Are you a hands-on marketing professional who can turn ideas into clear plans - and keep those plans moving through completion? Ag Express Electronics is seeking a Marketing Manager who brings creativity, organization, and accountability to marketing work while leading and developing department staff.
Job Summary:
The Marketing Manager is a hands-on management position who will lead department staff, coordinate external partners, and actively contribute to marketing content and campaigns. This role establishes effective workflows, monitors progress, removes obstacles, and maintains accountability for quality, deadlines, budgets, and results. This position translates business objectives into clear priorities, actionable plans, and completed deliverables.
This position is located at our Des Moines, Iowa location.
Qualifications
Key Responsibilities:
Marketing Planning and Execution
- Develop and implement marketing plans aligned with company strategy, customer needs, and business priorities.
- Establish campaign objectives, deliverables, responsibilities, timelines, budgets, and measures of success.
- Create and maintain a shared content and campaign calendar to coordinate priorities, resources, and deadlines.
- Actively develop, write, edit, and coordinate content and campaigns across digital, print, social media, and other channels.
- Lead marketing initiatives from concept through completion and evaluation, adjusting plans as business needs change.
Progress, Process, and Accountability
- Establish clear project ownership, expectations, milestones, and completion dates for staff, vendors, and other contributors.
- Review progress regularly, confirm next steps, and follow through on outstanding responsibilities and decisions.
- Identify and resolve delays, resource constraints, and competing priorities; escalate issues when leadership support is needed.
- Develop and maintain practical workflows for project intake, prioritization, content development, reviews, approvals, and implementation.
- Hold contributors and themselves accountable for commitments while improving processes to strengthen efficiency, consistency, and results.
Staff Leadership and Development
- Manage department staff through clear direction, work assignments, performance expectations, and regular communication.
- Coach and develop employees through constructive feedback, training, recognition, and timely attention to performance concerns.
- Delegate responsibilities and decision-making authority that support independent work within established objectives and standards.
- Balance workloads based on business priorities, employee capabilities, development needs, and available capacity.
- Maintain direct ownership of assigned marketing work while modeling the company’s core values: Customer First, Motivated, Innovative, and Authentic.
Creative Development and Brand Consistency
- Guide campaign direction, messaging, and creative development to support the intended audience and business purpose.
- Collaborate with staff and external partners to develop compelling content, visuals, and promotional materials.
- Contribute original ideas, copy, and content that communicate the value of the company’s products and services.
- Review marketing materials for factual accuracy, clarity, visual consistency, tone, and alignment with brand standards.
- Establish appropriate review and approval steps, including verification of technical information with internal subject matter experts.
Cross-Functional Collaboration and Company Representation
- Engage with sales, service, operations, HR, and other departments to understand business needs and coordinate marketing support.
- Build and maintain knowledge of company products, services, capabilities, customers, and competitive positioning.
- Gather information, feedback, and approvals needed to keep marketing initiatives accurate and on schedule.
- Clarify requests, establish realistic expectations, and communicate priorities and progress to internal stakeholders.
- Represent the company professionally and coordinate marketing support for trade shows, company events, and other initiatives.
Vendor and Budget Management
- Select, coordinate, and evaluate external marketing partners within delegated authority.
- Establish vendor scopes, deliverables, timelines, quality expectations, and costs.
- Monitor vendor performance and address missed commitments, quality concerns, and scope changes.
- Review proposals and negotiate pricing and service terms within approved authority and company procedures.
- Develop and monitor marketing budgets with leadership, track expenditures, and communicate anticipated variances.
Research, Measurement, and Reporting
- Use market research, customer insights, competitor activity, and industry trends to inform marketing decisions.
- Establish and track meaningful campaign and project performance measures aligned with business objectives.
- Analyze results and recommend improvements to content, channels, audience engagement, and campaign effectiveness.
- Provide regular updates on project progress, completed work, performance, spending, and challenges requiring action.
- Present recommendations supported by data and business feedback, and perform other duties as assigned.
Required Skills and Qualifications:
- Planning and Accountability: Ability to translate business objectives into actionable plans, organize competing priorities, establish workflows, and follow through to completion.
- Leadership and Collaboration: Ability to direct work, delegate, coach employees, and hold contributors accountable while building productive relationships across departments.
- Marketing and Content Development: Strong knowledge of marketing principles, brand management, digital channels, and campaign measurement, supported by effective writing, editing, and creative skills.
- Judgment and Attention to Detail: Proven accuracy, sound decision-making, and ability to balance creative ideas with business priorities, timelines, budgets, and resources.
- Adaptability and Technical Proficiency: Ability to learn technical products and services, respond effectively to change, and use Microsoft Office, creative software, social media, analytics, and project management tools.
Required Experience/Education/Training/Certifications:
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
Work Experience:
- Minimum of five years of progressively responsible marketing experience, including hands-on campaign development, content creation, and project execution.
- Demonstrated experience leading projects and directing the work of employees, vendors, or cross-functional contributors; prior staff supervision is preferred.
- Experience in a small or midsize company, or a comparable environment requiring broad responsibilities and active participation in daily work.
- Experience marketing technical products or services, or working in agriculture, electronics, manufacturing, or a related industry, is preferred.
Physical Demands:
- Travel: Ability to travel frequently, including overnight travel. Valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record.
- Lifting and Carrying: Occasionally, the role may involve lifting and carrying equipment, tools, or materials weighing up to a certain limit.
- Standing and Walking: Some tasks may require standing and walking around the facility for limited periods of time, such as collaborating with coworkers and testing certain equipment.
- Sitting for Extended Periods: Much of the work may be conducted at a desk or workstation, requiring the ability to sit for extended periods
- Repetitive Motion: Some tasks may involve repetitive motions of the hands, especially prolonged periods of typing on a computer to perform administrative and operational tasks. Ergonomic practices should be followed to minimize the risk of repetitive strain injuries.
- Safety Awareness: Awareness of and adherence to safety protocols and procedures is essential when navigating the organization’s facilities to ensure compliance and minimize the risk of workplace hazards or accidents.
Ag Express Electronics is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for employees with disabilities and ensuring a supportive work environment. Candidates are encouraged to discuss specific needs during the application process.
Why Ag Express Electronics?
- 100% Employee-Owned Company and ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan)
- Competitive salary plus performance-based incentive opportunity
- Safe Harbor 401(k) with company contribution
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits
- Paid Time Off and paid holidays
- Company-paid life insurance
- Professional development and training opportunities
- Opportunity to work with industry-leading precision agriculture technology and an outstanding team committed to serving agriculture
Benefits:
Ag Express Electronics offers a leading benefits package as highlighted below:
- Employer-Sponsored Benefits: Medical, Dental, Group Life, Short-Term Disability (STD) with buy-up options
- Voluntary Benefits: Vision, Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account(s) (FSA), Life Insurance
- 401(k): Safe Harbor 401(k) including an annual 3% company contribution and Profit Share funded annually at the discretion of Ag Express Electronics.
- Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP): Contribution funded annually at the discretion of Ag Express Electronics.
- Paid Time Off (PTO): PTO allowance to support work-life balance and provide employees with opportunities for rest, relaxation, and personal pursuits.
- Holiday Benefits: Recognition and observance of holidays by Ag Express Electronics, allowing employees to celebrate.
- Flexible Hours: Flexible work hours empower employees to have greater control over their work schedules, fostering a better work-life balance and increased flexibility to accommodate personal commitments.
- Educational Assistance: Support for employee development through educational assistance, including financial support for further education or professional certifications relevant to their roles, ensuring continuous learning and growth opportunities.
- Casual Dress Environment: Enjoy a casual dress environment at work, with company-provided branded clothing to promote comfort and a sense of belonging among employees.
Ag Express Electronics is an Equal Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, sex, gender, identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law.
About Us:
Ag Express Electronics is a leading provider of innovative electrical solutions for agricultural, construction, and industrial applications. We specialize in designing custom electrical harnesses and distribution systems to meet the unique needs of our clients. Our team is dedicated to delivering high-quality, reliable, and efficient solutions that exceed customer expectations.
Join a 100% Employee-Owned Company
At Ag Express Electronics, we're passionate about helping agricultural producers maximize the performance of their equipment through innovative electronics repair, precision agriculture solutions, and exceptional customer support. As a 100% Employee-Owned (ESOP) company, every employee shares in our success and plays a direct role in our future.
