Hunter Campbell’s Sales and Marketing Insights Series offers a comprehensive look into roles within the sector. Leveraging our specialised Sales and Marketing recruitment market knowledge, we provide valuable insights into the roles currently in demand, shedding light on market trends, salaries, and sought-after skills.
In today’s article, Erin Donkin, Manager at Hunter Campbell shares her expertise on the role of Head of Marketing. As a specialist Marketing recruiter, Erin is across a vast number of Head of Marketing jobs in New Zealand.
So, what exactly does a Head of Marketing do?
The Head of Marketing has the overall responsibility and ultimate accountability for all of the marketing functions across a business. In the organisation hierarchy, the Head of Marketing will report directly to the C-Suite or to the General Manager.
Regardless of the organisation’s size the core responsibilities of the Head of Marketing role remain consistent:
- Develop an annual marketing strategy
- Lead and mentor the marketing team
- Develop brand plans/strategies and tactics to drive awareness of the brand
- Develop and oversee innovation/NPD pipeline and process for brands (from idea through to execution)
- Planning, developing and organising marketing campaigns to support business growth objectives
- Prepare and monitor the marketing budget
- Present reports to clients/stakeholders
- Produce engaging content for a variety of channels
- Build strategic relationships with agencies
- Monitor market trends, and research consumer/competitor behaviour to identify new growth opportunities
- Conduct data analysis to measure campaign success
- Oversee and approve all marketing material including ATL and BTL
- Provide L&D and training opportunities for the team
What about the key performance indicators (KPIs) for a Head of Marketing role?
A primary focus for the Head of Marketing role is to generate a positive ROI across all marketing campaigns with the ultimate goal of increasing market share. All marketing activity needs to fall within a pre-defined budget and align with successful and profitable new product launches. These metrics combined form the basis of the KPIs for a Head of Marketing, alongside leadership metrics.
Key skills and qualifications
The Head of Marketing role has a broad and visible impact on an organisation. Typically, a marketing degree will be required as a foundation combined with a strong track record of experience and the depth of experience required will correlate with the scope of the role. Employers look for a proven track record of setting and implementing marketing strategy, the ability to create and deliver end-to-end marketing campaigns, experience marketing in an omnichannel environment, including digital and eCommerce and strong analytical capability for reporting and analysis.
In addition to technical skills, softer skills are imperative to the success of the role. A Head of Marketing will possess excellent communication skills, have the ability to inspire and lead a team, and be able to manage and effectively present to senior-level stakeholders.
As mentioned, experience is a key factor in securing a Head of Marketing. Typical paths of progression for a Head of Marketing are as follows:
- Marketing Coordinator, Marketing Specialist, Marketing/Comms Manager, Head of Marketing
- Marketing Graduate, Assistant Brand Manager, Brand Manager, Senior Brand Manager, Marketing Manager, Head of Marketing
Recruitment Forecast and Career Prospects
Post-election we are seeing a renewed focus for employers on their Marketing activity and there continues to be a focus on Digital and Brand roles as we head into the final months of 2023. A sought-after skillset is the ability to own the brand planning process with a new product development lens.
Employers we partner with are looking for candidates who are able to create beautiful and engaging content including copywriting and leading creative campaigns to increase a company’s brand presence with the goal of increasing market share.
Performance Marketing and Social Media roles are on the rise, with clients keen to elevate their digital presence effectively and seamlessly.
In terms of salary expectations, the level of base salary is heavily dependent on the company (team) size, company revenue, growth trajectory and role mandate, industry experience and any specialist skillsets required. The salary range for a Head of Marketing sits within the $160k – $250k range (+bonus and benefits).
To provide a practical perspective, here are some examples of Head of Marketing roles recently filled by Hunter Campbell.
- Hella: Head of Sales and Marketing
- Devoli: Marketing Manager
- Ace Rental: Marketing Manager
- Bachcare: Senior Digital Marketing Manager
- Husqvarna: eCommerce Manager
- Senior Marketing Manager: Mars
- Performance Marketing Manager: Mighty Ape
- Category Development Manager: Frucor
- Global Brand Manager: NZ King Salmon
