Love consumer brands, understand what makes products take off and know your way around digital, social and influencer marketing?
We’re working exclusively with a fast-growing international consumer products business looking for a Head of Marketing to lead its UK marketing function.
The business launched in the UK in 2018 and has grown quickly, with products now sold through all of the major high street retailers and several market-leading brands across creative play, youth electronics and toys.
Marketing has changed significantly for them over the last few years. Where TV once dominated, the focus is now increasingly on social, influencers, earned media, digital and creating campaigns that genuinely connect with what consumers are interested in right now .
They’re looking for someone to take ownership of that.
You’ll lead a team of three and oversee the full UK marketing function, working closely with the senior leadership and commercial teams to decide where to invest, which products to push and how to build brands that continue to grow.
This is a strategic leadership role, but it definitely isn’t one for somebody who wants to sit a long way away from the work.
What you’ll be doing
✔ Leading the UK marketing strategy – building the annual plan around commercial priorities, product launches and key trading periods.
✔ Launching and growing products – understanding how to take new products to market, but also knowing when an existing brand needs refreshing or repositioning.
✔ Leading a team of three across digital/content, product and trade marketing, and paid media.
✔ Owning the marketing budget – understanding what things should cost, tracking performance and being confident enough to move investment when something isn’t working.
✔ Driving digital marketing – overseeing paid media, social, influencers, ecommerce, content and digital campaigns, with a genuine understanding of how those channels work.
✔ Keeping ahead of trends – understanding what’s happening across toys, fashion, entertainment, social platforms and wider consumer culture and spotting opportunities early.
✔ Managing agencies across PR and media, setting clear briefs and ensuring they’re delivering against the wider strategy.
✔ Working closely with Sales and retail partners to support launches, sell-through and key commercial moments.
✔ Presenting plans and recommendations confidently to senior stakeholders and bringing people with you.
What they’re looking for
The three big things are:
1. Consumer goods experience
You’ll have marketed physical consumer products and understand the relationship between brand, product, retail and the end consumer. Direct toy experience would be great, but it isn’t essential.
2. Proven UK marketing leadership
You’ll have already taken real responsibility for a marketing function, team, brands and budgets rather than simply owning one individual channel.
3. Strong digital understanding
You don’t need to personally manage every campaign, but you do need to really understand digital media, social, influencer marketing, content, ecommerce and how technology continues to change the way brands reach consumers.
Beyond that, they’re looking for someone who is:
✔ Commercial and comfortable making decisions about investment
✔ Adaptable and able to change direction quickly
✔ Curious about consumers, culture and trends
✔ A strong presenter and communicator
✔ Experienced in managing and developing people
✔ Comfortable balancing strategy with getting stuck in
✔ Hungry, ambitious and keen to make an impact
Why this one is interesting
This isn’t a huge corporate marketing department where you’ll own one small piece of the puzzle.
You’ll be leading marketing for the UK business, working closely with the CEO and Commercial Director and having genuine influence over which products and brands the business backs and how they’re taken to market.
The company is growing, its categories are evolving quickly and there is plenty of opportunity for the right person to shape what the UK marketing function looks like next.
They do value people being together, so this isn’t a predominantly remote role. They’re looking for someone who can be in the York office at least three days a week and ideally someone who enjoys being around the team more regularly.
If you’re an experienced consumer marketer who understands both brands and the increasingly digital world they need to live in, this could be a really interesting next move.
Interested? Get in touch with Greg at Got The T-Shirt for a confidential chat.
