Content Strategy Manager

Primary Function:

Zoro is looking for a strategic-minded individual who can help with our new efforts in Content Marketing. As a growing e-retailer, we have a growing need to provide not only the supplies our customers need, but also to provide value-add informational content to help customers with their buying decisions, engage with our target audience in new ways, and to reinforce Zoro’s brand.

A successful Content Marketing Strategist will need an entrepreneurial / “builder” mindset to help stand up this new function at Zoro. Development of the content strategy will require a deep understanding of our business, the customers that we serve, and content creation best practices. The person in this role will interact with various parts of the Zoro organization while sitting on the Digital Marketing team. It would be common for this person to work with partners in Social Media, SEM/SEO, Email, Creative Services, Industry Marketing, Merchandising, UI/UX and Category Management on content creation, execution, and delivery to intended audiences. This individual will need to develop strong relationships with stakeholders and will need to be able to successfully influence others to reach desired organizational outcomes.

There is also an expectation that the person in this role may need to fill Public Relations functions for Zoro on an occasional basis i.e. if the need arises where an ad hoc press release needs to be written and shared with relevant media partners, or if we need to liaise with the PR team at our parent company.

Given that Zoro is a B2B retailer, a strong background knowledge of the B2B mindset for both customers and the suppliers who partner with us to sell their product is preferred.

This job is an individual contributor role in the immediate term, but it has potential to take on additional scope as the role matures beyond its startup phase.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Consolidating Zoro’s Content Marketing practices from disparate parts of the organization into one newly formed, centralized function. 
• Developing an overarching Content Marketing strategy that aligns with Zoro’s overall business strategy, our brand promise, and the goals of the specific content being designed. 
• Providing strategic direction, thought leadership in applying content best practices for Merchandising and Marketing. 
• Developing, maintaining, and supporting appropriate content and messaging frameworks, e.g. style guides 
• Building processes for content creation in partnership with Zoro’s Creative Services group 
• Developing and maintaining an editorial calendar to organize and schedule content 
• Managing agency partners and other outside vendors and overseeing budgets for content-related marketing efforts 
• Evangelising Content Marketing within Zoro and convincingly demonstrating the business value that it provides the organization. 
• Regularly capturing and reporting on relevant metrics that uncover meaningful Content Marketing insights for our business.

• Bachelor's degree required: journalism, marketing, public relations are a plus; MA/MS/MBA preferred 
• Seven to ten years experience in a related content field 
• Demonstrated ability to lead content marketing campaigns; first hand experience in content marketing with industrial supply distribution companies are a plus 
• Understanding of content marketing best practices and tactics such as SEO link-building outreach, digital advertising, and social media marketing 
• Experience managing press releases 
• Demonstrated ability to work across cross functional organizations and develop cohesive executable strategies 
• Outstanding communication skills, written and verbal 
• Strong organizational and time-management skills 
• Mastery of standard spreadsheet, word processing, and presentation software