Chief Marketing Officer

The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) is accountable for leading and developing multiple marketing, performance, branding, PR & Comms at the UK College Division to develop, maintain and grow several brands within the portfolio. The post-holder will bring strategic vision, focus and innovation to enable future growth in a competitive market.

Several brands are currently under the UK College Division portfolio to enable dedicated focus and resources toward growth for each product. The CMO will be responsible for and will help develop, agree, and manage the overarching marketing strategy (including lead volumes, revenue forecasts and ROI) for all UK College Division brands within this portfolio. This includes developing and maintaining revenue generation initiatives and campaigns (via all offline and online marketing channels), whilst supporting the ongoing strategy for existing revenue generation initiatives (including existing students).

The CMO will work with the Co-CEOs and very closely with the P&L holders of the brands and the respective Marketing Directors within this portfolio to agree lead and revenue generation targets by brand / product; and report on the performance of the Marketing Teams (Affiliate, Digital, Offline and Social) as well as working with the Direct Sales Teams against such agreed targets.

The CMO will optimise the team’s productivity and conversion efficiency. Driving their performance, you’ll ensure sales are maximised to achieve ambitious growth targets, whilst also making sure every team member develops the skills necessary to deliver and works to the highest quality standards.

They will also develop, report and manage a pipeline of opportunities in accordance with the marketing growth strategy and liaise with all relevant stakeholders and marketing team(s) to ensure that all marketing activities are carried out and all deadlines are met, aligned with the budget and lead targets as well as with any and all agreed SLA’s and KPI’s and in accordance with brand/entity requirements.

The CMO will direct and lead on the activities of the PR, Comms, Design and Social media team across the UK College Division to ensure brand consistency, development and multiple campaign oversight as well as performance driven deliverables across these platforms.

You will be expected to develop collaborative relationships with key stakeholders in a range of other departments, to drive new initiatives and ensure you are continuously up to date with new products and market changes.

• Develop a comprehensive and aligned strategic Marketing Plan and implement such Marketing Plans with the support of the Managing Directors and the Marketing Directors and relevant brand team(s) across all marketing channels.
• Manage the UK College Division Marketing budget for all marketing activities with a focus on lead generation, conversion and meeting all revenue targets.
• Ensure all brand and marketing activity are aligned to the overall strategy.
• Increase brand awareness and brand reputation, guiding and having input into all creative briefs for all internal and external communications across offline and online media.
• Establish and agree relevant KPIs and clear responsibilities on the timely reporting of all marketing performance, brand equity and lead generation.
• Work with the Marketing teams globally to ensure the quality and performance of leads that get generated.
• Work with Partners and Stakeholders to understand their Product Portfolio, to effectively drive the Marketing of the Brand’s Products to prospective Students.
• Work with the Managing Directors to agree forecasts and ensure marketing support is provided for the relevant brand(s).
• Agree targets for all products and channels with the brand teams.
• Develop and own the product life cycle (current portfolio of courses and new products/partnerships) both domestically and internationally.
• Oversee the effective development of all the relevant brand’s marketing team to ensure that they hold a solid knowledge and understanding of the Company’s Product Portfolio and are effectively utilizing all marketing channels, in line with KPI’s and lead and revenue targets.
• Oversee the enhancement of ‘Customer Relationship Management’ processes and technologies.
• Oversee the current recruitment and sales strategy for several sales teams; develop new strategy or implement relevant changes or improvements to ensure delivery of targets within agreed budgets and timeframes.
• Create and maintain a robust sales plan outlining headcount, cost and budget required, and set core target objectives and KPIs to be monitored and altered throughout the year in line with business needs and requirements.
• Keep abreast of developments in the marketplace; analyse and regularly report on changes for example competitor activity, market trends, student perceptions and attitudes which may impact student recruitment and sales

• Highly analytical, capability to use data, analysis and insight to drive business performance
• Must be highly organized and have a high attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong presentation and interpersonal skills
• Strong financial acumen
• Strong Project Management and Performance Measurement Skills.
• Ability to develop strong relationships and work with C-Suite and Board level executives.
• Strong branding knowledge and evidence of successful lead generation campaigns, alongside multi-channel budget responsibility.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Solid business acumen, management and problem-solving skills.
• Effective time management, organization and leadership skills.
• Strong Computer skills, including Microsoft Office and Adobe.
• Exceptional knowledge of sales and marketing strategies, forecasts, concepts.
• Demonstrable experience of exceeding YoY targets.

• Ideally a minimum of 7+ years’ experience in a Marketing Director position, where there was a significant focus on Marketing targets, Sales GStrategy, Business Development and growth
• Extensive experience managing global and multiple marketing and sales teams and brands
• Be able to demonstrate a strong track record of success in improving marketing performance within a consumer service business.
• Be able to demonstrate a strong track record of success in improving sales performance within a consumer service business
• Professional marketing and sales training.