Director of Digital Experience

About Us

At every level, we champion leaders who live our values and commitment to success. Imagining our work as a journey, we believe integrity guides our way, inclusion moves us forward together, and innovation creates new destinations.

We are the American Pet Products Association (APPA), and since 1958 we have been promoting responsible pet care and advancing the pet products industry. We are the leading trade association in the pet industry, made up of 1,000 pet product manufacturers, their representatives, importers, and livestock suppliers. Our membership comprises a diverse group representing large corporations and growing business enterprises worldwide. As a trade association, APPA provides a wealth of services and programs designed to help its members prosper.

Global Pet Expo

Global Pet Expo is the premier industry event presented by the American Pet Products Association (APPA) and Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA). As the premier industry event, Global Pet Expo is open to independent retailers, distributors, mass-market buyers, and other qualified professionals.

APPA is also proud to grow and support the industry through the following APPA Gives Back initiatives: Pets Add Life (PAL), the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) Pets and Vets Program, Pet Advocacy Network and Pet Care Trust and Pets in the Classroom.

Our work environment includes the following:

• Growth opportunities
• Flexible working hours
• Work-from-home days
• Pet-Friendly Workplace

Position Location: Stamford, CT

Reports to: V.P., Marketing

The Opportunity:

There has never been a better time to be in the pet industry. With the increase in the number of pets in the country, 70% of U.S. households own a pet as of 2022. This has resulted in rapid industry growth to over $123B annually. Evidence-based research has demonstrated the human health benefits of pet ownership and the power of the human-animal bond. To help address this growth and capture the opportunity in the digital landscape, APPA is seeking a Director of Digital Experience who will create and own the digital customer journey and be responsible for performance metrics across all digital channels, using data, insights, and analysis to make decisions. You should also be passionate about pets.

This newly created position will initially be a hands-on role accountable for the development and implementation of strategic and tactical digital direction, along with other team members and our agency partners. Over time, this will become an integral leadership position in the organization based on the success and scalability of the programs implemented. By evolving our value proposition and strong brand reputation, APPA will become a digital-first organization relevant to our members and the pet care community throughout the year.

You will own and be accountable for managing end-to-end digital experiences to deliver a cohesive, highly intuitive, and engaging connection geared toward the specific audience while considering business priorities. You will work closely with key stakeholders across the organization to deliver an optimized experience that provides adoption flows seamlessly and is tracked for success.

You will serve as the subject matter expert in all APPA’s digital initiatives, including content development and repurposing (video, audio, infographic, written) across all relevant social platforms, websites, and email, creating a cohesive and seamless experience for APPA’s members and customers.

You will be hands-on and design, execute, and manage marketing campaigns, leveraging a combination of digital marketing savvy, content management, email marketing, website design and UX expertise, content creation, copywriting, and project management. This position also analyzes campaign tracking, reporting, and best-practice sharing across the organization.

What you will be doing:

• Create and Execute Digital Marketing Campaigns

-Develop and execute digital strategy, including planning, building, and implementing digital marketing campaigns across multiple channels and platforms for member/customer acquisition and lead generation utilizing a combination of search campaigns, paid advertising, email marketing, and social channels.

-You will need to analyze campaign outcomes and show a positive return on investment from digital channels as measured by KPIs such as Cost Per Conversion, Engagement, Net List Growth and Quality, Net Promoter Scores, Customer Lifetime Value, and Revenue (top-line and net).

• Define the APPA digital channel experience(s) and deliver a strategy that continuously advances the experiences to support new and evolving business needs.
• Communicate results to leadership by preparing reports, dashboards, or presentations to demonstrate results.
• Establish and evaluate the digital experience near and long-term roadmaps for all destinations to ensure alignment with organizational strategies and goals.
• Drive the implementation of end-to-end digital experiences across all customer touchpoints and channels.
• Manage overarching integration strategies and facilitate executive decision-making across stakeholder teams, to achieve alignment and positive outcomes for the business.

What You Must Have:

• 5+ years of marketing-work experience in the delivery and management of digital experiences
• Related Bachelor’s degree or additional related equivalent work experience

Additional Required Qualifications

• Experience managing digital platforms and strategy
• End-to-end website management experience, with strong familiarity with web design, content management systems, email platforms, and social media management tools
• Strong leadership skills to bring stakeholders together; consensus builder and thought leader
• Experience working with marketing analytics tools and possess strong analytical skills partnered with a creative mind
• Must have strong business acumen and the Ability to influence business decisions and directions for initiative
• Demonstrated ability as a forward-thinker and ability to evolve the customer experiences to a future state
• Demonstrate deep knowledge and passion for how customers work and think
• Demonstrated ability to think both strategically and tactically grasp concepts and markets quickly
• Solid communication and presentation skills, comfortable speaking with senior leaders
• Ability to multitask, be highly organized, detail-oriented, and perform under tight deadlines
• Brings a high-energy and passionate outlook to the job and can influence those around them
• Able to build a sense of trust and rapport that creates a comfortable and practical workplace

What We Would Prefer

• Experience curating and delivering compelling content
• Experience creating journey maps and personas
• Experience with visual communication principles
• Solid knowledge of media editing software
• Excellent analytical and project management skills
• Additional qualification in web design or animation is a plus

Benefits

We offer a variety of benefits designed to keep you and your family physically and financially healthy. Not only do we offer a competitive salary and work-life balance, but we also offer benefits to match your needs:

• Annual base salary plus bonus opportunity
• Flexible and hybrid work schedules are available
• Pet-Friendly Workplace
• Casual dress attire
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• 401(K) with employer contribution
• Generous Time Off Programs
• Health Savings Account (HSA)/Dependent Care
• Growth Opportunities
• Short-Term/Long-Term Disability Insurance

Required Travel

• One week each spring for Global Pet Expo
• Select regional trade shows throughout the year
• Up to 20% of time spent traveling
• Travel expenses covered by the company

Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion

APPA is committed to belonging, inclusion, diversity, and equity. We are committed to intentionally and proactively creating pathways to success for historically underrepresented populations. To accomplish this, we foster a culture of belonging and inclusion so that every employee is valued and has an opportunity and ability to make an impact. APPA strives to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve in the makeup of our workforce.

American Pet Products Association (APPA)