What is an email deliverability specialist?

An email deliverability specialist is a professional focused on ensuring marketing and transactional emails successfully reach recipients' inboxes, avoiding spam folders or blocklists. They manage sender reputation, implement authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and troubleshoot delivery issues to maximize inbox placement. This role is increasingly vital given the complex landscape of email filtering. Learn more about appropriate job titles.

How important are technical skills for email marketers today?

Technical skills are extremely important. Modern email marketers need to understand email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), email service provider (ESP) integrations, basic coding (HTML, CSS for email), and data analysis tools. This technical foundation ensures emails are not only well-designed but also properly authenticated and delivered.

What are the career growth opportunities in email marketing?

Email marketing offers diverse career growth. You can advance from a specialist to a manager, lead, or head of email, focusing more on strategy and team leadership. Opportunities also exist in email development, marketing operations, or transitioning into broader digital marketing roles like performance marketing or product management, leveraging your specialized knowledge.

How do recent changes affect email marketing job security?

Recent changes, such as stricter sender requirements from Google and Yahoo, emphasize the need for specialized skills in deliverability and compliance. This makes professionals with these skills highly valuable and secure in their roles. The industry's growth, coupled with increasing complexity, ensures a strong demand for skilled email marketers.

What is the role of data analysis in modern email marketing?

Data analysis is central to modern email marketing. Marketers use data to segment audiences, personalize content, optimize send times, and measure campaign effectiveness. Understanding metrics, A/B testing, and using analytics tools allows for data-driven decisions that improve engagement and ROI, making it a critical skill.

Knowledge base

/

Email deliverability

/

Basics

What are recent career changes in the email marketing industry?

Matthew Whittaker

Co-founder & CTO, Suped

Published 29 Apr 2025

Updated 19 Aug 2025

4 min read

Email marketing has remained a core digital strategy, but its landscape is anything but static. The roles and responsibilities within the industry are constantly evolving, driven by new technologies and stricter regulations.

Historically, an email marketer's main focus might have been campaign creation and basic segmentation. Today, the scope has significantly broadened, demanding a more technical and analytical skill set.

We are witnessing a clear shift from generalist marketing roles towards more specialized positions, especially those focusing on technical deliverability and data-driven strategy. This evolution reflects the increasing complexity and importance of ensuring emails actually reach the inbox.

For career development in this dynamic field, it is crucial to stay informed about these ongoing shifts and adapt to new requirements.

The rise of technical and deliverability expertise

One significant change I have observed is the increasing demand for technical proficiency. Simply crafting engaging copy or designing appealing email templates is no longer sufficient. Marketers now require a deep understanding of the infrastructure that ensures email delivery.

This includes familiarity with core email authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. These are vital for preventing spoofing and enhancing sender reputation. Recent changes, such as the new Google and Yahoo 2024 email sending changes, underscore the importance of these technical skills, making compliance critical for inbox placement.

Dedicated email deliverability roles have become indispensable. These specialists are responsible for diagnosing issues, monitoring blacklists (or blocklists), and refining sending practices to maximize inbox reach. This intense focus directly addresses the growing challenges of bypassing sophisticated spam filters.

The industry's heightened awareness of compliance with regulations, including GDPR, also influences role requirements. Email professionals must ensure their practices align with data privacy laws, emphasizing the need for legal and technical understanding.

Data-driven strategies and automation mastery

Modern email marketing is increasingly driven by robust data analysis. Professionals are expected to do more than just send emails, they must analyze performance metrics, identify trends, and translate insights into strategic improvements, requiring strong analytical skills.

Automation has profoundly reshaped daily tasks. Marketing automation platforms streamline segmentation, personalization, and customer journey orchestration, freeing marketers to focus on higher-level strategy. Professionals adept at configuring and optimizing these systems are highly sought after.

As email ecosystems become more interconnected, the ability to work with application programming interfaces (APIs) and understand complex data flows offers a significant advantage. This ensures seamless integration across various marketing technologies.

This data-centric approach also extends to understanding fluctuations in email engagement, such as why email open rates decrease or why emails go to spam, requiring a detailed investigation into metrics and platform performance.

Evolving roles and career diversification

The traditional "email marketer" title now encompasses a wider array of responsibilities, with emerging specializations. Roles like Email Developer, Email Operations Manager, and Email Strategist highlight the industry's need for diverse skill sets.

The email marketing sector continues to expand. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an 8 percent growth for advertising, promotions, and marketing managers from 2023 to 2033, indicating robust opportunities for skilled professionals in this space.

Career paths are no longer linear. Many email professionals leverage their analytical and strategic capabilities to transition into broader digital marketing roles, product management, or even specialized consulting. This adaptability opens doors to varied growth.

The widespread adoption of remote work has also reshaped career opportunities, providing professionals with greater flexibility and access to a broader talent pool, regardless of geographical location.

Skill category	Traditional focus	Modern focus
Technical	Basic HTML, simple email design	SPF, DKIM, DMARC, API integration, deliverability protocols
Data	Open/click rates, basic segmentation	Advanced analytics, predictive modeling, A/B testing, audience insights
Tools	Email service providers (ESPs)	Marketing automation platforms, CRM integration, advanced analytics suites
Strategy	Campaign execution, list growth	Lifecycle management, deliverability optimization, cross-channel integration

Views from the trenches

Best practices

Skill update: Continuously update your skills in email authentication protocols like DMARC, SPF, and DKIM.
Analytics proficiency: Develop strong analytical skills to interpret campaign performance data and derive actionable insights.
Automation mastery: Gain proficiency in marketing automation platforms to design and optimize complex email journeys.
Compliance knowledge: Stay informed about privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA) and best practices for data handling.

Common pitfalls

Lack of technical understanding: Focusing solely on creative aspects without understanding the technical infrastructure of email delivery.
Ignoring reputation: Neglecting to monitor sender reputation, leading to blocklisting (or blacklisting) and decreased inbox placement.
Outdated practices: Failing to adapt to new email sending requirements from major mailbox providers.
Underestimating data: Underestimating the importance of data analysis in optimizing email marketing performance.

Expert tips

Network actively: Network with other email professionals to learn about emerging trends and career opportunities.
Seek certifications: Consider obtaining certifications in email marketing platforms or deliverability best practices.
Build a portfolio: Build a portfolio showcasing your expertise in email strategy, automation, and technical implementation.
Combine skills: Look for roles that combine marketing strategy with technical problem-solving.

Community views

Marketer from Email Geeks says: A marketer recently transitioned to a solutions architect role, highlighting the growing demand for specialized technical positions in the email industry.

Marketer from Email Geeks says: The shift into advanced roles such as solutions architect indicates a significant career advancement opportunity for those with deep industry knowledge.

Marketer from Email Geeks says: Many in the community are finding new and exciting opportunities within email marketing, showcasing the dynamic nature of career growth.

Skills for the modern email marketer

The email marketing industry is dynamic and continually evolving, reflecting broader trends in digital marketing and data privacy. For professionals, this means a continuous learning curve and an adaptation of skill sets.

Success in this landscape hinges on a blend of technical proficiency, analytical prowess, strategic thinking, and a steadfast commitment to ethical practices. Specialization in areas like deliverability and automation is becoming paramount.

By embracing these changes and proactively acquiring new skills, email marketers can not only navigate the evolving landscape but also thrive, securing impactful and rewarding careers within this vital field.