Marketing Manager - External Relations - 44395Z26 - Grade 7

Department overview

External Relations is the division responsible for delivering our University to the world and prides itself in seizing opportunities that will enhance the profile and reputation of the University. We engage with many different audiences to build purposeful relationships internally, locally, nationally and internationally. We enable those who wish to apply to study on our courses to make informed choices. We recognise that we are strongest when we work together and take pride in upholding our core values of being ambitious, innovative, open, collaborative and responsible.

Role Summary

The Marketing Manager plays a pivotal role in driving student recruitment and enhancing the University’s reputation. Working with colleagues across the University, the post holder leads strategic, cross-channel, institution-wide marketing activities to attract, engage and convert prospective students globally. The post holder will drive creative, data-informed marketing campaigns, supporting the University to build a high quality and diverse student population, and achieve its growth ambitions for 2030 and beyond.

The post holder will build and maintain effective relationships and work collaboratively with key internal stakeholders, including across Marketing, Student Recruitment, Admissions, Colleges, and Professional Services, providing specialist marketing expertise.

Main Duties

• Plan and deliver a range of innovative, cross-channel marketing activities and campaigns in line with strategies and meet recruitment targets across all markets – including managing budgets, monitoring performance, and ongoing optimisation throughout the recruitment cycle.
• Work closely with colleagues across marketing, student recruitment, admissions, Colleges, the wider External Relations division, and across the institution to ensure a coordinated and unified approach to meeting student recruitment targets.
• The role requires flexibility, with a focus that may shift across key areas as well as across different products and audience groups, in response to strategic priorities.

Market insight, strategy development and evaluation

• Conduct market analysis, provide market insight and strategic recommendations.
• Monitor and regularly evaluate performance against targets to inform campaign planning and drive innovation in student recruitment marketing.

Content strategy and storytelling

• Lead the creation of high-quality, compelling content across all channels, adapting copy to a variety of products and audiences, ensuring appropriate tone of voice and branding aligns with the University’s Global Top 50 ambitions.
• Manage the development of marketing campaigns and collateral working with internal and external partners as required and oversee the management of student teams whose role is to produce authentic content, engage with prospective students and manage peer-to-peer platforms.

Lead generation, conversion and retention

• Manage and deliver marketing strategies to drive enquiry, conversion, and retention, including one-off activities as required.
• Lead cross-institutional student recruitment advertising campaigns to achieve measurable outcomes and support the development of social media strategies.

Utilising digital channels effectively

• Develop the CRM strategy to deliver targeted, timely communications that drive enquiry, engagement, conversion, and retention.
• Own and manage web content, including plans to continually improve digital content across the website and other channels.

Leadership and management

• Hold line management responsibility for staff, ensuring effective workload planning, clear objectives, and professional development to drive high performance.
• Oversee student content teams.
• Represent marketing on University committees/meetings.
• Deputise in a leadership capacity as required.

General duties

• Act as brand champion, representing and promoting the University’s values and identity in all interactions and advise on marketing best practice.
• Provide additional support to a range of marketing and recruitment activities, events, campaigns as specified by marketing team, and any other duties as commensurate with the grade.
• Willing to work occasional evenings, weekends, and travel as needed to support marketing and recruitment activities.
• Promote a supportive and inclusive team culture - working with discretion, demonstrate diplomacy, maintain confidentiality and ensure compliance with GDPR, CMA and other regulations as required.
• Promotes equality and values diversity, acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
• Supports the University’s sustainability agenda through resource efficient working.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Educated to Degree level (or equivalent qualifications) plus relevant practical experience - where no equivalent qualification is held significant practical relevant experience and expertise in a series of progressively more demanding roles will be required.
• Substantial experience in marketing; within a large, complex organisation desirable.
• Proven ability to devise and deliver multi-channel marketing and communications strategies and campaigns.
• Excellent communication skills, with demonstrable copywriting experience for breadth of audiences, ensuring accessibility for all.
• Demonstrable project management skills with experience managing complex campaigns.
• Experience in leading cross-channel digital campaigns (websites, CRM, social media).
• Experience using Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems to develop clear strategies and communications; working knowledge of Microsoft Dynamics CRM is desirable.
• Proven experience in managing relationships with the ability to lead, influence, and collaborate across teams, and with agencies and external partners.
• Proven experience in line management, including responsibility for the performance, development, and wellbeing of direct reports.
• Creative problem solver with a proactive and resilient approach.
• Ability to analyse and interpret complex data and market research, applying insights to marketing strategies.
• Cultural awareness and understanding the need for sensitivity in international engagement, and how this might be embedded.
• Highly organised with strong administrative skills and attention to detail under tight deadlines.
• Experience managing budgets and negotiating with stakeholders.
• Good working knowledge of standard Microsoft Office software.
• Ability to work flexibly and effectively both in a team and independently, managing multiple priorities.

Other requirements

• Commitment to demonstrating behaviours aligned with the University and External Relations framework.
• Willingness to travel and work flexibly including occasional evenings and weekends.
• Promote a supportive and inclusive team culture working with discretion, demonstrate diplomacy, maintain confidentiality and ensure compliance with GDPR and other regulations as required.
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly.

Informal enquiries to Adam Gore, email: a.gore@bham.ac.