Marketing Officer

Heriot-Watt University; Kilmarnock; On-site; GBP 31,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading university in Scotland seeks a Marketing Officer to support marketing and communication plans that align with strategic goals. Responsibilities include creating inclusive content, managing recruitment campaigns, and reporting on marketing budgets. Candidates should have strong communication skills and relevant experience, with an emphasis on digital media. Flexible working patterns are considered.

Benefits

33 days annual leave

Flexible working patterns

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Proven experience in planning and implementing marketing projects.
• Experience in developing and distributing written and visual content.
• Ability to manage and monitor the effectiveness of the budget.

Responsibilities

• Support and implement marketing and communication plans.
• Develop and deliver comprehensive multi-channel campaigns.
• Report on relevant marketing budgets and activity.

Skills

Analytical problem-solving

Strong IT/digital media skills

Excellent communication

Interpersonal skills

Education

Educated to at least SCQF level 7

Tools

Adobe Creative Cloud

Content Management System

Customer Relationship Manager system

Job description

Description

Role: Marketing Officer

Grade and Salary: Grade 6, £31,236 - £36,636 per annum

FTE and working pattern: 1FTE, 35hrs per week, Monday - Friday

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

Purpose of Role

Support and implement marketing and communication plans to meet the School’s strategic objectives and priorities and the wider University’s overarching marketing and recruitment strategies.

The post-holder will develop sector-leading, inclusive content and activity to enhance the School’s profile, student recruitment activity, and reputation in line with our Strategy 2025/26 ambitions.

As part of the Marketing team, the post-holder will report to the Marketing Manager and work closely and collaboratively across multiple schools, with staff and the wider MRAC team to deliver a flexible and innovative approach to a broad spectrum of marketing and communications, whilst ensuring compliance with the University’s brand and relevant legislation.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• Work collaboratively with the Marketing Manager to develop and deliver undergraduate and postgraduate (taught and research) recruitment and conversion plans/campaigns ensuring that they are informed by University and School strategies and aligned with central marketing plans.
• Support the Marketing Manager in liaising with Schools to build and maintain relationships with academic and professional service colleagues, including the Executive Deans, programme directors, and wider MRAC colleagues, to develop and drive activity.
• Create and share a broad range of marketing content to support University brand and student recruitment campaigns across a range of platforms. Ensure the content is timely, engaging, inclusive, and relevant to the target market to support annual marketing plans. Undertake regular content audits to identify gaps and consider alternative methods of distributing and showcasing content.
• Develop and deliver comprehensive multi-channel campaigns to highlight Schools and priority programmes to meet agreed student recruitment targets and KPIs. Liaise with design and media buying agencies to deliver engaging and targeted campaigns, across SEM, Digital Display, and direct marketing, utilising data to drive decision making and optimisation throughout.
• Report on relevant marketing budgets and School activity on a monthly and post-campaign basis, to ensure value for money through ongoing budget reviews and regular analysis of campaign activity.
• Co-ordinate and represent the schools at recruitment events (on/offline); working closely with the Marketing Manager, Student Recruitment team, and academic colleagues to ensure all events are delivered to the highest professional standards and achieve desired marketing outcomes within agreed budgets.
• Proactively work with school contacts, Communications team, and Alumni team to ensure a regular flow of information and to identify areas for media coverage/ PR opportunities across MRAC and the wider University.
• To work adaptively across the various schools at the direction of the Marketing Manager, ensuring resource is available where needed.
  
  

Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and the role holder may be required to undertake other relevant duties commensurate with the grading of the post.

This includes supporting the delivery of events, which may fall outside of core working hours i.e., evenings and weekends. This includes (but is not limited to) Open Days, Graduation, Enrolment, Confirmation and Clearing, Commercial/Research Events, Student Events, and External Events.

Activities may be subject to amendment over time as the role develops and/or priorities and requirements evolve.

Essential

Essential & Desirable Criteria

• Educated to at least SCQF level 7 or equivalent practical experience in the workplace
• Proven experience in planning and implementing marketing, communications, or recruitment projects that deliver tangible business results and reputational benefits
• Analytical problem-solving skills
• Strong IT/ digital media skills
• Experience in developing and distributing a wide range of written and visual content across multiple channels and using a range of mediums (web content, social media content, videos, and print)
• Experience of developing creative briefs across a range of media forms.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to produce clear, concise copy in accessible English with excellent attention to detail, grammatical competence, and proof-reading skills
• Well-developed interpersonal skills and ability to build effective stakeholder relationships across a large organisation
• Ability to work quickly, flexibly, and accurately in a dynamic, changing, and pressured environment
• Experience in managing and monitoring the effectiveness of the budget
• Contributes to the team with a professional and proactive approach
  
  

Desirable

• Marketing-related degree or professional qualification (e.g. CIM)
• Experience working in marketing within Higher Education
• Knowledge of the admissions recruitment cycle of Higher Education and student recruitment
• Good understanding of a range of software packages such as Adobe Creative Cloud
• Experience working within a Content Management System (CMS) and Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) system
  
  

How To Apply

Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on Sunday 31st August 2025.

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

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 The Team

The Marketing, Student Recruitment, Admissions and Communications Group is at the heart of attracting, engaging, and delivering exceptional student and stakeholder experiences. From award-winning marketing campaigns to local and global student recruitment initiatives and communications, our Group delivers professional services that support the University’s strategic ambitions to put Heriot-Watt on the global stage.

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.