Marketing Director

Hippo Motor Group; Blackburn; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Hippo Motor Group in Blackburn is seeking an experienced Marketing Director to lead and scale our in-house marketing function. You will own the full lead funnel from acquisition through to conversion and funded deals, taking responsibility for a £5m+ annual marketing budget and delivering measurable ROI across automotive digital retail, finance, and leasing.

You will manage a multidisciplinary team covering CRM, SEO, and PPC, ensure FCA and GDPR compliant communications, and partner with Sales,

Qualifications

• Senior marketing leadership experience within automotive, financial services, or digital retail.
• Proven experience managing multi-million-pound marketing budgets.
• Strong background in performance marketing, CRM, SEO, and PPC.
• Demonstrable success improving lead funnel efficiency and conversion metrics.
• Commercially astute with strong analytical and data interpretation skills.
• Experience leading and developing in-house marketing teams.
• Experience in automotive finance, leasing, or brokering.
• Strong understanding of FCA-regulated marketing environments.
• Experience aligning marketing performance with sales and operational teams.

Responsibilities

• Own and deliver the end-to-end marketing strategy across automotive digital retail, finance, and leasing.
• Full accountability for planning, managing, and optimising a £5m per annum marketing budget.
• Lead the full lead funnel, from first touch through to conversion, completion, and funding.
• Drive continual improvement in lead quality, conversion rates, cost per lead, cost per sale, and ROI.
• Lead performance marketing activity across PPC, SEO, paid media, and on-site optimisation.
• Own CRM strategy across acquisition, nurturing, retention, and remarketing.
• Build a high-performance, commercially focused marketing culture.
• Mentor and develop an in-house team of CRM, SEO, and PPC executives.

Skills

Marketing leadership

CRM

SEO

PPC

Data analytics

Commercial acumen

Team leadership

Automotive finance

Job description

Hippo Motor Group is a fast-growing automotive digital retailer and finance/leasing broker. We are seeking an experienced, commercially driven Marketing Director to lead and scale our in-house marketing function. This role will take full ownership of a £5m+ annual marketing budget and be accountable for driving measurable performance across the entire lead funnel, from acquisition through to conversion and funded deals.

You will lead a multidisciplinary in-house team across CRM, SEO, and PPC, ensuring marketing investment delivers strong ROI, scalable growth, and high-quality leads that convert efficiently.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic & Commercial Leadership

Own and deliver the end-to-end marketing strategy across automotive digital retail, finance, and leasing

Full accountability for planning, managing, and optimising a £5m per annum marketing budget

Align marketing strategy with commercial objectives, stock strategy, pricing, and lender relationships

Act as a senior commercial stakeholder, influencing growth, profitability, and customer experience

Look at other leads lead sources and partnership

Lead Funnel & Conversion Performance

Own the full lead funnel, from first touch through to conversion, completion, and funding

Drive continual improvement in lead quality, conversion rates, cost per lead, cost per sale, and ROI

Work closely with sales, operations, and finance teams to optimise handover points and conversion outcomes

Ensure clear attribution and visibility of marketing’s impact on revenue

Digital Performance & Acquisition

Lead all performance marketing activity across PPC, SEO, paid media, and on-site optimisation

Ensure channels are optimised against clear funnel-stage KPIs

Drive testing, experimentation, and continual performance improvement across digital journeys

CRM & Customer Lifecycle

Own CRM strategy across acquisition, nurturing, retention, and remarketing

Maximise customer lifetime value through segmentation, automation, and data-led decision-making

Ensure all CRM and marketing communications remain FCA-compliant and GDPR compliant

Lead, mentor, and develop an in-house team of CRM, SEO, and PPC executives based in Blackburn

Set clear objectives, performance metrics, and accountability across the team

Build a high-performance, commercially focused marketing culture

Brand, Proposition & Compliance

Own brand positioning and proposition messaging across digital channels

Ensure finance and leasing offers are clearly communicated, competitive, and compliant

Work closely with compliance and legal teams on all regulated marketing activity

Data, Insight & Reporting

Own marketing performance reporting across budget, funnel metrics, and ROI

Deliver clear insight into channel performance, funnel drop-off, and conversion opportunities

Present performance updates, forecasts, and strategic recommendations to senior leadership

Skills & Experience

Senior marketing leadership experience within automotive, financial services, or digital retail

Proven experience managing multi-million-pound marketing budgets

Strong background in performance marketing, CRM, SEO, and PPC

Demonstrable success improving lead funnel efficiency and conversion metrics

Commercially astute with strong analytical and data interpretation skills

Experience leading and developing in-house marketing teams

Experience in automotive finance, leasing, or brokering

Strong understanding of FCA-regulated marketing environments

Experience aligning marketing performance with sales and operational teams

Personal Attributes

Highly commercial and metrics-driven

Strong focus on lead quality, conversion, and ROI

Confident, credible leader with a hands-on mindset

Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, high-growth business

What We Offer

Senior leadership role within a growing automotive digital retailer

Ownership of a significant marketing budget and funnel performance

Opportunity to shape and scale a best-in-class in-house marketing team

Competitive salary and benefits

Office-based role at our Blackburn headquarters