Request for Proposal-The Wilson Center

Digital Marketing and Design Specialist

Proposed bid amount/Experience/SAM.gov registration will be primary factors for the awarding of this contract.

Contract maximum:  $75,000 -110,000 per annum, 40-hour week-- depending upon experience

Purpose:

The in-house, full-time contractor will be responsible for Wilson Center’s marketing program including the strategy, design and execution of all global brand, email, social, event, product and fundraising marketing campaigns and the management of the Wilson Center’s CRM/email marketing system.

The ideal candidate will be a talented, driven, multitasking marketer, experienced in driving successful digital campaigns with an international reach, who blends email expertise with an analytical mind and a demonstrated interest in foreign policy and global affairs.

Must have a digital marketing background who has successfully designed, executed, maintained, and optimized all types of brand marketing campaigns. The Specialist will work with the Director of Digital Communications and Marketing to create and execute campaigns to drive key metrics, including event registrations, subscriptions, attendance, conversions, lead generation and fundraising activity on the Wilson Center’s email communications and digital properties.

The Wilson Center is seeking the contractor to work 40 hours per week, in-house at The Wilson Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC 20004 for a period of 12 months with the possibility of renewal.

The work will promote the Wilson Center’s brand and work and demonstrate in a rich and compelling way, the impact of the Wilson Center’s research with the aim of inspiring support for the Center and engaging its multiple global audiences.

Background:

The Wilson Center, chartered by Congress as the official memorial to President Woodrow Wilson, is the nation’s key non-partisan policy forum for tackling global issues through independent research and open dialogue to inform actionable ideas for the policy community.

The Center is “a living memorial,” a gathering place for some of the best and brightest scholars and experts from around the world. Their work is the centerpiece of our activity and informs the nation’s public policy debates with nonpartisan and relevant research and information.

At the Wilson Center, preeminent scholars and experts research topics of national and international relevance. The Center links the worlds of academia and public policy, to inform and develop solutions to the nation’s problems and challenges.

Through public meetings and events, broadcast media and social media, publications in print and online, and a wide range of outreach activities, the Wilson Center is engaged in the global dialogue of ideas.

Anticipated Projects and Deliverables:

The Digital Marketing and Design Specialist would work with the External Relations team under guidance of Lauren Booth, Director of Digital Communications and Marketing and would be responsible for the following:

• Manage day-to-day email marketing campaign execution, including planning, targeting, set-up, testing, execution, reporting and optimization.

1. Execute various email campaigns, including the template designs and calls-to-action.
2. Provide quality assurance for the different versions of the email campaign, including rendering testing.
3. Optimize emails for deliverability, mobile rendering, open rates, etc.  
4. Segment lists based on behaviors like past email engagement and website interactions (content downloads, site page visits, etc.).

• Manage and administer the Wilson Center’s CRM/email marketing system, Every Action, providing technical support, training, and consultation to staff users on a variety of email, social, event, product and fundraising marketing campaigns. Keep up-to-date on new developments with the system; administer user accounts.
   

• Collaborate with program stakeholders to create and execute dynamic email, social, event, product and fundraising marketing campaigns. Deliver highly-targeted/segmented marketing campaigns, lifecycle emails, retention/reactivation programs, and loyalty building communications.
   

• Regularly report on email, social, event, product and fundraising marketing campaign performance, offering analysis on what the data means and how we can improve the Center’s digital marketing efforts.
   

• Manage the Center’s Google Analytics account and assist with the Google AdWords account.
• Provide back-up support for maintenance of the wilsoncenter.org website and administration of the website content management system.
• Assist team with broader digital marketing strategy and implementing projects as desired and perform other duties as assigned.
   

Contract Period

Work would be performed for a one-year period starting in the fall with possibility of renewal.

Knowledge:

This position requires experience in all types of digital marketing with a concentration in email marketing and with a proven track record in the coordination of marketing across all digital channels including email, social, and web. The position requires experience in the development and execution of branding and email campaign strategies for onboarding, fundraising, and content engagement and various levels of conversion. The Digital Marketing and Design Specialist must have extensive experience with Customer Relationship Management Systems and Email automation systems. Experience with the Every Action CRM is highly desirable. The positon requires data management skills and experience.

The position requires a high-level of attention to detail and diligence in sending out error-free communications both in copy and execution. This position requires knowledge of the CAN-SPAM Act, the GDPR, and privacy laws/protection of PII. The position requires advanced knowledge of the principles of email deliverability.

The Digital Marketing and Design Specialist requires advanced skill in graphic design specifically for email templates; advanced skill in HTML and CSS for mobile and for Microsoft Outlook. As measuring and tracking success is key, solid experience in email campaign analysis including open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates; advanced knowledge of Google Analytics and the G Suite for Non-profits. 

The position requires the ability to multitask and communicate effectively under deadlines, and high-level experience writing/editing engaging and accurate content using clear, grammatically correct language for digital platforms, including emails, websites, blogs, and social media platforms. Knowledge of international affairs and U.S. foreign policy is required.

The ability to think strategically and juggle competing priorities and meet multiple deadlines is essential, as is skill in oral communication to develop and maintain effective relationships with other staff, scholars, experts affiliated with the Center, contractors, and the general public.

Bid Requirements and Schedule:

Bids must be received by September 3, 2019.  Bidders must have registered in SAM.gov at time of bid. Candidate must receive successful active approval in SAM.gov to be awarded contract.

Please provide resume and bid proposal that demonstrates experience and capability in the areas requested and how past work and organizational goals were met.

Please provide work samples of marketing campaigns that demonstrate your expertise.

Please bid work based on hourly rate.

Please acquire DUNS number and get registered on SAM.gov immediately if you are not already registered. It takes several days to get a DUNS number and a couple weeks to get a SAM.gov registration—we suggest you apply for this before crafting proposal due to time of processing.

Active SAM.gov registration is required to be eligible for the contract.

Please send proposals via email to Suzanne.Napper@wilsoncenter.org.