Marketing Manager (Midrand) (Telecommunication)

Express Employment Professionals Midrand; Midrand; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Express Employment Professionals Midrand seeks an experienced Marketing Manager to lead strategic marketing across B2B and B2C channels, align with sales and growth objectives, and manage a multidisciplinary team.

You will develop annual and quarterly plans, oversee campaigns, launches, budgets, and performance metrics, and ensure brand consistency across channels while localising strategies for the South African market.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Marketing, Business, Communications or related field.
• 5+ years' marketing experience with progression to senior/management level.
• Experience leading or managing a Marketing team and developing integrated campaigns.
• Strong understanding of B2B and B2C marketing and collaboration with Sales.
• Digital marketing expertise, product launches and go-to-market activities.
• Experience managing budgets, suppliers and agencies; strong analytical skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement annual and quarterly marketing strategy aligned with objectives and global brand direction.
• Translate commercial objectives into measurable marketing plans, campaigns and activities.
• Develop strategies for B2B and B2C markets; collaborate with Sales and other departments.
• Lead marketing calendar, product launches and go-to-market initiatives.
• Manage budgets, vendors, agencies and measurement of ROI.
• Lead, mentor and develop Marketing Coordinators and other staff.
• Oversee digital channels, content, PR, events and creative assets.
• Coordinate cross-functional activities with Sales, Product, Finance and Operations.

Skills

Marketing strategy

Team leadership

B2B/B2C marketing

Sales alignment

Digital marketing

Product launches

Budget management

Project management

Analytics

English communication

Stakeholder management

Multi-brand management

ROI measurement

Education

Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, Communications or related field

Job description

PREFERRED INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE

Experience within one or more of the following industries will be highly advantageous:

ICT | Technology | Networking | Telecommunications | Consumer Electronics | Smart Home | Surveillance/Security | IT Distribution

Experience in the following areas will also be advantageous:

• Technology vendor or distributor marketing.
• Retail and e-commerce marketing.
• Channel and partner marketing.
• Distributor and reseller programmes.
• ISP/service-provider marketing.
• Enterprise/B2B marketing.
• Product go-to-market planning.
• Working within an international or multinational organisation.

MINIMUM POSITION REQUIREMENTS

The Marketing Manager should possess:

• A relevant Bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification in Marketing, Business, Communications or a related field.
• Approximately 5+ years' relevant marketing experience, with demonstrated progression into a senior or management-level position.
• Proven experience developing and executing marketing strategies and integrated campaigns.
• Demonstrated experience leading or managing a Marketing team.
• Strong understanding of both B2B and B2C marketing.
• Experience working closely with Sales teams and supporting commercial objectives.
• Strong digital marketing knowledge.
• Experience with product launches and go-to-market activities.
• Experience managing marketing budgets, suppliers and agencies.
• Strong project-management and organisational skills.
• Strong analytical ability with experience measuring marketing performance and ROI.
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills.
• Strong stakeholder-management and presentation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple brands, projects, stakeholders and deadlines simultaneously.

The Employee shall be responsible for the following functions and duties, including but not limited to:

Marketing Strategy & Commercial Planning

• Develop and implement the annual and quarterly marketing strategy for the company in alignment with Company objectives, sales priorities and global brand direction.
• Translate commercial objectives into clear and measurable marketing plans, campaigns and activities.
• Develop appropriate marketing strategies across B2B and B2C markets, taking into consideration the different customer segments, product categories and routes to market.
• Work closely with the Head of Operations, Country Manager, Sales teams and other relevant departments to understand business priorities and identify where marketing can support growth.
• Ensure that marketing initiatives are aligned with sales objectives, product priorities, customer requirements and market opportunities.
• Identify emerging market trends, customer requirements and competitor activity and recommend appropriate marketing responses.
• Ensure that marketing activity contributes to measurable business outcomes and not brand exposure alone.

Brand & Portfolio Management

• Take overall marketing responsibility for the company's brands and solutions.
• Develop differentiated marketing approaches appropriate to each brand, product portfolio, customer segment and route to market.
• Ensure consistent brand positioning and compliance with company's global brand standards while appropriately localising marketing activities for the South African market.
• Develop sufficient knowledge of company's products, solutions, technologies and target markets to ensure accurate and commercially effective marketing communication.

Consumer, Business & Service-Provider Marketing

Consumer / Retail

Support the growth of the company's Consumer networking and other applicable consumer product categories through:

• Retail and e-commerce marketing.
• Consumer campaigns and promotions.
• Product launches.
• Digital and social campaigns.
• Retail activations.
• Influencer and media initiatives.
• In-store and online visibility.
• Seasonal promotional campaigns.

Business / Channel

Support the growth of applicable B2B solutions through:

• Distributor and reseller marketing.
• System integrator and installer engagement.
• Channel campaigns and partner activations.
• Lead-generation activities.
• Business events and exhibitions.
• Customer communications.
• Sales enablement and product positioning.
• Case studies and business-focused content.

Service Provider

Support the growth of the service-provider solutions through:

• ISP/WISP and service-provider marketing.
• Distributor and channel-partner campaigns.
• Customer and industry events.
• Product and solution positioning.
• Lead-generation initiatives.
• Sales enablement and customer communication

Sales, Distributor, Reseller & Partner Collaboration

• Work closely with the Company's Sales teams to understand sales targets, customer requirements, product priorities and areas requiring marketing support.
• Build strong working relationships between Marketing and Sales and ensure the departments operate collaboratively.
• Develop joint marketing initiatives with distributors, resellers, retailers, e-commerce partners, ISPs/WISPs, system integrators and other channel partners.
• Support Key Account Managers and Sales Managers with customer-specific marketing initiatives where commercially appropriate.
• Develop marketing collateral, campaigns and activities that assist Sales teams in communicating product and solution value.
• Support partner promotions, product launches, events, training initiatives and lead-generation activities.
• Coordinate partner-specific marketing requirements and ensure agreed activities are completed accurately and within required deadlines.
• Maintain professional working relationships with external marketing contacts across company's partner ecosystem.

Go-to-Market & Product Launch Management

• Lead and coordinate the local marketing execution of new product and solution launches.
• Develop structured go-to-market plans based on target audience, positioning, key selling points, route to market, promotional strategy and commercial objectives.
• Work with Sales, Product, Technical and other relevant teams to ensure launch readiness.
• Coordinate appropriate digital, social, PR, influencer, retail, e-commerce, channel and event activities for launches.
• Ensure relevant Sales teams and channel partners have access to appropriate product information and marketing assets.
• Develop sales-enablement materials where required.
• Monitor product-launch performance and recommend adjustments based on market response and commercial feedback.

Marketing Calendar & Departmental Planning

• Own and maintain a central annual, quarterly and monthly Company Marketing Calendar.
• Ensure the calendar incorporates, where applicable:
• Product launches.
• Retail promotions.
• E-commerce campaigns.
• Distributor and reseller campaigns.
• Partner activities.
• Exhibitions and events.
• Webinars and training activities.
• Digital and social campaigns.
• PR and influencer activity.
• Seasonal campaigns.
• Internal marketing requirements.
• Coordinate marketing requirements across departments to prevent conflicting priorities and ensure effective allocation of Marketing resources.
• Establish clear deadlines, responsibilities, and deliverables for Marketing projects.
• Ensure Graphic Design and Marketing resources are appropriately planned and prioritised.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, manage, mentor and develop the Marketing Department, including Marketing Coordinators, Graphic Designers and other Marketing employees.
• Establish clear roles, responsibilities, priorities, deadlines and performance expectations for each team member.
• Allocate work effectively according to business priorities and team capacity.
• Conduct regular departmental meetings and project reviews.
• Monitor the quality, accuracy and timeliness of work produced by the Marketing team.
• Provide guidance, coaching and constructive feedback to team members.
• Identify training and development requirements.
• Set and monitor appropriate departmental and individual KPIs.
• Promote accountability, collaboration, creativity and continuous improvement within the department.
• Ensure Marketing resources are focused on agreed Company and commercial priorities.
• Address performance, workflow or delivery concerns promptly and elevate where appropriate.

Digital Marketing & Content Strategy

• Develop and oversee company's digital marketing strategy.
• Manage and continuously improve relevant digital channels, including:
• Social media.
• Websites and landing pages.
• Email marketing.
• Paid digital advertising.
• SEO/SEM.
• Digital campaigns.
• Online content.
• Develop a structured content plan aligned with product launches, sales priorities, campaigns, events and brand objectives.
• Oversee the creation of relevant B2B and B2C content.
• Ensure content is accurate, engaging, brand compliant and appropriate for the intended audience.
• Monitor digital performance using relevant metrics, including reach, engagement, traffic, leads, conversion and campaign performance.
• Use data and performance results to optimise future marketing activity.

Retail & E-Commerce Marketing

• Work closely with Retail Sales and E-Commerce teams to support key trading periods, promotional calendars, product launches and marketplace activities.
• Develop and coordinate marketing support for retailers and online marketplaces.
• Ensure appropriate marketing assets are available for retail and e-commerce partners.
• Support in-store, online and marketplace brand visibility.
• Coordinate point-of-sale materials, promotional content, digital assets and product-launch materials.
• Monitor competitor marketing, promotional activity and product positioning within retail and e-commerce channels.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of significant retail and e-commerce marketing activities.

Events, Exhibitions & Activations

• Plan, coordinate and oversee company's participation in relevant:
• Trade shows and exhibitions.
• Partner events.
• Customer events.
• Retail activations.
• Roadshows.
• Product launches.
• Conferences.
• Webinars.
• Training and educational events.
• Establish clear objectives, target audiences, budgets and expected outcomes for significant events.
• Coordinate with Sales, Technical, partners, agencies, suppliers and other stakeholders.
• Ensure professional representation of the company and its brands.
• Evaluate event performance through appropriate measures including attendance, leads, customer engagement, partner participation and commercial opportunities.

Creative & Brand Management

• Oversee the development and quality of the company's creative marketing output.
• Manage the workflow between Marketing Coordinators, Graphic Designers, internal stakeholders and external suppliers.
• Oversee the development of:
• Digital marketing assets.
• Social media content.
• Advertisements.
• Brochures and catalogues.
• Presentations.
• Point-of-sale materials.
• Product collateral.
• Event materials.
• Promotional materials.
• Video and multimedia content.
• Ensure all materials comply with the company's brand guidelines and quality standards.
• Ensure information communicated externally is accurate and has been appropriately reviewed where required.

PR, Media & Influencer Management

• Identify appropriate PR, media, influencer/KOL and industry opportunities across the company's different brands and target markets.
• Manage relationships with relevant media partners, influencers, agencies and external marketing suppliers.
• Coordinate product reviews, media engagement, product launches and brand-awareness initiatives.
• Evaluate proposed partnerships and influencer activities according to audience relevance, brand fit, cost and expected commercial value.
• Protect the Company's reputation and ensure external communications remain aligned with the company's brand positioning.

Market & Competitor Intelligence

• Monitor relevant market developments, competitor activity, product launches, campaigns and promotional strategies.
• Maintain awareness of developments within the networking, smart-home, surveillance, telecommunications and ICT industries.
• Analyse competitor positioning across relevant B2B and B2C channels.
• Provide useful market and competitor insights to Management and Sales.
• Use market intelligence to inform marketing strategies, product positioning and campaign planning.

Marketing Budget & Supplier Management

• Develop and manage the Marketing budget in accordance with Company requirements.
• Allocate marketing expenditure according to agreed priorities and expected business value.
• Track actual expenditure against approved budgets.
• Ensure appropriate approval processes are followed before expenditure is committed.
• Manage relationships with marketing agencies, media providers, event suppliers, printers, promotional suppliers and other service providers.
• Obtain and evaluate quotations and negotiate commercial terms where appropriate.
• Monitor supplier performance and quality.
• Ensure marketing expenditure is properly documented and capable of being evaluated against expected outcomes.
• Evaluate return on investment for significant marketing expenditure and campaigns.

Performance Measurement & Reporting

• Establish appropriate KPIs and measures for Marketing activities.
• Monitor and report on campaign, event, digital, partner and departmental performance.
• Prepare regular Marketing performance reports for Management.
• Measure relevant indicators including, where applicable:
• Leads generated.
• Campaign reach and engagement.
• Website traffic.
• Digital conversion.
• Partner participation.
• Event outcomes.
• Product-launch performance.
• Marketing expenditure.
• Return on investment.
• Contribution towards commercial and sales objectives.
• Analyse results to identify what performed successfully, what underperformed and what corrective action should be taken.
• Obtain feedback from Sales and other stakeholders regarding the effectiveness of Marketing support.
• Use performance data to continuously improve Marketing strategy and execution.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work collaboratively with Sales, E-Commerce, Technical, Product, Finance, Operations, Warehouse and other relevant departments.
• Ensure Marketing has sufficient understanding of Company priorities, stock/product availability, upcoming launches and commercial requirements when planning campaigns.
• Participate in relevant business and planning meetings.
• Ensure appropriate communication between Marketing and other departments.
• Support broader Company initiatives where Marketing involvement is required.

General Duties & Responsibilities

• Perform all duties diligently, professionally and in accordance with the standards required by the Employer.
• Maintain confidentiality regarding Company, customer, employee and commercial information.
• Ensure Company policies, procedures and approval processes are followed.
• Represent the company professionally when interacting with employees, customers, distributors, resellers, retailers, partners, suppliers and service providers.
• Protect and promote the interests, reputation and brands of the Company at all times.
• Perform other reasonable Marketing and management-related duties that may be required by the Employer from time to time.