what is a head of marketing?
When a company grows and has a team to drive expansion and increase revenue, a head of marketing can become the driving force to increase return on investment. As the head of marketing, you keep track of the performance indicators and ensure the company performs optimally. You also maintain the cohesiveness of the marketing teams. Marketing and communication teams have multiple moving parts, especially for a large brand. For instance, your marketing team may comprise content writers, social media experts and marketing executives. As the head of marketing, you need to bring the groups together and help them drive revenue and improve the growth of the business.
what does a head of marketing do?
As a head of marketing, you are fast-acting, flexible in high-pressure situations and can monitor all marketing activities to keep everything running smoothly. For instance, you will drive content writers toward benchmarks and social media experts towards revenue goals by ensuring their output is purpose-driven.
While the head of marketing is a senior role in a company, some organisations have a chief marketing officer above the head of marketing. However, in most companies, the head of marketing reports directly to the senior management. They also translate the business strategy formulated by the business executives into achievable marketing goals.
Would working as the head of marketing suit your strategic thinking and creative skills? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in a head of marketing role.
average salary of a head of marketing
According to ONS, the median salary for heads of marketing is £58,541 annually, which translates to £30 per hour. When you are relatively new to the role, your lowest salary starts at £46,666 per year and grows gradually as your experience increases. An experienced head of marketing takes home a paycheck worth £80,000 per year.
A basic salary isn't the only perk of working as the head of marketing. You also enjoy various monetary and non-monetary benefits. For instance, you will have a transport allowance, or the company provides a vehicle for official use and a personal assistant or driver. You also enjoy medical insurance benefits and house allowances. Some companies have bonuses at the end of the year to thank workers for their achievements.
what factors determine your salary as the head of marketing?
The salary of the head of marketing depends on the company size and the resources available. Most heads of marketing work for large multinational companies with the financial resources to pay lucrative salaries and provide the best non-monetary perks. Your experience level also influences the compensation package. The company relies on your expertise and experience to improve the marketing outcomes. Hence, years of experience can improve your salary prospects.
types of heads of marketing
Some of the types of head of marketing roles include:
- regional head of marketing: when you work for a multinational company with various marketing teams in diverse regions, you can find a role as the regional head of marketing. Your job is to ensure the region achieves its goals and adheres to the organisational strategies provided by the executives. You also develop performance indicators to measure the performance of the marketing strategies before reviewing the best plans for building revenue.
- international head of marketing: as the head of marketing for an international group, you collaborate with various marketing teams and leaders to consolidate the organisation's marketing efforts. Your job is to ensure marketing teams in various regions resonate with the audience and have marketing campaigns aligned with the customers' needs.
working as a head of marketing
Working as the head of marketing is an exciting career since you will direct teams and collaborate with various marketing and communication head and team members. Let's explore the specific roles, work environment and job outlooks for the head of marketing.
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head of marketing job description
Some of the responsibilities of the head of marketing include:
- developing strategies for all marketing teams: as the head of marketing, your primary role is to ensure the company has the best marketing strategy to achieve its goals. The main objective of hiring the head of marketing is to expand a company's marketing efforts and increase revenue. Hence, the head of marketing needs to provide a plan that increases revenue and builds on the company's market share.
- managing user acquisitions: as the head of marketing, you must collaborate with various market players. You also need to restructure partnerships to ensure they align with the organisational goals. Forming certain partnerships grows your company's product offering and increases the transaction volume and revenue.
- providing strategic oversight and measuring performance: as the head of marketing, you need a strategic oversight and business approach to managing existing systems. You also have to enhance your performance models to suit future events. You can change the messaging framework or integrate a style that guides messaging on various platforms. You also implement an analytics system to monitor the performance of various marketing channels. That way, you can continuously evaluate marketing campaigns and returns on investment from the marketing efforts.
- preparing monthly and annual marketing budgets and revenue reports: as the head of marketing, you liaise and report to the senior management. Hence, you need to prepare the monthly marketing budget and revenue reports of various marketing channels. From the reports, you can use key performance indicators to illustrate the success of the marketing channels and generate forecast metrics for future marketing plans. The KPIs and revenue reports determine the return on investment, and senior management can approve or reject the next budget based on the results.
- advancing digital marketing campaigns: since you track and analyse the return on investment for various products, you can use your expertise to prioritise resources for performing marketing channels. If the digital marketing teams are doing well, you ensure they have more resources to handle the influx of customers and provide the best customer services. You may also improve the customer relationship management software and advance social media ads to capitalise on the popularity of your company on a specific platform.
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work environment
While the work environment of the head of marketing is in an office environment, you get an office with great lighting and air conditioning. Your typical workday in an office environment differs. For instance, you could spend the entire day in a conference room speaking with the senior management or meet the marketing managers to brief them on the executive-level expectations in the role. The job requires office and formal business wear since you meet senior company officials. It also involves a lot of travelling to meet with partners. If you work for a multinational, overseas travel may also be part of the job.
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who are your colleagues?
As the head of marketing, you can work in financial services, retail or manufacturing sectors. Hence, your colleagues might include marketing directors, brand managers, marketing managers and digital marketing managers. You might also be working in close proximity to the head of sales and head of communications, as well as other specialists that could include chief executive officers, chief operations officers and product managers.
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work schedule
The head of marketing role often involves a lot of overtime work. While you spend the day analysing the marketing performances and developing strategies, you also have to attend meetings. Sometimes, you meet with partners and potential clients outside office hours to discuss business, like meeting over the weekend for leisure activities like golf. You also have to attend conferences and meetings in different locations. You may have to work additional hours when training the marketing managers.
Most heads of marketing roles are full-time due to the complexity and supervisory nature of the role. The typical work hours are 40 hours a week, but you could clock in more depending on the season. Part-time opportunities are unavailable, and working remotely as a head of marketing is impossible since you have to attend many meetings.
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job outlook
Companies are constantly expanding their marketing teams to reach larger audiences. Hence, the head of marketing role gives you the experience you need to become a marketing guru. You can progress from the role to the chief marketing officer role before joining senior executives in the company. You can also become the chief of operations or take up the chief executive officer role. When you specialise in a specific marketing channel or strategy, you can hone your skills and become a consultant for various companies.
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advantages of finding a head of marketing job through randstad
Finding your head of marketing job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:
- a wide variety of training and development opportunities
- an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
- a range of opportunities in your area
- get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
- temporary and permanent contracts
Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a head of marketing is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!
education and skills
Some of the education requirements for a head of marketing include:
- bachelor's degree: to become the head of marketing, you need an undergraduate degree in a relevant field. You can pursue business management, marketing or communications. The coursework prepares you for the roles since you learn how to advertise and understand statistics.
- master's degree: when you have a master's degree in communications or a business-related field, you increase your employment chances. A master's degree helps you with strategic thinking and imparts valuable leadership skills useful for the role.
- work experience: you cannot become the head of marketing without growing your skills in entry-level and middle-management roles. The roles will help you understand the marketing process and the company's customers.
skills and competencies
Some of the skills that a head of marketing needs include:
- communication: as the head of marketing, you have to make multiple presentations to the board and the executive teams. Hence, you need strong communication skills to engage with various stakeholders professionally and translate the company's goals to the marketing team.
- problem-solving skills: as the head of marketing, you encounter multiple challenges and problems that require strategic problem-solving skills. For instance, the company may face a decline in sales or limited growth, and you need to devise a strategy to solve the issues in the business.
- teamwork: you need to collaborate with others to excel in your role. Interpersonal skills and teamwork help you listen to people's ideas and relate well with others.
- analytical skills: you rely on statistics and KPIs to measure the effectiveness of a marketing strategy. You need analytical skills to ensure your strategy and decisions are data-driven.
FAQs
FAQs about working as a head of marketing
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what is the role of the head of marketing?
The head of marketing creates strategies for the marketing teams and monitors the performance of each marketing function.
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what makes a good head of marketing?
You need exceptional analytical skills to understand what drives brand awareness and sales from the data gathered.
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what do you need to be the head of marketing?
You need a bachelor's degree in a relevant field and a master's qualification to improve your leadership skills.
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who reports to the head of marketing?
Marketing managers and directors report to the head of marketing on the progress of marketing activities.
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how do I apply for a head of marketing vacancy?
Applying for a head of marketing job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our marketing job offers. Then simply send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here!
