Director, Marketing Financial Performance – Optimization

American Public Education, Inc. (APEI)

. Lead the new Marketing Financial Performance & Optimization team .

Posted 11/10/2026full-timeRemote • United StatesLeadWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

Use this summary to align your resume positioning with the role.

Demonstrates expertise in marketing financial performance, including budgeting, forecasting, and investment economics. Proven ability to lead teams, negotiate contracts, and connect marketing spend to revenue outcomes.

Highest-signal resume keywords

BudgetingForecastingMarketing Investment EconomicsFinancial ModelingVendor Management

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

BudgetingForecastingMarketing Investment EconomicsFinancial ModelingAdvanced ExcelData AnalysisROI CalculationCost Per Lead AnalysisLifetime Value AnalysisZero-Based Budgeting

Soft Skills

Owner MentalityConstructive ChallengerPartnership OrientationData-Driven Decision MakingSpeed With Rigor

Tools & Technologies

ERP ToolsBI ToolsTableau

Certifications & Qualifications

CPACFAMBA

Industry Keywords

Marketing FinanceCommercial FinanceAgency NegotiationProcurement ComplianceHigher Education ExperienceSubscription Experience

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

ERPTableau

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead the new Marketing Financial Performance & Optimization team
Report to the CGMO with a dotted line to the VP Finance, APUS
Own the marketing budget from planning and forecasting through tracking and reporting
Maximize return on marketing spending across Health+, Military+, and B2B
Lead annual marketing budgeting and quarterly reforecasts with Finance by division, channel, team, and vendor
Track monthly actuals versus budget, flag variances, and recommend corrective actions to the CMO
Own reconciled marketing financial reporting for leadership
Set budget guardrails and approval thresholds
Define growth unit economics, including cost per lead, cost per start, LTV, and payback
Convert ROI and marginal-return insights into budget changes
Build business cases for new channels, programs, tools, and headcount and track returns
Conduct zero-based reviews of non-working spend
Govern vendors and consultants, including sourcing, negotiation, contracts, SOWs, and performance reviews
Lead insource-versus-outsource decisions and consolidate agencies where appropriate
Ensure compliance with procurement, legal, and finance policies
Partner with FP&A, Enrollment, Operations, and Academic leadership to connect marketing spend to start and revenue plans
Build financial acumen across marketing and coach leaders
Lead the Vendor & Consultant Management Lead and marketing finance analysts
Perform other duties as assigned

Requirements

What you’ll need

10+ years in FP&A, marketing finance, or commercial finance
5+ years partnering with marketing leaders
Deep expertise in budgeting, forecasting, and marketing investment economics (CAC, LTV, and ROI)
Proven track record of negotiating agency, media, and technology contracts
Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills
Familiarity with ERP and BI tools (e.g., Tableau)
Higher education or subscription experience a plus
CPA, CFA, or MBA preferred (not required)
Owner mentality; treats every dollar as their own
Constructive challenger; asks "why" before spending
Partner, not police; enables growth with discipline
Data-driven, not data-only; weighs ROI with brand
Speed with rigor; decides in days, not quarters

Benefits

Comp & perks

Equal opportunity employment policy
Additional compensation and benefits information available upon request for eligible residents of states with designated pay transparency requirements