Chief Marketing Officer

Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)
Lewes area, East Sussex, UK

Our client is scaling fast with ambitious growth plans, major projects underway, and a clear appetite to win. They re looking for a commercially sharp, creative, and hands-on Chief Marketing Officer to build, lead, and optimise a high-performing marketing engine.

This is not a sit back and oversee role. This is where strategy meets execution. Where brand meets performance. Where ideas turn into measurable growth.

You ll own the full customer journey from first click to repeat purchase with one clear goal: Drive sustainable growth, increase revenue, and build a brand that stands out.

Key Responsibilities

Lead & Develop the Marketing Team

• Manage a small, multi-skilled in-house team (creative, content, website, performance)
• Set clear direction, priorities, and high standards
• Drive consistency, accountability, and output quality
• Create momentum no confusion, no unnecessary complexity

Manage & Optimise External Partners

• Oversee agencies and suppliers across SEO, PPC, web development, and marketplaces
• Challenge performance and ensure ROI
• Identify inefficiencies, wasted spend, and growth opportunities
• Make confident, data-driven decisions on partner performance

Own Marketing Strategy & Execution

• Define and deliver growth strategy and quarterly plans
• Lead campaign planning, execution, and optimisation
• Own and manage budgets across all channels
• Use data, reporting, and insights to guide decisions
• Turn high-level ambition into clear, actionable plans

Website Performance & Optimisation

• Lead continuous website improvement and innovation
• Oversee landing pages, product pages, and UX enhancements
• Drive conversion rate optimisation (CRO)
• Improve on-site search and user journey
• Run testing, analysis, and iteration cycles
• Get hands-on when needed briefs, builds, and performance reviews

Email Marketing Leadership

• Own a key revenue-driving channel
• Plan and execute high-performing campaigns
• Oversee email design, build, and automation flows
• Manage segmentation and lifecycle marketing
• Continuously test, learn, and optimise performance

Paid Media & Performance Marketing

• Lead paid acquisition across key platforms
• Manage budgets, creative testing, and scaling strategies
• Analyse and optimise based on CAC, ROAS, and contribution
• Drive profitable growth not just traffic

Social Media & Brand Content

• Define content strategy and direction
• Oversee brand consistency and creative quality
• Plan, produce, and optimise content across platforms
• Contribute hands-on when required (including creative direction)
• Elevate brand presence and engagement

Marketplace Growth

• Grow and optimise presence across major marketplaces
• Improve listings, visibility, and performance
• Align marketplace activity with wider brand strategy
• Focus on profitability as well as volume

Partnerships & Collaborations

• Build and scale affiliate programmes
• Develop creator and influencer collaborations
• Establish brand partnerships and events
• Turn relationships into measurable revenue streams

What We re Looking For

A Strong, Decisive Leader

• Clear communicator with high standards
• Confident in managing people and performance
• Builds structure, clarity, and accountability

Hands-On Marketing Expertise
You ve done the work not just managed it. You re comfortable with:

• Website builds and optimisation
• Email campaign creation and execution
• Paid media platforms and performance analysis
• Working directly with developers and creatives
• Briefing and managing suppliers effectively

Commercially Driven

• Deep understanding of what drives revenue and profit
• Strong grasp of marketing metrics and performance levers
• Balances brand-building with data-driven decision making

Highly Organised & Resilient

• Comfortable managing multiple priorities and campaigns
• Calm under pressure and solution-focused
• Brings order, not chaos

Why Join?

• High-growth, ambitious business with strong momentum
• Real influence at leadership level
• Opportunity to shape strategy, brand, and performance
• A role where your impact is visible and valued

Location & Benefits

• Based in a beautiful countryside setting (own transport required)
• Flexible working options available
• Competitive benefits package including:
  • Additional leave
  • Company events
  • Employee discounts
  • Flexitime
  • Free parking
  • Work-from-home flexibility

This isn t just another marketing leadership role.
It s an opportunity to build, shape, and scale something meaningful and make a real impact while doing it.