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 the return on investment (ROI). As the head of marketing, you keep track of key performance indicators (KPIs) and ensure the company performs optimally. You also maintain cohesiveness in 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 bring the groups together and help them drive revenue and improve the growth of the business.
As the 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 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.
find your jobaverage salary of head of marketing
According to Payscale, the average salary of the head of marketing is ₹2,699,844 per year. With minimal experience, you start with a salary of ₹714,000 annually. With over ten years of experience and top-level qualifications, you earn up to ₹6 million yearly.
As the head of marketing, your salary depends on your experience and expertise. When you have over ten years of experience, you are competent in most areas of the role. The value you bring to your employer determines your earning potential. Working for a large company also boosts your earnings significantly since the organisation can afford to pay higher salaries compared to small start-ups. Besides, in large companies, you are in charge of big marketing departments and have complex responsibilities.
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 work 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 KPIs 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 a head of marketing is an exciting career since you direct teams. You also collaborate with various marketing or communication heads 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: your primary role is to ensure the company has the best marketing strategy to achieve its goals. The main objective of hiring a head of marketing is to expand a company's marketing efforts and increase revenue. Hence, you provide a plan that increases revenue and builds on the company's market share.
- managing user acquisitions: as the head of marketing, you collaborate with various market players. You also 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: a strategic oversight and business approach to managing existing systems is crucial in your role. You also enhance your performance models to suit future events. You can change the messaging framework or integrate a style that guides messaging on various platforms. It is also important to implement an analytics system to monitor the performance of various marketing channels.
- preparing monthly and annual marketing budgets and revenue reports: as the head of marketing, you liaise and report to the senior management. Hence, you prepare the monthly marketing budget and revenue reports of various marketing channels. From the reports, you use KPIs to illustrate the success of the marketing channels and generate forecast metrics for future marketing plans.
- advancing digital marketing campaigns: since you track and analyse the ROI for various products, you 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 service. You also improve customer relationship management (CRM) 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 marketing managers to brief them on the executive-level expectations. 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 work alongside various marketing and sales professionals. For instance, you work with marketing managers, marketing executives and sales managers. You also interact with product managers and operations managers alongside account managers and customer service agents. Other professionals you are likely to work with include social media managers and digital marketing 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 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 attend conferences and meetings in different locations. You may 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 attend many in-person 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 to become a marketing guru. You can progress from the role to the chief marketing officer (CMO) role before joining senior executives in the company. You can also become the chief of operations or take up the chief executive officer (CEO) 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 on a monthly basis
- 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
To become the head of marketing, you should complete the 10+2 examination from any stream, but candidates from accounting, communications, marketing and finance are preferred. Take the entrance examinations for bachelor courses like the Symbiosis Entrance Test (SET) or the National Test for Programs After Twelfth (NPAT). The popular marketing courses that put you on the right path include a bachelor of arts, bachelor of mass communication or BBA in digital marketing.
You also require post-bachelor qualifications to land a role as head of marketing. Select any course in management, like an MBA or master of mass communication. It is also important to gain the relevant work experience required in the role.
head of marketing skills and competencies
Some of the skills that a head of marketing needs include:
- communication: as the head of marketing, you 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 devise strategies to solve the issues in the business.
- teamwork: collaborating with others helps you 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 performance. You need analytical skills to ensure your strategy and decisions are data-driven.
FAQs about working as a head of marketing
Here, you will find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the profession of the head of marketing.
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what are the duties of the head of marketing?
As the head of marketing, you are responsible for the activities in the marketing department. Your duties include crafting marketing strategies, setting departmental goals and designing branding strategies. You also coordinate sales and marketing efforts and analyse the research on consumer behaviour.
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what is the salary of the head of marketing in India?
The average salary of the head of marketing is ₹2,699,844 per year. Early in your career, you start with a salary of ₹714,000 annually, while the highest-paid marketing heads take home over ₹6 million yearly.
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what is the difference between a marketing manager and a head of marketing?
The head of marketing can be the VP of marketing or the marketing director in charge of all operations in the marketing department. A marketing manager may be in charge of a small group of marketing teams, while the head of marketing is the top-level leader in marketing.
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what skill set does a head of marketing need?
The head of marketing requires good leadership skills to manage marketing teams. You also require exceptional communication skills to make presentations and train other managers.
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who does the head of marketing report to?
The head of marketing reports to the CMO or the CEO, depending on the company hierarchy. Sometimes, the head of marketing reports to the marketing director if the company has numerous marketing divisions.
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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 job offers for vacancies in your area. Then simply send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here!