Marketing Director jobs

Marketing directors may be employed by private companies, charities, public sector bodies, and marketing agencies. Across all employers, the role of people in marketing director jobs is to oversee all of the company’s branding, marketing, and communication strategies. If they work for a small business they may be involved in producing marketing assets themselves, while those at larger organisations will lead the marketing team.

Expected job role tasks

Marketing covers a broad range of responsibilities in a business, and as such, marketing directors have a range of tasks assigned to them. First and foremost, they will need to develop a brand strategy and plan and deliver data driven marketing strategies for the organisation wherever necessary. This involves creating and managing a calendar of marketing events, conducting market research studies, and managing the organisation’s social media channels. They must then report on the performance of each and every marketing campaign, measuring it against clearly established goals and KPIs. 

Marketing directors are typically responsible for setting and allocating their company’s annual marketing budget, as well as managing and measuring marketing campaign costs. On a day-to-day basis, a marketing director will guide the day-to-day activities of the marketing team, and provide the tools for their department to work effectively. Finally, they need to be at the cutting-edge of the industry, and be aware of consumer trends and competitor activity, adjusting the marketing plan if and when necessary. 

Primary function

The primary function of a Marketing-Director is to increase the revenue of their organisation by promoting the brand and its products or services through highly effective, data-driven marketing campaigns. These campaigns must deliver return on investment. The marketing director must also keep stakeholders informed as to how well each campaign performs.

Key hard/soft skills

Every marketing director must have strong project management skills. They will need to be able to juggle a number of different projects at once, each with a lot of moving parts. Excellent leadership and people management skills are also a must for the vast majority of Marketing Director jobs given that the role often involves taking responsibility for more junior members of staff. Data analysis is one of the most vital skill sets to have for this type of role, and this will only become more important as marketers increasingly rely on data. Marketing directors who are required to produce marketing materials will also require strong professional writing skills, while graphic design, social media, development, UX design, and videography skills would also be useful. Communication skills are vital for professionals in marketing director jobs, as they must engage not only with their own department and important stakeholders, but also connect with the brand’s audiences and represent the company across a number of platforms. Finally, these professionals should be naturally creative in order to engage their audience in an effective manner.

Qualifications required

While the qualifications required for a marketing director job will vary from role to role, most employers ask for an undergraduate degree as a minimum. Degrees in marketing or business studies are often favored for this role. Gaining an MA or MBA in a similar subject would also be looked favourably on by employees. However, for some organisations, the marketing director position must be filled by a chartered marketer, accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Furthermore, employers will typically ask for a minimum of eight years’ experience in marketing before a professional takes on this job title.