📌 Core Information
🔹 Job Title: Senior Director, Marketing Activation
🔹 Company: Root Insurance
🔹 Location: HQ - US - Columbus
🔹 Job Type: Full-Time
🔹 Category: Marketing
🔹 Date Posted: 2025-05-14
🔹 Experience Level: 10+ years
🔹 Remote Status: Remote OK
🚀 Job Overview
Key aspects of this role include:
- Building and leading a specialized team to optimize Root's marketing and distribution strategies
- Initiating partnerships and new channel strategies
- Transitioning established channels to data science teams for optimization
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams, including Product, Business Development, and Data Science
- Partnering with high-profile external partners for joint marketing initiatives
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a strategic thinker with a strong background in marketing and a solid understanding of data analysis to succeed in this unique, data-driven environment.
📋 Key Responsibilities
✅ Serve as the strategic marketing advisor to executive leadership and data science across channels
✅ Develop comprehensive go-to-market strategies for Root's key initiatives, with initial focus on partnership marketing
✅ Design and implement scalable frameworks to test, learn, and optimize marketing approaches, especially for "cold starts" in new channels
✅ Establish standardized processes for marketing launches to ensure consistency and quality
✅ Collaborate closely with Product, Business Development, and Data Science teams to align marketing efforts with business priorities
✅ Create transitional frameworks to effectively hand off established channels to our data science teams
✅ Partner with high-profile external partners (Toyota, Hyundai, etc.) to plan and execute joint marketing initiatives
ASSUMPTION: This role involves a high degree of collaboration and requires strong communication skills to work effectively with various teams and external partners.
🎯 Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
Experience: 10+ years of marketing experience with 5+ years in leadership roles
Required Skills:
- Proven background in large-scale, cross-channel marketing launches for national/global brands
- Deep expertise in taking new products/experiences to market through marketing and advertising
- Demonstrated success with "cold starts" in new marketing channels and audiences
- Technical understanding of CRMs, including email and SMS configuration
- Experience leading A/B testing and data-driven optimization programs
- Strong track record of building and developing high-performing teams
- Experience partnering with C-level executives and external partners
- Exceptional cross-functional leadership skills
- Comfort working in a data-driven organization where marketing decisions are informed by analytics
Preferred Skills:
- Experience in the insurance industry
- Familiarity with mobile telematic platforms
ASSUMPTION: While not explicitly stated, experience in the insurance industry or familiarity with mobile telematic platforms could be beneficial but is not strictly required for this role.
💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: $176,000 - $220,000 (LTI & Bonus Eligible)
Benefits:
- Health, dental, and vision insurance
- 401(k) with company match
- Flexible time off
- Parental leave
- Employee stock purchase plan
Working Hours: Full-time, with flexibility for remote work
ASSUMPTION: The salary range provided is an estimate based on industry standards for similar roles and experience levels. Benefits information is based on typical benefits packages for companies of this size in the insurance industry.
📌 Applicant Insights
🔍 Company Context
Industry: Root Insurance is a FinTech company disrupting the trillion-dollar insurance industry by creating powerful insurance products and technology platforms that promote fairness, simplicity, and personalization.
Company Size: Root Insurance has 1,001-5,000 employees, providing a mid-sized company environment with ample opportunities for growth and collaboration.
Founded: Root Insurance was founded in 2015, making it a relatively young company with a strong focus on innovation and disruption.
Company Description:
- Root Insurance uses machine learning and mobile telematic platforms to offer personalized, fair, and affordable car insurance.
- The company aims to challenge traditional insurance models by leveraging data and technology to create a better customer experience.
- Root Insurance is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace, with a focus on hiring assertive self-starters who find solutions through curiosity, rigor, and an analytical lens.
Company Specialties:
- Car Insurance
- Mobile App
- Technology
- Automotive Telematics
- Insurance
- Data Science
- and Engineering
Company Website: http://root.com
ASSUMPTION: Root Insurance is a rapidly growing company with a strong focus on innovation and data-driven decision making, providing ample opportunities for career growth and development.
📊 Role Analysis
Career Level: This role is a senior leadership position, reporting directly to executive leadership and requiring a high degree of strategic thinking and decision making.
Reporting Structure: The Senior Director of Marketing Activation will lead a specialized team and collaborate with various cross-functional teams, including Product, Business Development, and Data Science.
Work Arrangement: This role is remote OK, offering flexibility for employees to work from home or in the office as needed.
Growth Opportunities:
- As Root Insurance continues to grow and expand, there may be opportunities for this role to evolve or for the incumbent to take on additional responsibilities.
- With a strong track record of success, the incumbent may have the opportunity to advance to an even more senior role within the organization.
ASSUMPTION: Given Root Insurance's focus on data-driven decision making and continuous improvement, there are likely ample opportunities for professional growth and development in this role.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: Root Insurance has a physical headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, but this role is remote OK, allowing for flexibility in work location.
Office Location(s): 80 E Rich St, Columbus, Ohio 43215, US
Geographic Context:
- Columbus, Ohio, is the state capital and the largest city in Ohio, offering a diverse range of cultural, recreational, and entertainment options.
- The city is home to a thriving tech industry, with a strong focus on startups and innovation.
- Columbus has a humid continental climate, with warm summers and cold, snowy winters.
Work Schedule: Full-time, with flexibility for remote work
ASSUMPTION: While this role is remote OK, there may be occasional travel required for meetings, events, or partnership initiatives.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process:
- Phone or video screen with a member of the HR team
- Behavioral and situational interviews with hiring managers and team members
- Final interview with the executive leadership team
Key Assessment Areas:
- Strategic thinking and problem-solving skills
- Leadership and team-building abilities
- Cross-functional collaboration and communication skills
- Data-driven decision making and analytical skills
Application Tips:
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your marketing experience, leadership skills, and data-driven approach to problem-solving.
- Be prepared to discuss your experience with "cold starts" in new marketing channels and audiences, as well as your ability to optimize marketing approaches through A/B testing and data analysis.
- Demonstrate your understanding of Root Insurance's unique approach to marketing and data-driven decision making in your application materials.
ATS Keywords: Marketing Strategy, Partnership Marketing, Cross-Channel Marketing, Data-Driven Decision Making, A/B Testing, CRM, Optimization Programs, Team Building, C-Level Partnership, Strategic Marketing, Collaboration
ASSUMPTION: As Root Insurance is a data-driven organization, applicants should expect a thorough assessment of their analytical and problem-solving skills throughout the interview process.
🛠️ Tools & Technologies
- CRM software (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot, or similar)
- Marketing automation tools (e.g., Marketo, Pardot, or similar)
- Data analysis and visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, or similar)
- Project management tools (e.g., Asana, Trello, or similar)
ASSUMPTION: The specific tools and technologies required for this role may vary depending on Root Insurance's current tech stack and the incumbent's preferences and expertise.
👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values:
- Autonomy: Root Insurance values assertive self-starters who find solutions through curiosity, rigor, and an analytical lens.
- Impact: The company seeks individuals who challenge the way things have always been done to solve problems that have a big impact on their business.
- Collaboration: Root Insurance encourages rich discussion and civil debate at every turn.
- People: The company is inspired by the collection of crazy-smart people around them.
Work Style:
- Data-driven: Root Insurance makes decisions based on data and analytics, with a strong focus on continuous improvement and optimization.
- Collaborative: The company values cross-functional collaboration and communication, with a focus on working together to achieve common goals.
- Innovative: Root Insurance is committed to challenging traditional insurance models and creating powerful, personalized insurance products and technology platforms.
Self-Assessment Questions:
- Do you thrive in a data-driven environment where marketing decisions are informed by analytics?
- Are you comfortable working in a collaborative, cross-functional setting, with a focus on achieving common goals?
- Do you have a proven track record of building and developing high-performing teams?
ASSUMPTION: Applicants should be prepared to demonstrate their alignment with Root Insurance's company values and work style throughout the interview process.
⚠️ Potential Challenges
- Working in a rapidly growing, data-driven organization may require adaptability and a willingness to learn new tools and processes.
- Collaborating with various cross-functional teams and external partners may present unique communication and coordination challenges.
- As Root Insurance continues to grow and expand, the incumbent may face challenges in scaling their team and processes to keep up with the company's evolving needs.
- The insurance industry is highly regulated, which may present unique challenges and constraints for marketing initiatives.
ASSUMPTION: While these challenges may present obstacles, they also provide opportunities for growth and development in this role.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
- Unlike traditional marketing roles, this position requires a strong background in data analysis and a willingness to collaborate closely with data science teams.
- As a senior leadership role, this position requires a high degree of strategic thinking and decision making, with a focus on driving business results through marketing initiatives.
- Career progression in this role may involve advancing to an even more senior role within the organization or taking on additional responsibilities as Root Insurance continues to grow and expand.
ASSUMPTION: Applicants should be prepared to discuss their unique qualifications and experiences in relation to these specific aspects of the role during the interview process.
📝 Sample Projects
- Developing and executing a comprehensive go-to-market strategy for a new partnership or channel initiative
- Designing and implementing a scalable framework for testing, learning, and optimizing marketing approaches in new channels
- Establishing standardized processes for marketing launches to ensure consistency and quality across the organization
ASSUMPTION: These sample projects are intended to illustrate the types of initiatives the incumbent may be responsible for in this role, but the specific projects may vary depending on Root Insurance's current priorities and business needs.
❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- How does Root Insurance approach marketing strategy and decision making, and how does this role fit into that framework?
- Can you describe the team structure and dynamics for the marketing activation team, and how does this role collaborate with other cross-functional teams?
- How does Root Insurance support the professional growth and development of its employees, particularly in senior leadership roles?
- What are the key priorities for this role in the first 30, 60, and 90 days, and how will success be measured?
- How does Root Insurance approach work-life balance and flexibility for remote employees?
ASSUMPTION: Applicants should use the interview process as an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Root Insurance's unique approach to marketing and data-driven decision making, as well as the specific requirements and expectations for this role.
📌 Next Steps for Applicants
To apply for this position:
- Submit your application through this link
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your marketing experience, leadership skills, and data-driven approach to problem-solving.
- Prepare for behavioral and situational interviews by reflecting on your experience with "cold starts" in new marketing channels and audiences, as well as your ability to optimize marketing approaches through A/B testing and data analysis.
- Demonstrate your understanding of Root Insurance's unique approach to marketing and data-driven decision making in your application materials.
- Follow up with the hiring manager one week after submitting your application to express your continued interest in the role.
⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.
