Marketing Manager - JHB

Headhunters; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,400,000; Full time

Job summary

Headhunters in South Africa seeks a seasoned marketing leader to drive strategy and campaigns across travel, leisure and lifestyle segments. You will lead a busy, international-ready team, manage multi-channel campaigns, and collaborate with sales, PR and partnerships to grow brand and revenue.

The role requires 5–8 years of marketing experience including leadership, strong digital and analytics capabilities, and a proven track record in delivering integrated campaigns that resonate across

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, business, communications, or related field.
• Postgraduate qualification or professional marketing certification advantageous.
• 5–8 years' marketing experience with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Experience in travel, tourism, hospitality, leisure, luxury, airline, or lifestyle sectors preferred.
• Proven track record delivering integrated campaigns with measurable business results.
• Experience managing agencies, media budgets, and multi-channel marketing programmes.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute annual marketing plans aligned with objectives and revenue targets.
• Drive customer acquisition, retention, and brand growth across consumer and trade channels.
• Identify market opportunities, customer trends, and competitive insights.
• Manage the annual marketing budget and optimise ROI across activities.
• Ensure consistent application of global brand guidelines locally.
• Strengthen brand positioning in SA travel and leisure markets.
• Lead digital marketing initiatives across paid search, social, display, email, and content.
• Oversee website content and customer journey optimisation.
• Plan and execute integrated campaigns for key sales periods and launches.
• Develop travel trade marketing programmes and co-op campaigns.
• Coordinate PR, partnerships, and sponsorship initiatives.
• Monitor KPIs and report performance to senior management.
• Lead local marketing team and external agency partners.

Skills

Strategic marketing

Commercial acumen

Project management

Digital marketing

Analytics & reporting

Communication

Stakeholder mgmt

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in marketing

Postgraduate qualification advantageous

Job description

Requirements:

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or related field.
• Postgraduate qualification or professional marketing certification advantageous.

Experience

• Minimum 5–8 years' marketing experience, including at least 3 years in a marketing leadership role.
• Experience within travel, tourism, hospitality, leisure, luxury, airline, or consumer lifestyle sectors preferred.
• Proven track record of delivering integrated marketing campaigns that drive measurable business results.
• Experience managing agencies, media budgets, and multi-channel marketing programmes.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong strategic marketing and commercial acumen.
• Excellent project management and organisational skills.
• Advanced digital marketing knowledge and performance marketing experience.
• Strong analytical and reporting capabilities.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, international environment.
• Creative thinker with a customer-centric mindset.
• Strong leadership and team management capability.

Responsibilities:

Marketing Strategy and Planning

• Develop and execute annual marketing plans aligned with business objectives and revenue targets.
• Drive customer acquisition, retention, and brand growth across consumer and trade channels.
• Identify market opportunities, customer trends, and competitive insights to inform marketing initiatives.
• Manage the annual marketing budget and optimise ROI across all activities.

Brand Management

• Ensure consistent application of the global brand guidelines across all local marketing initiatives.
• Strengthen brand positioning and awareness within the South African travel and leisure market.
• Adapt global campaigns and assets to meet local market requirements.

Digital Marketing

• Lead digital marketing initiatives across paid search, social media, display advertising, email marketing, and content marketing.
• Oversee website content and customer journey optimisation.
• Monitor campaign performance and implement data-driven improvements.
• Drive lead generation and conversion strategies through digital channels.

Campaign Management

• Plan and execute integrated marketing campaigns supporting key sales periods, new launches, itineraries, and promotional activities.
• Coordinate campaign development across creative, media, digital, PR, and sales functions.
• Ensure campaigns are delivered on time, within budget, and achieve performance targets.

Travel Trade Marketing

• Develop marketing programmes that support travel agency and trade partner sales.
• Create co-operative marketing campaigns with key travel trade partners.
• Support trade events, roadshows, product launches, and training initiatives.
• Strengthen relationships with travel industry stakeholders and associations.

Public Relations and Communications

• Manage PR strategy and media engagement activities.
• Coordinate press releases, media events, influencer partnerships, and crisis communications where required.
• Build and maintain relationships with key travel, lifestyle, business, and consumer media.

Partnerships and Sponsorships

• Identify and develop strategic partnerships that enhance brand visibility and drive commercial opportunities.
• Manage sponsorship opportunities and brand collaborations aligned with target audiences.

Analytics and Reporting

• Monitor marketing performance against KPIs and commercial objectives.
• Analyse campaign effectiveness and customer insights.
• Prepare regular performance reports and recommendations for senior management.
• Use data and market intelligence to continuously optimise marketing investments.

Leadership and Stakeholder Management

• Lead and develop the local marketing team and external agency partners.
• Collaborate closely with Sales, Revenue Management, Customer Service, and Global Marketing teams.
• Manage relationships with creative agencies, media agencies, production suppliers, and digital partners.