An upward trajectory for senior marketing hires

It has been a difficult few years for senior marketing roles and fluctuations are still being felt at some levels, as we reported in our recent ‘Movement in the Market’ piece. However, we’re generally seeing an upward trajectory in senior marketing hires, particularly at Head of Marketing and Marketing Director level, and a strong pipeline of roles coming through. So, what is driving this change and how can we make the most of it? 

• Marketing focus 

While the marketing function tends to experience cuts in turbulent times, we’re seeing a real shift in the perception of marketing within businesses. Clients are increasingly viewing marketing as the “engine for growth”, leading to higher demand for senior marketing leaders who can not only drive brand awareness and build long-term customer relationships, but who can also influence the overall business strategy. So, while CMOs and Marketing Directors have been heavily impacted in recent years, their value is recognised and we’re seeing a steady increase in roles at that level – particularly for interim roles and often with the permanent hire running concurrently. 

• Sector demand 

Digital transformation is also driving new hires, with clients seeking experienced senior marketing leaders who have deeply honed skills in digital marketing, and change and transformation. We’re seeing a number of retail and consumer brands investing heavily in change programmes that will rapidly take them from more legacy business models to a new focus on digital-first, data driven marketing strategies. 

• Skills gaps 

While there is a greater pool of talent in the current market, there is still a shortage of highly experienced senior marketing leaders with a combination of both digital and transformational expertise. Finding the right combination of skills, experience and culture/chemistry fit is the key to success and with clients having very specific strategic requirements in the current market, it’s becoming increasing competitive to get on the shortlist and ultimately become the successful candidate. 

For senior marketing leaders actively looking for a role or considering their next career move, Suzie shares her top tips on how to cut through the noise and get on to the shortlists in this short video: 

If you’re ready to make your next career move, or if you’re hiring for your team, please get in touch or connect with us/send a message on LinkedIn. 

Suzie Walker Executive Search is a firm of specialist headhunters with an expert team recruiting interim and permanent senior leaders for B2C and B2B marketing and digital/tech roles in FTSE 350 and private equity-backed companies. Find out how we can support you by connecting with a Consultant below. 

If you’re ready to make your next move, we regularly post new opportunities on our LinkedIn company page. If you apply for a role on the platform, it requires a 1st connection for us to respond, so please make sure to connect with Suzie Walker. Our company page is also frequently updated with the latest hiring news, expert interviews, and candidate guidance, so well worth following.