📌 Core Information
🔹 Job Title: Associate Director, Affiliate Marketing
🔹 Company: Tombras
🔹 Location: Knoxville, TN or Atlanta, GA
🔹 Job Type: Full-Time
🔹 Category: Marketing
🔹 Date Posted: April 21, 2025
🔹 Experience Level: 5-10 years
🔹 Remote Status: On-site (Relocation assistance may be offered)
🚀 Job Overview
Key aspects of this role include:
- Leading affiliate strategy and execution across national clients
- Managing a team of affiliate marketers
- Building and maintaining relationships with affiliate partners and publishers
- Optimizing campaigns and budgets for revenue growth
- Collaborating cross-functionally with media leadership and internal teams
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a strategic thinker and relationship builder with a proven track record in affiliate marketing, platform management, and publisher development.
📋 Key Responsibilities
✅ Architect affiliate strategies, build partnerships with vendors/publishers/affiliates, and optimize client campaigns and budgets
✅ Lead the development and execution of affiliate marketing strategies that drive revenue growth
✅ Manage a team of affiliate marketers and ensure they’re meeting goals and growth objectives
✅ Develop and maintain strong relationships with affiliate partners and publishers to secure premium opportunities, better rates, and improved placements
✅ Identify and recruit new affiliate partners across editorial, influencer, network, loyalty, and brand-to-brand channels
✅ Confidently present affiliate strategies and campaign performance to clients on a regular basis
✅ Collaborate with cross-functional teams including brand, legal, analytics, and paid media to coordinate campaign execution
✅ Monitor and analyze performance data to identify opportunities to improve KPIs, increase scale, and enhance marketing efficiency
✅ Develop testing roadmaps and “test & learn” frameworks to continuously optimize campaign effectiveness
✅ Oversee new campaign launches, including tracking setup, pixel placements, suppression lists, creative updates, and technical troubleshooting
✅ Handle day-to-day affiliate communications, field questions, and resolve issues to ensure smooth execution
✅ Drive strategic planning across accounts, prioritizing high-impact initiatives and growth opportunities
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a strong understanding of the digital media landscape and CPA/ROAS-based campaigns, as well as exceptional communication and relationship management skills.
🎯 Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
Experience: 4+ years of experience in affiliate marketing, ideally in a fast-paced agency or performance-driven environment
Required Skills:
- Hands-on experience with affiliate platforms such as Impact, CJ, Rakuten, Awin, etc.
- Strong analytical skills and fluency in Excel/Google Sheets for performance reporting and forecasting
- Deep understanding of the digital media landscape and CPA/ROAS-based campaigns
- Exceptional communication and relationship management skills
- Ability to prioritize effectively, manage competing deadlines, and lead complex projects
- A proactive mindset, creative deal-making instincts, and the ability to spot new affiliate opportunities
- A sense of humor and a genuine desire to have fun while doing great work
Preferred Skills:
- Experience managing influencer or creator partnerships within affiliate influencer networks
- Familiarity or experience managing customer referral programs
- Experience building or scaling affiliate programs from the ground up
- Experience working with paid media platforms like Google, Meta, and TikTok as part of broader affiliate or performance strategies
- Comfort presenting to senior leadership and distilling complex performance data into actionable insights
ASSUMPTION: Candidates with experience in managing influencer partnerships, customer referral programs, and paid media platforms may have an advantage in this role.
💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: $120,000 - $160,000 per year (Estimated based on industry standards for this role and experience level)
Benefits:
- Unlimited PTO
- Generous parental leave for primary and non-primary caregivers
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employee and dependents
- 401(k) participation
Working Hours: Full-time, typically 40 hours per week
ASSUMPTION: The salary range provided is an estimate based on industry standards for this role and experience level. Actual salary may vary based on factors such as skills, experience, and company performance.
📌 Applicant Insights
🔍 Company Context
Industry: Advertising Services
Company Size: 201-500 employees
Founded: 1946
Company Description:
- Tombras is a 450+ person, full-service agency with a digital mindset
- One of the top independent agencies in North America
- Unified by the philosophy: Connecting Data & Creativity for Business Results.®
Company Specialties:
- Branding
- Marketing
- Advertising
- Digital
- Media
- Public Relations
- Social Media
- Direct Marketing
- Mobile
- and Search Engine Optimization
Company Website: http://www.tombras.com
ASSUMPTION: Tombras is a well-established agency with a strong focus on data-driven creativity and a diverse range of services.
📊 Role Analysis
Career Level: Mid-level to senior management
Reporting Structure: Reports to the Director of Affiliate Marketing
Work Arrangement: On-site, with relocation assistance offered
Growth Opportunities:
- Potential to advance to a Director or VP role within the affiliate marketing team
- Opportunities to work on high-profile national clients and drive significant revenue growth
- Chance to mentor and develop junior team members
ASSUMPTION: This role offers significant growth potential for the right candidate, with opportunities to advance within the affiliate marketing team and make a substantial impact on the company's success.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: Modern, downtown offices in Knoxville, TN and Atlanta, GA
Office Location(s): 620 S Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902, US and 1776 Peachtree St NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30309, US
Geographic Context:
- Knoxville, TN: A medium-sized city with a growing tech and startup scene, offering a lower cost of living compared to larger cities
- Atlanta, GA: A major metropolitan area with a diverse economy and a thriving tech industry, offering a wide range of cultural and entertainment options
Work Schedule: Standard business hours, with flexibility for remote work as needed
ASSUMPTION: The location of this role offers candidates the choice between a medium-sized city with a lower cost of living and a major metropolitan area with a diverse economy and cultural offerings.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process:
- Phone or video screen with the hiring manager
- In-depth interview with the affiliate marketing team
- Final interview with the Director of Affiliate Marketing
Key Assessment Areas:
- Affiliate marketing expertise and strategic thinking
- Relationship-building and communication skills
- Project management and team leadership abilities
- Data analysis and reporting skills
Application Tips:
- Highlight your experience with affiliate platforms and data-driven decision-making
- Include examples of successful affiliate marketing campaigns you've managed
- Demonstrate your understanding of the digital media landscape and CPA/ROAS-based campaigns
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to emphasize your relevant skills and experiences
ATS Keywords: Affiliate Marketing, Platform Management, Publisher Development, Analytical Skills, Communication Skills, Relationship Management, Project Management, Data Analysis, Campaign Optimization, Strategic Planning, Team Management, Performance Reporting, Digital Media, Creative Deal-Making, Influencer Partnerships, Customer Referral Programs
ASSUMPTION: Applicants should focus on demonstrating their expertise in affiliate marketing, data analysis, and communication skills throughout the application and interview process.
🛠️ Tools & Technologies
- Affiliate platforms: Impact, CJ, Rakuten, Awin, etc.
- Excel/Google Sheets
- Project management tools (e.g., Asana, Trello, Jira)
- Data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI)
- Paid media platforms (e.g., Google Ads, Meta Ads, TikTok Ads)
ASSUMPTION: Familiarity with these tools and technologies is essential for success in this role.
👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values:
- Connecting Data & Creativity for Business Results.®
- Collaboration and teamwork
- Continuous learning and improvement
- Integrity and transparency
- Fun and enjoyment in the workplace
Work Style:
- Data-driven and strategic
- Collaborative and team-oriented
- Proactive and solution-oriented
- Adaptable and open to change
- Fun and engaging
Self-Assessment Questions:
- Do you thrive in a data-driven environment and enjoy using data to inform strategic decisions?
- Are you an effective communicator and relationship builder, with the ability to work well with diverse teams?
- Do you have a proactive mindset and the ability to manage complex projects and competing deadlines?
- Are you comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic agency environment?
- Do you enjoy having fun and fostering a positive work environment?
ASSUMPTION: Candidates who align with Tombras' values and work style, and who can answer these self-assessment questions affirmatively, are likely to be a strong fit for this role.
⚠️ Potential Challenges
- Managing a team and ensuring they meet goals and growth objectives
- Balancing multiple client campaigns and priorities
- Keeping up with industry trends and platform updates
- Working in a fast-paced agency environment with tight deadlines
- Managing relationships with affiliate partners and publishers, and negotiating favorable terms
ASSUMPTION: These challenges require strong project management, communication, and relationship-building skills, as well as the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
- This role focuses more on strategic planning and team leadership than tactical execution, compared to junior affiliate marketing roles
- Unlike some affiliate marketing roles, this position requires a strong understanding of the digital media landscape and CPA/ROAS-based campaigns
- Career progression in this role may involve advancing to a Director or VP role within the affiliate marketing team, rather than transitioning to a different function within the agency
ASSUMPTION: This role offers a unique blend of strategic planning, team leadership, and affiliate marketing expertise, with a clear path for career growth within the affiliate marketing team.
📝 Sample Projects
- Developing and executing a comprehensive affiliate marketing strategy for a national retail client, driving a 25% increase in revenue within the first six months
- Managing a team of affiliate marketers to optimize campaigns for a portfolio of e-commerce clients, resulting in an average ROI increase of 15% across all accounts
- Negotiating favorable terms with affiliate partners and publishers, securing premium placements and improving campaign performance for a national B2B client
ASSUMPTION: These sample projects demonstrate the strategic, team-oriented, and data-driven nature of the Associate Director, Affiliate Marketing role at Tombras.
❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- What are the key priorities for this role in the first 30-60-90 days?
- How does this role collaborate with other teams within the agency, such as paid media and brand teams?
- What opportunities are there for professional development and growth within the affiliate marketing team and the agency as a whole?
- How does Tombras support work-life balance for its employees?
- What is the company's approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and how does that manifest in the day-to-day work environment?
ASSUMPTION: These questions will help applicants better understand the role, the company culture, and the opportunities for professional growth and development.
📌 Next Steps for Applicants
To apply for this position:
- Submit your application through this link
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant skills and experiences in affiliate marketing, data analysis, and project management
- Prepare examples of successful affiliate marketing campaigns you've managed, and be ready to discuss them in the interview
- Research Tombras' company culture and values, and be prepared to discuss how you align with them
- Follow up with the hiring manager one week after submitting your application, expressing your continued interest in the role
⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.
