Manager, Digital Marketing & Engagement

About the Role

The Cook Political Report is seeking a Digital Marketing & Engagement Manager to own the growth and performance of our digital subscriber platform. This individual will write and manage marketing copy; build and optimize transactional and marketing email campaigns; and design conversion strategies that grow and retain our subscriber base — all while maintaining a tone consistent with our team of nonpartisan political analysts and tailored to a sophisticated Washington, DC professional audience. This is a non-supervisory role ideal for a dynamic, early- to mid-career digital marketer who wants substantive ownership over a small, high-trust brand's digital presence.

*Note: this is *not* a remote role. This job is based in the DMV. If you are not based in the Washington, D.C. area, please include your location status and plans in your cover letter. Please apply via our portal: https://jobs.cookpolitical.com*

Key Responsibilities

• Design, build, test, and manage both transactional and marketing email campaigns using an ESP (e.g., Customer.io) — including segmentation, A/B testing, and lifecycle/nurture sequences.
• Write clear, compelling copy for newsletters, social media, event promotion, and general marketing communications that reflects Cook Political's nonpartisan, analytical brand voice.
• Develop, test, and execute campaigns that convert free readers/subscribers into paying subscribers, tracking funnel performance and iterating based on data.
• Own the end-to-end publishing process for regular newsletters, coordinating with the managing editor on content while managing layout, scheduling, and distribution.
• Maintain a consistent digital presence across social channels (including Substack), complementing analyst-driven content with platform-appropriate framing.
• Track subscriber, engagement, and conversion metrics; report on campaign performance and recommend optimizations to the COO.
• Collaborate with the Director of Communications to track impact and engagement trends for media appearances across digital and on air channels and recommend optimizations to the COO.
• Maintain clean data hygiene and workflows within the CRM/ESP, ensuring accurate segmentation and personalization.
• Explore and pilot AI tools to improve data workflows, and stay current on emerging AI/data tools relevant to CRM/ESP management.
• Produce basic marketing graphics and social assets using Canva & Adobe; work fluently within Google Workspace for collaboration and reporting.
• Apply digital marketing and CRM expertise to promote and support Cook Political's event offerings (registration campaigns, follow-up nurture sequences, sponsor/attendee communications).

Requirements

• 3–5 years of professional experience in digital marketing, email marketing, or audience development — no supervisory experience required.
• Strong, demonstrable writing skills across formats (newsletter, social, transactional/marketing email).
• Hands-on experience with an ESP or marketing/sales CRM (Customer.io, HubSpot, Mailchimp, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, or similar).
• Working knowledge of nonpartisan political analysis, election coverage, or the broader "business of politics" (campaigns, government affairs, policy media, or PACs).
• Genuine interest in politics and public affairs, with the judgment to maintain a strict nonpartisan tone.
• Proficiency with Canva and Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Gmail/Calendar).
• Experience with digital products/platforms at a DC media brand, PAC, trade association, or government affairs organization strongly preferred.
• Comfort working with performance data (open/click rates, conversion funnels, subscriber growth metrics) to inform decisions.
• Bachelor's degree preferred but not required with equivalent experience.

Pay: $70,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year

Benefits

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Professional development assistance
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person