Head of Branding & Marketing

The Role

The Head of Branding & Marketing will own the brand, marketing strategy, communication, content, and demand - generation engine.

The ideal candidate has proven experience in building brands from scratch, building and managing teams, working with advertising/creative agencies, and delivering measurable business outcomes.

You will be responsible for:

- Building and defining the brand positioning, identity, and communication

- Developing brand strategy, campaigns, and customer experience

- Building and leading an in - house marketing team

- Managing creative, advertising, digital, social, PR, and production agencies

- Building the content and social - media engine

- Leading website and digital experience initiatives

- Driving student and parent communication

- Connecting brand marketing with enquiries, conversion, CAC, and revenue

- Working closely with the CEO, Growth, and Sales teams

We are looking for a player - coach - someone who can set the strategy, build the team, and still remain hands - on with execution.

Key Responsibilities

1. Brand Building:

- Build and transform the organization into a distinctive premium consumer brand.

- Own positioning, brand proposition, architecture, visual identity, and tone of voice.

- Develop campaigns that build awareness, consideration, and preference.

- Create a brand that is premium, youthful, aspirational, and trustworthy.

- Ensure consistency across properties and customer touchpoints.

2. Team Building & Leadership:

- Build and structure the marketing organization from scratch.

- Hire, manage, and develop the marketing team.

- Set KPIs, goals, and operating rhythms.

- Build a culture of ownership, speed, and accountability.

- Lead internal stakeholders and drive cross - functional collaboration.

3. Agency & Creative Management:

- Lead relationships with creative, advertising, digital, social, PR, and production agencies.

- Brief agencies, evaluate creative output, and ensure timely execution.

- Manage marketing budgets and hold external partners accountable for outcomes.

- Determine which capabilities should be built internally versus outsourced.

4. Content, Digital & Social:

- Build the content engine across Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and other digital platforms.

- Develop influencer and creator partnerships.

- Own content strategy, creative direction, and content calendars.

- Lead website strategy, redesign/rebuild, and conversion optimization.

- Build a digital experience that supports both brand building and demand generation.

5. Commercial Marketing:

- Own and optimize the complete marketing funnel: Awareness - Interest - Enquiry - Visit - Application - Confirmation.

- Track and improve: Enquiries and qualified leads, conversion rates, CAC / Cost per Enquiry, website conversion, campaign ROI, organic demand, and channel performance.

The successful candidate must understand that brand building and business performance go hand in hand.

Ideal Candidate

Experience:

- 8 - 12+ years of relevant experience, with significant experience in marketing and brand leadership.

Must - Have:

- Proven experience building or transforming a consumer - facing brand.

- Experience building and managing a marketing team.

- Strong people - management and hiring experience.

- Experience working with advertising, creative, and digital agencies.

- Strong understanding of brand, digital, social, and content marketing.

- Comfortable with performance marketing, funnels, CAC, and ROI.

- Ability to connect marketing activity with measurable business outcomes.

- Strong stakeholder and vendor - management skills.

- Hands - on, execution - oriented mindset.

Preferred Industry Experience:

- Experience in one or more of the following industries: Hospitality, Real Estate, Co - living, Travel, Consumer Lifestyle, D2C, Education / EdTech, Retail, Premium Consumer Brands.

Hospitality experience is particularly valuable given the hospitality - led living proposition.

What Will Make You Stand Out:

We would strongly prefer candidates who can demonstrate experience in: Building a brand from zero / near - zero, launching or repositioning a brand, creating a brand identity, leading a website launch / rebuild, building a marketing team from scratch, managing advertising / creative agencies, leading integrated brand campaigns, building successful organic social / content programs, experience with Gen Z / youth audiences, managing meaningful marketing budgets, and demonstrating measurable commercial outcomes.

Portfolio / case studies are strongly preferred.

Candidates should be able to demonstrate what they personally built, their role in the work, and the business impact achieved.

Leadership Profile:

We are looking for someone who is: A Builder - enjoys creating things from scratch, a Player - Coach - strategic but hands - on, Commercial - understands enquiries, conversion, CAC, and revenue, Consumer - Obsessed - understands what makes consumers choose a brand, Agency - Savvy - knows how to get the best from external partners, Team Builder - can hire, mentor, and manage high - performing teams, and High Ownership & Fast Execution - takes responsibility for outcomes and operates comfortably in a fast - moving environment.

First - Year Mandate:

Build:

- Brand strategy and architecture, marketing team, agency ecosystem, content engine, and marketing systems and calendar.

Launch:

- Brand identity / refresh, website rebuild, major brand campaigns, social and content programs, student acquisition campaigns, and parent communication strategy.

Deliver:

- Stronger brand awareness and preference, higher enquiry - to - confirmation conversion, improved cost per enquiry / CAC, stronger digital conversion, and scalable marketing infrastructure.