Director of Growth, Brand and Reputation in Plymouth

Lead Marjon's growth. Shape our reputation. Build our future.

This is a rare opportunity to join the University Senior Leadership Team and lead the strategic functions that drive recruitment, reputation, engagement and long-term growth. If you're an ambitious leader with a passion for building brands, creating impact and delivering results, we'd love to hear from you.

Who we’re looking for:

We are seeking an ambitious and commercially minded leader to help shape the future of the University. You'll bring significant experience in growth, marketing, brand, communications and stakeholder engagement, alongside a proven track record of delivering measurable organisational impact within complex environments.

The successful candidate will combine strategic vision with strong commercial acumen, using insight, data and market intelligence to drive growth, strengthen reputation and position Marjon as a distinctive, modern and socially purposeful university. You will be an exceptional relationship builder, comfortable influencing at executive level and leading high‑performing teams through change and transformation.

What you’d be doing:

As Director of Growth, Brand & Reputation, you will provide strategic leadership for marketing, recruitment conversion, communications, brand, digital experience, stakeholder engagement and reputation management activities across the University. Working closely with academic and professional services leaders, you will develop and deliver strategies that support sustainable growth, enhance market position and increase the long‑term value of the Marjon brand.

You will lead the development of compelling market propositions, oversee communications and reputation management activity, strengthen engagement with key stakeholders and partners, and ensure digital platforms and customer journeys deliver outstanding experiences. As a member of the University Leadership Group, you will play a key role in shaping institutional strategy and helping to deliver the ambitions our Marjon 2030 plan.

You’ll need to enjoy:

• Operating at pace in an agile, dynamic environment whilst balancing strategic thinking with practical delivery and adapting quickly to changing priorities.
• Actively seeking opportunities for change, innovation and continuous improvement, and pursuing competitive advantage.
• Building strong relationships with colleagues, students, partners, employers, civic leaders and sector stakeholders.
• Leading high‑performing teams and creating a culture of accountability, innovation and continuous improvement.
• Working to your values: we care about how people behave as well as what they achieve.

Where you’ll work:

In this role, you'll lead the Growth, Brand & Reputation directorate and work closely with colleagues across the University, helping to shape how Marjon is perceived by prospective students, partners, communities and stakeholders.

Based on our green campus in the north of Plymouth, you will join a forward‑thinking leadership team committed to delivering the University's strategic ambitions and creating opportunities for students and communities to thrive.

Our current hybrid working policy means you can work from home or on campus, but you will need to maintain strong campus links and will be expected to be onsite at least 3 days per week.

Key Dates:

• Interview date: Tuesday 20 October 2026

Employee benefits:

Supporting our people: At Marjon, we are firmly committed to supporting every member of staff who works for us. Our Balance programme of health and wellbeing activities aims to help you to look after your physical health, nutritional health, mental health and social health, and we’re big believers in the importance of work/life balance. Many of our employees work flexibly and they are able to apply for parental leave and time off for dependants.

Pension & annual leave: as a Professional Services role, you will have access to the Local Government Pension Scheme with competitive employer contribution rates, and an annual leave allowance of 29 days, plus bank holidays and discretionary closure days.

We are keen to hear from a diverse range of applicants to support our goal to realise every individual’s potential. We are a ‘Disability Confident Employer’: candidates who declare a disability and who demonstrate on their application that they meet the essential criteria will be included on the shortlist. If you are considering relocating, you can read more about Plymouth here.

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Ann Holman, Chief Strategy & Performance

ACCOUNT REGULARLY.

It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.

On occasions where we receive high interest in a vacancy, we may use AI to initially screen anonymised applications.

We are currently unable to offer sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route for this position. We therefore welcome applications from candidates who already have the right to work in the UK. This includes individuals on alternative visa routes that permit employment, such as the Graduate visa.