Marketing Manager

Heriot-Watt University; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

A renowned educational institution in Edinburgh is seeking a Marketing Manager to lead marketing strategies for its online programs. The ideal candidate will focus on creating data-driven campaigns to enhance student recruitment and brand presence. Responsibilities include managing budgets, analyzing market trends, and collaborating with various stakeholders to optimize marketing efforts. This role offers a competitive salary and a supportive work environment.

Benefits

33 days annual leave

Flexible working options

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience planning and implementing targeted marketing campaigns.
• Proven managerial experience in a marketing or student recruitment role.
• Knowledge of current digital marketing trends.
• Experience analyzing data from diverse sources.
• Experience managing web optimization projects.
• Experience working with external agencies.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning and delivery of marketing campaigns.
• Manage allocated budget and analyze ROI.
• Set and monitor KPIs for marketing activities.
• Manage relationships with external marketing partners.
• Promote brand presence online and through events.

Skills

Marketing strategy

Data analysis

Digital marketing

Blogging

SEO

Content marketing

Project management

Budget management

Education

Degree in Marketing or related field

Tools

CRM systems

Google Analytics

CMS systems

Job description

Role: Marketing Manager (HW Online)

Grade and Salary: Grade 7, £37,694 - £47,389 per annum

FTE and working pattern: 1.0FTE, 35hrs per week, Monday – Friday

Contract: Fixed Term until July 2026

Holiday Entitlement: 33 days annual leave plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday)

Purpose of Role

We are investing in our online provision to build on our track-record of delivering transformative education. The Marketing Manager plays a key role in this exciting work. You'll be working collaboratively as part of a dynamic team of passionate, mission-driven individuals across recruitment, marketing, digital education, partnerships, and project management.

The Marketing Manager (Heriot-Watt Online) holds responsibility and accountability for shaping and delivering effective marketing strategies and plans for Heriot-Watt Online, which will deliver against student recruitment objectives.

HWOL's programmes are global in nature, recruiting participants from across the world, meaning there is a strong focus on digital marketing and managing global campaigns. We compete with leading universities and business schools across the globe to reach this audience, and our marketing must be sufficiently creative, engaging and data driven to stand out from the crowd.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

The Marketing Manager will be allocated a portfolio of Heriot-Watt Online programmes, with responsibility and accountability for:

Planning, Insight and Strategy

• Leading the planning, delivery and evaluation of data-driven multi-media marketing campaigns that support student recruitment and brand marketing objectives, including promotional activities across a wide range of channel mix including: PPC SEO, Website, Video, Content marketing via social media, blogs, PR and media relations, Events, Email marketing
• Managing allocated budget and regularly conducting a thorough analysis of ROI to help inform spend and strategy for subsequent years
• Creating and managing an annual marketing plan and set activities and targets aligned with the overall Heriot-Watt Online marketing strategy
• Setting and monitoring KPIs, and providing regular progress reports to internal stakeholders
• Acting as product expert
• providing insights into student recruitment trends, key territory market behaviours, HE marketing practices and key competitor activities
• Providing insight on student recruitment performance across markets and highlighting areas of change
• Identifying and testing new marketing opportunities which are cost effective and manageable within available resource
• Maintaining an awareness of the external context the HWU Online programmes operate in, providing insight on competitor activity and market trends to inform strategy
• Proactively sharing insights and learnings within the HWU Online team and wider University to inform the strategy and execution of broader marketing activity

Stakeholder Management and Relationship Building

• Managing the relationship with assigned marketing agencies and partners, acting as the main point of contact for the development and management of digital activity for reporting to key stakeholders
• Representing Heriot-Watt Online at key stakeholder meetings, committees and academic platforms
• Initiating and maintain strong relationships with colleagues within MRAC, taking a proactive approach to ensure activity is coordinated and opportunities for joint working are exploited
• Building close working relationships with relevant academics to facilitate the development of effective marketing
• Develop feedback loops and collaborate with the Student Recruitment and Prospect Experience and Conversion teams to ensure a coherent consumer journey and consistency in student facing communications and collateral
• Work with the content marketing officer to design and execute organic and content marketing strategies
• Have a working knowledge of SEO principles to inform organic marketing strategies
• Develop clear and precise briefs to guide the development of collateral by external agencies and internal teams

Brand, Events and Digital Marketing

• Proactively identifying new marketing channels to diversify the marketing strategy
• Using a data-driven approach, undertaking targeting and segmentation of prospect audience
• Promoting brand presence through social networking sites, online media and tools and providing analysis and intelligence on perception and impact to prospective students
• Ensuring the Heriot-Watt and Edinburgh Business School brand identities and Heriot-Watt online messaging are conveyed effectively and consistently across all communications
• Working closely with the Recruitment Team on guiding their tactics and activity plans
• Organise and direct exciting innovative events (both on-campus and online) for prospective, current, and past HWU Online students as well as proposing new ideas to engage with our key segments and audiences.
• Review and approve all marketing material to ensure they meet the required standards, and align with campaign goals, audience, and brand guidelines
• Use Google Analytics to develop actionable insights to inform marketing strategies

Communications and Engagement

• Establish a communications schedule, content plan, and engagement strategy for future, current and past learners in conjunction with the Content Marketing Officer
• Develop an awareness of consumer personas to craft marketing messaging and guide communications and targeting strategies
• Work within two CRM systems to create audience segments and deliver targeted and effective communications at various point in the consumer journey
• Ensure ongoing compliance of all activity with internal and statutory requirements, including Heriot-Watt brand guidelines and GDPR

Essential & Desirable Criteria

Essential

1. Experience of planning and implementing targeted marketing and communications campaigns.
2. Proven experience of operating effectively at a managerial level in a marketing or student recruitment role.
3. Knowledge of current and upcoming digital marketing trends with experience of using digital channels to reach and connect with markets.
4. Experience of analysing data (both quantitative and qualitative) from a wide range of information sources and drawing up market intelligence reports and marketing and communications plans.
5. Relevant experience of digital analytics, coupled with experience of managing web optimisation projects.
6. Experience of working with external agencies and/or partners (e.g. Online Programme Managers)
7. Knowledge and experience of utilising CRM and CMS systems.
8. Extensive experience of copywriting and editing for different audiences/media and exceptional proof-reading skills.
9. Experience of budget management.
10. Working with international colleagues and clients, and understanding cultural variances and norms

Desirable

1. Experience and/or knowledge of the online education/edtech market
2. Significant working experience in a globally orientated marketing role
3. Professional Qualification or membership of Professional body e.g. CIM
4. Experience of video generation within a marketing context (including films and infographics)
5. Previous experience of brand development and/or brand management
6. Experience of designing and delivering events that contribute to the strategic goals of an organisation.

How to Apply

Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on Wednesday 3rd December 2025.

Pleasesubmit your CV & covering letter via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment.

Please note that interviews for this role are anticipated to take place on week commencing 08 December 2025.

We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g., part-time working and job share options.

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our university community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/.

Use our total rewards calculator https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.

About Heriot-Watt University

At Heriot-Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.

Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.