Sr. Marketing Operations Manager (AI Strategy & Innovation)

About us- Cognex is the largest, most successful and recognized global player in industrial machine vision! We are a financially strong, international company with no debt and have been in business for over 40 years. Using advanced optics, image sensors and artificial intelligence software Cognex vision and ID systems capture an image then analyze it to make sense of what’s being seen. We are deeply committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable work environment, guided by our "Work Hard, Play Hard, Move Fast" culture, which celebrates employee innovation, determination, and dedication in a dynamic, fun, and distinctive atmosphere.

We are working on a hybrid schedule, 3 days in the office, 2 at home.

Cognex is seeking a technical Sr. Marketing Operations Manager, experienced in the use of  AI and LLM technologies in Marketing automation, to join our Marketing Operations team. This role is crucial for developing, implementing, and continually innovating an effective AI strategy within marketing and managing our technology stack in accordance with that strategy. As a crucial member of our Marketing Ops team, you will move us from manual, reactive processes to predictive, automated, and AI-native workflows. You will manage and optimize the integration of AI technologies across our MarTech stack helping us to increase efficiency throughout the lead-to-revenue funnel. You will infuse best practices, industry trends and experimentation into our AI strategy. 

Key Responsibilities:

AI Strategy & Innovation:

• Develop and execute a strategy to leverage AI for experimentation, innovation, efficiency, automation, and performance within the Marketing function 

• Develop a repeatable approach to identify AI tools and/or AI capabilities that can automate tasks such as lead scoring, data cleansing, data enrichment, data segmentation and analysis, and campaign personalization and optimization. Test tools and capabilities and present findings along with recommendations to stakeholders. 

• Develop new use cases to infuse AI prompts and workflows into our daily processes to enable the Marketing team to be more efficient. Train Marketers on to use new tools or capabilities within existing tools. 

• Research new use cases and tools to expand and/or enrich our tech stack and processes. Stay on top of industry trends and surface ideas to keep up with global best practices.  

MarTech Stack Management & Optimization: 

• Manage, analyze and optimize the MarTech stack, including Salesforce Account Engagement (Pardot), Knak, ZoomInfo, Ringlead, TransPerfect, Vonage, HVS, and Qualified Chat. Ensure data flows between tools are accurate and workflows within the tools are running properly. Work closely with stakeholders to resolve any issues or implement enhancements. 

• Plan and integrate 3rd party tools with Salesforce CRM or Salesforce Account Engagement (Pardot). Handle requirements gathering, submit IT requests, be the marketing point-of-contact, conduct user testing, provide status updates to stakeholders and drive implementation through to completion. Ensure end-users are properly notified and trained on new tools and processes. Gather end-user feedback and request enhancements post-launch, as needed. 

• Collaborate with other teams (Sales, IT, Sales Operations, Sales Enabelement, Demand Generation, Digital Marketing) to optimize existing tools to ensure our current tech stack meets the business’ needs. Manage enhancement requests from concept to completion including end-user training. 

• Evaluate and experiment with new tools to improve capabilities and streamline operations. Conduct vendor demos with IT to evaluate new solutions as needed. 

Analytics & Reporting: 

• Audit our existing marketing data set to identify gaps and inconsistencies. Recommend new workflow builds, process changes, or data remediation to have consistent and reliable data. 

• Analyze monthly KPI data to uncover actionable insights, identifying trends and opportunities for lead to revenue optimization. Present these findings at weekly meetings with stakeholders. 

• Work with finance to create models that measure ROI to inform project prioritization, budget requirements, and resource allocation. Work with finance throughout the project to ensure ROI is captured and tracked as modeled. 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

• Admin experience with Marketing Automation platforms required, preferably Salesforce’s Account Engagement (Pardot), including experience with marketing automation workflows and best practices. 

• Experience with Salesforce CRM, Qualified Chat, Knak, Monday.com, TransPerfect, ZoomInfo, Ringlead or similar technology strongly preferred.  

• Hands-on experience using AI for B2B Marketing use cases, creating native workflows or using purpose-built workflow tools, and building agents within CRM or marketing platforms. 

• Strong analytical skills for data interpretation, analysis, and insights. Ability to p create and provide recommendations and next steps based on analysis. 

• Ability to manage complex, cross-functional projects in a B2B environment with a wide range of stakeholders. 

• Effective communication and collaboration skills for working with international and cross-functional teams. 

Minimum Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.  

• 8+ years of experience in a highly technical marketing operations or marketing analyst role, as part of a B2B organization 

Cognex believes in fair and equitable pay. A reasonable estimate of the base salary range for this role is $120,000 USD - $220,000 USD. Please note that actual salaries may vary within the range, or be above or below the range, based on factors including, but not limited to, education, training, experience, professional achievement, business need, and location. In addition to base salary, employees will participate in either an annual bonus plan based on company and individual performance or a sales incentive plan.

This position provides a comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, and vision insurance; a 401(k) retirement plan with company matching; employer-paid disability, family leave, and life insurance; paid time off (including holidays); optional voluntary benefits; and recognition and wellness programs.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Cognex is an equal opportunity employer. Cognex evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, disability/handicap status or any other legally protected characteristic.