Head of Marketing

Reports to: Managing Director of Ark Curriculum Plus

Direct reports: Marketing Manager

Location: Currently operating hybrid working in our West London Office

Contract: Permanent

Pattern: Full Time (standard hours 9am – 5.30pm)

First round interviews (virtual): w/c 25/11/2024

Second round interviews (in person): 02/12/2024 and 03/12/2024

We are at an exciting time in our development, with the Department for Education offering an 80% subsidy to increase take-up of our most important programme, because of the outstanding evidence of impact we have had. This is a new role which will report directly into the Managing Director of Ark Curriculum Plus, to ensure marketing stays front and centre in all strategic planning in the coming year as we use this platform to expand our national footprint.

This is a great role for an experienced marketer or for someone looking for the next step up in their career. The Head of Marketing will lead on all facets of our marketing as we expand our work: developing our brand, and positioning us effectively in the market to generate a pipeline of new partner schools, to retain schools who already work with us and to expand our reach and influence.

Supported by a Marketing Manager, the Head of Marketing will provide direction and leadership, coordinating across multiple stakeholders contributing to our marketing strategy, including expert agencies and contractors and colleagues in AC+ and Ark more widely. They will work hands-on as needed with this extended team to ensure plans are implemented to the highest standard.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Play a central role in leadership work to develop and maintain a powerful AC+ brand story that is aligned with wider Ark aims, with AC+ and programme brands cohering to support this story
• Input into Product Strategy team work to understand competitor landscape and product advantages, and to refine product propositions for new and renewing partners
• Set the AC+ marketing strategy at each point of the pipeline to achieve phased targets for “inbound” leads and conversions, agreeing how budget and resources will be deployed across different channels and content to generate and nurture inbound leads
• Ensure marketing strategy is generating sufficient high-quality leads to achieve targets for conversions to opportunities
• Work with Product Strategy team to agree go to market launch plans for new products, and to agree/maintain key programme-level messaging for new and renewing partners
• With support from the Marketing Manager, oversee the implementation of the marketing strategy to a high quality, coordinating cross functional teams and external agencies as needed, including content and channel management
• Oversee ongoing management of content, including thought leadership content, our bank of case studies and testimonials, and programme previews
• Plan and oversee development and maintenance of compelling collateral aligning with customer needs, as needed to support marketing activity at each point in the pipeline including annual subscription renewal campaigns
• Line manage the Marketing Manager, providing excellent pastoral support and development and growth opportunities to enable them to perform to the best of their capabilities and achieve their goals
• Lead weekly marketing meetings and co-lead fortnightly sales and marketing meetings
• Build relationships with the wider Ark organisation and look for ways to share resources or enhance Ark and AC+ messages together
• Propose annual marketing budget and plan effective deployment across activities informed by the best available data on campaign RoI
• Ensure compliance and effective data management

Key Requirements:

• Right to work in the UK
• Develop a well-rounded foundation with basic knowledge across all aspects of brand management and marketing
• Be comfortable working with data including campaign RoI to inform strategic decision making
• Have a base-level understanding of SEO and digital marketing, to be able to oversee contractors effectively to maximise potential of these channels
• Have experience in utilising advanced marketing automation and CRM tools
• Knowledge of the education sector
• Experience in Salesforce and ability to manage campaigns in Salesforce
• Experience working in a B2B context
• Bring an open attitude, actively seeking challenge and expertise from inside and outside of AC+ and Ark in the development of our plans
• Have a customer-centred outlook, seeking to understand what matters to and resonates with the schools and trusts we work with, and always bringing back our work to this
• Be an effective manager, able to motivate people and willing to hold them to account, inside and outside of the organisation
• Adopt a results-driven mindset—ready to dive into hands-on work as needed and ensuring all efforts stay purpose-oriented

• Our hybrid working model aims to offer the best of both worlds, striking the right balance between in-person collaboration and remote working. You will work a minimum of two days per week in our state-of-the-art office in West London allowing you to connect with colleagues, with the flexibility to work remotely, or in the office over the remaining days
• In addition to our current hybrid working arrangements, employees can request to work fully remotely for up to 10 working days a year, whether this be in the UK or abroad
• Our flexitime policy allows you to work your hours around our core hours of 10.00 - 16.00, helping you prioritise your work-life balance and personal commitments
• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising with each year of service up to 30 days after 3-years’ service. This entitlement is pro rata for part time employees. This entitlement excludes bank holidays
• Full office closure between Christmas and New Year
• Regular social events, monthly free breakfast, and daily fruit
• As an Ark employee, you will have the opportunity to be part of the TPT (The Pension Trust) scheme, our workplace pension scheme where we make an 11% contribution; you are not required to contribute towards this scheme unless you choose to
• Access to high-quality professional learning throughout your career, offering both face-to-face sessions and a bespoke online learning platform
• Access to Ark Rewards scheme offering savings from over 3,000 major retailers, interest-free loans available for season tickets or a bike, gym discounts offering up to 40% off your local gym and free eye tests

Ark Curriculum Plus is a not-for-profit education venture set up by the Ark Multi Academy Trust to improve subject outcomes, initially in the Ark network. We’ve now been going for over ten years, using what we learn in Ark to support over 1,000 schools nationally. Our mission is to empower teachers to give every young person, regardless of their background, the subject knowledge and skills that will allow them to succeed.

We now have subject excellence programmes in English, Maths, Science and Geography, at primary and secondary. A team of subject experts work with partner schools to empower teachers to achieve subject excellence using an ambitious curriculum combined with CPD, teaching and assessment resources.

Our programmes, including Mathematics Mastery and English Mastery, have been shown to have measurable impact in evaluations by the EEF, FFT and The Brilliant Club. The DfE is currently providing up to 80% subsidy to eligible schools to promote take-up of our Mathematics Mastery programme at primary.