At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead marketing strategy for diverse B2B businesses and drive growth through insight-driven plans.
- Company: Join a dynamic team at First Bus, shaping the future of Business & Coach marketing.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working, and opportunities for professional development.
- Other info: Embrace a culture of curiosity and continuous improvement in a supportive team.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a fast-paced environment while collaborating with senior leaders.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in B2B marketing and strong commercial acumen required.
The predicted salary is between 59576 - 70089 £ per year.
Location –
London, The Point 1-2 days per week, as well as travel to the Business & Coach locations, as required.
We have a fantastic opportunity for a Head of Marketing, Business and Coach to join our Marketing team on a full-time permanent basis.
The successful candidate will lead the marketing strategy, planning, and delivery for First Bus’s Business & Coach division, made up of a diverse portfolio of primarily B2B businesses, including Coaching firms, First Charge and First Travel Solutions, amongst others.
This role ensures each business within the portfolio receives commercially grounded, insight‑driven marketing support that accelerates organic growth, elevates market position, and meets customer and commercial requirements.
You will bring sharp commercial judgement, strategic discipline, and a highly tailored approach—creating plans for each business while identifying opportunities for shared assets, efficiencies, and cross‑portfolio alignment.
You will also define how the central Marketing Centre of Excellence can best support the Business & Coach division and will develop common playbooks and frameworks for repeatable success.
Key Responsibilities
- Strategic Leadership
- Lead the development and execution of customised marketing strategies across a portfolio that includes Coaching brands, FTS, Ensign, and First Charge.
- Ensure each business receives marketing support aligned to its commercial model, customer needs, competitive environment, and growth objectives.
- Build a clear understanding of each market’s value drivers, customers and proposition strengths to shape effective marketing plans.
- Insight‑Led Planning & Commercial Impact
- Develop insight‑driven growth plans for each business, leveraging customer data, market intelligence, and commercial input.
- Apply commercial acumen to shape P&L‑linked marketing strategies, including margin drivers, lead‑generation requirements, and ROI expectations.
- Identify opportunities to harmonise approaches across the portfolio.
- Execution Through Shared Capability
- Determine how central marketing capabilities, e. g. content, digital, CRM, performance, brand, creative, can best support each business.
- Lead ‘pods’ drawn from the Marketing Pool matrix, ensuring high‑quality delivery and clear accountability for outcomes.
- Collaborate closely with the Production Hub, Social, CRM, PR and PA teams, and potentially external agencies to deliver campaigns with commercial impact.
- ‘Re‑use and recycle’ with pride – drive efficiency by borrowing effective marketing insights, campaign assets or initiatives taken from other parts of the Marketing team.
Proudly share (good and bad) results, to build shared understanding across the whole department.
- Marketing & Sales Enablement
- Oversee development of Account‑Based Marketing (ABM) strategies for key accounts and sectors.
- Strengthen Customer Marketing programmes to support retention, upsell, and long‑term relationship development.
- Provide tools, content, and playbooks to strengthen sales team effectiveness and consistency across segments.
- Stakeholder Influence & Partnership
- Serve as the trusted marketing partner to the Business & Coach Commercial Director and their team.
- Build strong, collaborative relationships with the B&C portfolio businesses e. g. MDs of the Coaching businesses, FTS, Ensign and First Charge etc.
- Influence senior leaders across diverse businesses, bringing clarity on strategic trade‑offs and directing marketing investment for maximum yield.
- Performance, Measurement & Continuous Improvement
- Track and report on marketing effectiveness, commercial outcomes, pipeline contribution, and brand performance across the portfolio.
- Ensure evaluation frameworks, dashboards, and reporting mechanisms are in place to inform future planning.
- Lead budget management across the Business & Coach marketing portfolio, highlighting risks, efficiencies, and opportunities.
- Leadership & Ways of Working
- Role‑model a practical, adaptable, commercially minded working style, comfortable with both strategic thinking and hands‑on delivery where needed.
- Foster a culture of responsiveness, curiosity, experimentation, and continuous improvement within project teams.
- Provide empathetic and effective leadership across matrixed teams and complex stakeholder environments.
Skills/Experience
- Strategic thinking and operational delivery excellence.
- Deep understanding of B2B customer journeys, value propositions, and buying behaviours.
- Ability to translate complex commercial needs into clear marketing activity.
- Skilled at managing multiple priorities across varied business models.
- Commercial, pragmatic, and solutions‑oriented.
- Highly adaptable; thrives in varied business contexts and fast‑moving environments.
- Strong communicator with the ability to persuade and influence at senior levels.
- Collaborative, empathetic, and able to build trusted relationships.
- Creative thinker with a scrappy, resourceful approach to problem‑solving.
Essential
- Proven experience leading marketing in complex, multi‑segment or multi‑brand B2B environments.
- Strong commercial acumen, with the ability to understand P&Ls, pricing, margin levers, and business cases.
- Demonstrable experience developing tailored, insight‑led, growth‑driven strategies for different businesses or customer types.
- Strong track record of influencing and partnering with senior stakeholders.
- Experience in B2B digital marketing, content strategy, CRM, lead generation, and acquisition pipelines.
- #J-18808-Ljbffr
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Marketing, Business and Coach
✨Show Your Creative Side
In marketing communications, standing out is key. Get creative with your application! Consider designing a mini-campaign or pitch that highlights your skills and understanding of the brand. Tailor it for FirstGroup Internal and show them what you can bring to the table.
✨Engage in Marketing Communities
Get involved in local or online marketing communications groups. Check out platforms like Meetup for events and workshops. Networking here can lead to hidden job openings and valuable insights into the industry trends—this is where we often discover what companies like FirstGroup Internal are looking for.
✨Leverage Social Media
Use platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter to showcase your passion for marketing communications. Share insights, articles, and your own content that resonates with the industry. Tagging or interacting with FirstGroup Internal on these platforms can catch the eye of recruiters and show you're genuinely interested in them.
✨Attend Industry Events
Keep an eye out for marketing conferences and workshops. These are great places to meet potential employers face-to-face and make connections that could land you a full-time role at FirstGroup Internal. Bring your business cards and be prepared to chat about how you can contribute!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Marketing, Business and Coach
Some tips for your application 🫡
Craft an Impactful Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Focus on your passion for marketing communications and how your previous experiences can benefit FirstGroup Internal. Make sure to mention specific campaigns or projects you’ve worked on that showcase your creativity and strategic thinking.
Showcase Your Writing Skills:As you're diving into a marketing communications role, your writing ability is crucial. Include samples of your work, like blog posts, press releases, or social media campaigns in your application. This lets us see your style and how you engage with different audiences.
Tailor Your CV to Marketing:Your CV should highlight relevant marketing skills and experiences! Include specific tools or platforms you’ve used, like Google Analytics or social media management software. Mention any certifications or workshops related to marketing that you've completed – they can give you an edge!
Demonstrate Your Understanding of FirstGroup Internal:Show us that you’ve done your homework! In your application, briefly mention what you admire about FirstGroup Internal’s marketing approach or any recent campaigns that caught your attention. This can reveal your enthusiasm for the role and your genuine interest in joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at FirstGroup Internal
✨Showcase Your Creative Campaigns
Get ready to flaunt your portfolio! Include examples of previous marketing campaigns you've worked on, especially those that showcase your creativity and strategy. Recruiters at FirstGroup Internal will be keen to see how you conceptualise and execute campaigns, so highlight any measurable outcomes to back up your claims.
✨Know Your Digital Tools Inside Out
If you’re heading into a marketing-communications role, make sure you're comfortable discussing key digital marketing tools like Google Analytics, HubSpot, or Hootsuite. Expect some technical questions about how you've used these tools in the past, as they'll want to gauge your hands-on experience and how you analyse data to drive marketing decisions.
✨Be Ready for Scenario-Based Questions
At FirstGroup Internal, they may throw some scenario-based questions your way, aimed at testing your problem-solving skills in real-life marketing situations. Think through potential challenges you’ve faced, how you navigated them, and be prepared to discuss your thought process and outcome.
✨Demonstrate Your Passion for Marketing
As you’re applying for a full-time position, show that you're not just looking for a job, but a career in marketing. Talk about the latest trends in marketing communications, your favourite campaigns, and why they inspire you. Your enthusiasm can really make you stand out and demonstrate that you’re committed to growing within the field.
