Global Marketing Director

Company Description: The Barbour story began in 1894 in South Shields in the North East of England. Founder John Barbour began supplying oilskins and other garments to protect the growing community of sailors, fishermen and dockers. Still family owned and now fifth generation, Barbour HQ remains in South Shields. Under the leadership of Chairman Dame Margaret Barbour, Barbour has grown into a lifestyle brand sold in over 55 countries worldwide including Europe, the US and Asia offering a wardrobe of stylish functional clothing, footwear and accessories inspired by the unique values of the British countryside. The iconic Barbour Bedale and Barbour Beaufort wax jackets continue to be made by hand in the factory in South Shields. In 2020, Barbour launched Wax for Life, an overarching name for all of Barbour’s wax services designed to encourage customers to extend the life of their wax garments.

Position Overview: We are currently recruiting for a Global Marketing Director to join our Global Marketing team based at Barbour House, South Shields. We are looking for a commercially minded, strategic, and brand-led marketing leader to help drive our iconic brand(s). As Global Marketing Director, you will be responsible for defining and executing a long-term, multi-market brand strategy that enhances brand equity, drives commercial success, and ensures seamless alignment across retail, e-commerce, and international expansion.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Define and Lead the 5-Year Brand & Marketing Strategy
• Set and own the global marketing strategy, ensuring long-term brand and commercial success in line with our Group 5 Year Plan and vision.
• Establish clear investment priorities across brand-building, digital, partnerships, and trade marketing with wholesale partners to maximise short term global impact and ensure long term sustainable brand development and strength.
• Steer the global expansion agenda, working closely with in-market leadership teams to tailor Global brand strategies to local markets (Asia, North America, and Europe).
• Ensure marketing delivers against business KPIs, embedding commercial rigour and measurable impact into brand-building efforts.

Drive Executive Influence & Business Alignment:

• Act as the executive voice of marketing, shaping business priorities at board level and influencing company-wide decisions.
• Oversee the strategic integration of brand marketing, digital, and performance marketing to maximise e-commerce sales and customer engagement across global markets.
• Work in close partnership with DTC (Retail, Digital (.com), Commercial, and Product leadership to create a unified customer experience across online and offline touchpoints.
• Oversee the global marketing budget and investment strategy, ensuring resources and investment are deployed effectively to maximise growth.

Oversee & Govern Global Marketing Execution:

• Provide high-level strategic oversight, ensuring that brand marketing, trade marketing, PR, and partnerships are aligned with commercial objectives and 5-year plan.
• Ensure all marketing functions are operating at the highest standards, balancing creativity with commercial impact.
• Establish and enforce best-in-class processes for campaign measurement, ensuring strong ROI and continuous improvement.

Build & Elevate a High-Performing Team:

• Inspire, develop, and mentor a senior leadership team, ensuring best-in-class marketing capability.
• Set the cultural tone for the marketing function—fostering collaboration, creativity, and commercial excellence.
• Create a strong internal marketing function that adds strategic value to cross-functional business units.

Skills and Experience:

• Proven leadership at CMO, SVP, or Global Marketing Director level within a premium fashion, lifestyle, or luxury brand.
• Experience of developing and executing multi-market brand strategies, including Asia, North America, and Europe.
• Strong commercial acumen, with the ability to align marketing investments with business growth and commercial targets.
• A track record of influencing executive stakeholders and shaping company-wide strategy.
• Expertise in brand storytelling, digital transformation, and customer engagement in an omnichannel environment.

Additional Information: This role will require travel both in the UK and Internationally.

Benefits: Discretionary Company bonus scheme, Staff discount, Staff shop, Healthcare cash plan, 25 days holiday as standard increasing with length of service plus bank holidays, Free onsite parking, Subsidised canteen.