3+ years marketing experience in travel and hospitality preferred
Experience overseeing data-driven marketing strategies from concept to completion including audience targeting, campaign development, tactical deployment, and performance reporting
Experience managing marketing programs across direct channels including email, direct mail, push, in-app, SMS, and paid social
Experience working with cross-functional teams, agencies, and other partners
Excellent written, verbal communication and presentation skills
Proven ability to lead day-to-day relationships and collaborate in a matrixed organization
Superior project management, trafficking, and organizational skills
High attention to detail with the ability to prioritize multiple projects in fast-paced, deadline driven environments
Highly data-driven, inventive problem solver with a high level of accountability
Exceptional combination of creative and strategic thinking with hands-on execution
Experience developing highly-dynamic CRM, direct marketing and/or personalization programs
Strong knowledge of customer journeys, lifecycle campaigns and segmented communication strategies
Understanding of direct marketing best practices and response optimization techniques
Extensive computer knowledge and proficiency in Microsoft applications
Working knowledge of campaign tools, project workflow systems, analytics platforms, and related marketing technologies

Job Duties

Lead the execution and monitoring of DDM initiatives, managing end-to-end implementation of data-driven programs including concept development, audience segmentation, tactical deployment, performance reporting, and ongoing optimization
Ensure programs deliver a 1:1 customer experience by implementing targeting, modeling, and personalization capabilities to drive engagement, conversion, and ROI
Partner with analytic teams to develop segmentation and propensity models, execute A/B and other tests maintaining a testing framework and reporting regularly
Manage the deployment calendar ensuring alignment with business priorities
Lead planning, development, and management of direct marketing programs and strategic use of first party data to increase personalization and relevancy
Responsible for dynamic content strategies supporting transactional and promotional messages across the customer journey to drive engagement, conversion, retention, and win-back
Build and refine audience/event-based communication triggers delivering personalized content across multiple touchpoints including email, direct mail, push, in-app, SMS, and paid social
Partner with cross-divisional stakeholders to develop and enhance DDM programs ensuring business objectives are met, working with content and creative partners to design impactful content
Aid development of initiatives driving growth, new capabilities, tools, and continuous improvement
Partner closely with Creative team to create consistent brand-driven messaging and secure approvals on creative concepts and final products
Provide intern(s) guidance in day-to-day activities, coaching for professional development and mentorship
Understand and actively participate in Environmental, Health & Safety responsibilities by following established policies, procedures, training, and team involvement
Perform other duties as assigned