Head of Brand, Digital & Marketing (Southampton)

McBride Sport are delighted to be supporting Hampshire Cricket & the Utilita Bowl as they look to hire a Head of Brand, Digital & Marketing. Hampshire Cricket, founded in 1863, is one of 18 First-Class Counties, competing in elite domestic competitions such as the County Championship, Metro Bank One-Day Cup, and Vitality T20 Blast. Based at the iconic Utilita Bowl, we are also home to the Southern Brave – our team in The Hundred – and a thriving sports, leisure, and hospitality destination that includes the Hilton Southampton - Utilita Bowl hotel, Boundary Lakes golf course, and a growing portfolio of premium offerings.

The Club is entering a bold new era. Following a landmark strategic investment by GMR Group, we are accelerating our growth both on and off the field — with major milestones on the horizon, including hosting a men’s Ashes Test in 2027 and a women’s Ashes Test in 2031, as well as assuming operational leadership of Southern Brave from 2026.

At the heart of this exciting phase lies a transformative opportunity for an experienced and visionary Head of Brand, Digital & Marketing. This is a pivotal role — leading our Brand, Digital, Content, and PR functions through a step change that will define the next chapter of Hampshire Cricket. The role will oversee a comprehensive digital transformation, drive fan engagement, and enhance the Club’s domestic and international profile through a bold, data-driven marketing strategy.

We are looking for an ambitious leader with a track record of delivering commercial growth through best-in-class marketing operations. You will have deep expertise in brand building, audience development, content strategy, and digital innovation — paired with the ability to lead and inspire a high-performing team across multiple disciplines. You will also play a key leadership role within our commercial structure, supporting the Commercial Director and broader executive team in driving the Club’s long-term strategy.

This role will require an individual with a proven track record of delivering commercial success with key responsibilities including:

• Drive a commercially focused and best in class approach to the Marketing, Digital, Content, and PR teams, across the various brands and franchises at Hampshire Cricket.
• Lead from the front, to create a data driven, modern and high performing team and department.
• Oversee a full digital transformation across all verticals, embedding a “digital and audience growth” mindset and operational model throughout the team and department.
• Serve as the strategic lead for Marketing, Digital, and Content—developing and executing data-driven strategies to grow fan engagement and revenue, both domestically and in key international markets.
• Lead the creation of innovative and engaging content that drives audience growth and deepens connection with fans across all channels.
• Develop and implement strategies to ensure consistent growth in digital audiences and engagement, underpinned by insight-led platform strategies.
• Work closely with the senior leadership team on club-wide strategic initiatives, providing subject matter expertise and acting as a senior thought leader.

This newly created position represents an ideal opportunity to put your stamp on the role and offers a competitive salary, performance-based bonus, and a vibrant and inspiring work environment.

The search is being managed by our retained consultants, McBride Sport. For more details on the role or to request a copy of the candidate information pack, please contact Neil Edwards at McBride Sport nedwards@mcbride-sport.com. The closing date for applications is Monday 2nd June 2025 at 5pm.