Head of Marketing and Media – The International Football Group (IFG)
About The International Football Group
The International Football Group (IFG) is a leader in elite football education, delivering high-quality football and academic programmes in the UK, Europe, and beyond. Through our flagship partnership with Macclesfield FC, we operate a leading International Academy that combines professional football training with educational pathways tailored for international student-athletes.
Macclesfield FC provides a professional club environment with access to competitive fixtures, while IFG brings global recruitment, coaching expertise, and strategic partnerships. This collaboration creates a genuine pathway for talented international players to develop technically, tactically, physically, and educationally in England.
Key strategic aims in relation to international player development include:
- Combining football excellence with academic achievement to produce well-rounded athletes equipped for long-term success on and off the pitch.
- Enhancing player progression through structured pathways, including competitive match exposure, performance analysis, and exit strategies into higher-level clubs or sustainable careers.
- Continuous improvement of the academy provision, such as international tours, specialist coaching weeks, and innovative training methodologies.
- Building a sustainable, high-retention academy that attracts and develops global talent while maintaining strong compliance, safeguarding, and player welfare standards.
Our Programmes
- University Programme: In partnership with the University of Lancashire, we offer tailored undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Timetables are designed to balance academic studies with full-time training, strength & conditioning, and match play, providing international student-athletes with a dual-career pathway.
- Gap Year Programme: A full-time football immersion for players seeking intensive development, competitive play, and personal growth before university or professional trials.
- Summer Residency: A six-week intensive programme for ages 15-18, featuring high-quality coaching, matches, and experiences including university visits and tours.
Role Overview
The Head of Marketing and Media will lead IFG’s marketing function, building the brand’s global presence and driving the student-athlete recruitment pipeline through integrated digital campaigns, compelling content, and data-driven outbound strategies. This is a senior, hands-on role with significant influence over IFG’s growth trajectory.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and own IFG’s integrated marketing strategy across social media, email, SMS, website, and paid media — aligned to recruitment cycles and programme growth targets.
- Lead outbound campaign management for prospective student-athletes, parents, and partner organisations globally.
- Own and grow IFG’s social media presence across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn — including content strategy, scheduling, community management, and performance analysis.
- Commission and oversee content creation: video production, written articles, photography, and graphics that showcase IFG’s programmes and culture.
- Manage the IFG website, including landing page optimisation, SEO, programme content, and the user journey from first visit through to application.
- Build and manage a marketing CRM and automation platform; develop lead scoring, audience segmentation, and personalised nurture journeys for international recruitment markets.
- Drive performance analytics — track website traffic, email metrics, social engagement, cost-per-lead, and conversion rates; translate data into clear strategy decisions and regular reporting for senior leadership.
- Manage paid media campaigns across Meta, TikTok, and Google — defining audience targeting, budgets, creative briefs, and optimisation cycles.
- Lead the marketing function for key recruitment events, open days, summer residencies, and international tours — including pre- and post-event campaign coordination.
- Develop and protect IFG’s brand identity, ensuring consistency across all external communications, marketing assets, and partner touchpoints.
- Work closely with the recruitment team to align marketing activity with the student-athlete pipeline, sharing qualified leads and supporting conversion at every stage of the journey.
- Manage external agencies, freelancers, and platform vendors; oversee the marketing budget and deliver measurable return on investment.
Essential Requirements
- Proven experience in a senior marketing role, ideally within football, sport, or education.
- Strong background in outbound campaign management.
- Demonstrated expertise in social media content and strategy, with hands-on experience across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
- Hands-on experience with content creation: video, written, and visual content for digital channels.
- Proficiency with marketing automation and CRM platforms (e.g., HubSpot, Mailchimp, Klaviyo, or equivalent).
- Experience managing websites, landing pages, and SEO.
- Data-literate — comfortable with Google Analytics, social insights, and campaign reporting dashboards.
- Experience marketing to international audiences, particularly across North America or global markets.
- Degree in marketing, communications, sports management, or a related field (or equivalent professional experience).
- Enhanced DBS Check (or willingness to obtain one).
Personal Specification
We are looking for a creative, commercially minded marketing leader who understands football from the inside — someone who can translate the IFG experience into campaigns that reach the right players, in the right markets, at the right time.
Essential Attributes:
- A track record of building and executing integrated marketing strategies that drive measurable pipeline and revenue growth.
- Strong creative instincts combined with analytical discipline — able to produce compelling content while tracking what actually converts.
- Expert communicator who can write, script, and brief others to produce marketing that resonates with athletes, parents, and partner organisations.
- Self-starter who operates with autonomy in a fast-moving, growth-stage business.
- Collaborative team player who works effectively with recruitment, coaching, and leadership teams.
- Highly organised, with the ability to manage multiple campaigns, channels, and deadlines simultaneously.
Desirable Attributes:
- Understanding of the football landscape — international player pathways, the US college and soccer ecosystem, and the motivations of student-athletes and their families.
- Playing or coaching experience in football at any level.
- Experience working with international student-athlete recruitment markets.
- Knowledge of UK and US football structures and cultural nuances across international markets.
- Familiarity with video production and editing tools (e.g., Adobe Premiere, CapCut, Canva).
- Experience working within an education provider, sports academy, or dual-career athlete programme.
- Additional qualifications in digital marketing, CRM, or data analytics.
This is a defining role in IFG’s next phase of growth. The successful candidate will combine a genuine passion for football with the strategic and creative capabilities to build a globally recognised brand — and the drive to fill IFG programmes with the world’s most ambitious student-athletes.
Pay: £35,000.00-£40,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company pension
- Free parking
- On-site gym
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
Work Location: In person
