Founding Growth Marketing Lead

Location: London - Oval (Hybrid - 4 days per week in office)

What I’m looking for

Hi, I’m Ahmed, VP of Marketing at Zen Educate. I’m hiring for a systems architect to lead our revenue marketing function. We need someone who can set the strategy, architect the system and build it, and drive the execution that fuels our sales team. You will be defining what great looks like by building an AI first B2B engine that allows us to scale without just growing your team. You will bridge the gap between high-level strategy and ground-level execution, ensuring our ABM, content, positioning, and sales enablement are world‑class. The team is lean, so we need someone who thrives in a hands‑on environment and is obsessed with leveraging AI to architect scalable workflows. You’ll own the ABM strategy and drive our B2B acquisition engine across the UK. You’ll be responsible for how schools engage with Zen, directly impacting our lead flow, conversion rates, and overall market dominance through systems‑led growth.

Here’s what I value:

• Strategy = Systematisation. You don't just have good ideas; you leverage AI and build the systems that make those ideas repeatable without you.
• High Standards & Ownership. You take full accountability for the number. If the pipeline is light, you take it personally and fix it.
• Customer‑first mindset. You ask the right questions and approach your work through the lens of the schools we serve.
• Player/Coach Mindset. You are happy to roll up your sleeves and write copy or build a workflow, but you do it with a view to scaling it.

If you're excited to play a critical part in Zen's UK growth and help own how we position ourselves and connect with school leaders, I’d love to hear from you.

What we’re building and why

Getting the right teacher into the right school at the right time is a real‑world problem worth solving — for the education system, for children, and for the long‑term sustainability of school staffing. Since launching in 2017, we've saved schools over £30 million. In 2024, we closed the largest EdTech round in Europe and are expanding rapidly in both the UK and US. To keep growing in the UK, we need to reach more schools, strengthen our brand, and create scalable, automated systems that support a high‑performing sales team — that’s where you come in.

What you’ll actually do

Let’s get specific. Here’s the kind of work you’ll lead:

• Architect the Growth Engine (Systemisation) Move us from manual effort to a scalable machine. Build and optimise the AI workflows and MarTech stack to drive MQLs and Active Schools. Architect our ABM infrastructure to build a repeatable engine for acquiring high value schools and MATs. Build the playbook for automating repetitive tasks and B2B acquisition, while always experimenting and learning.
• Drive Commercial Impact & Sales Alignment This is not a brand awareness role; it is a revenue role. You will work lock‑step with Sales Directors to ensure lead quality and conversion. Own Sales Enablement: You will identify gaps in our pitch/collateral before Sales does. You will build the battlecards, case studies, and localised messaging that help them win. Review and upgrade the current operational output of the marketing function.
• Strategic Positioning Define how we win in the market. Refine our narrative to cut through the noise. Use your empathy to make sure we resonate deeply with school leaders. Lead our multi‑channel strategy (Email, Paid, Partnerships, Conferences), ensuring every channel has a clear ROI and a playbook with a focus on scale through systems.

Why this role is unique

You are the Architect, not just the Operator. You aren't inheriting a perfect playbook to execute. You have the mandate to look at our current setup, tear down what doesn't work, and build the systems that will scale us for the next 5 years. You define what great looks like. We have momentum, but we need maturity. You get the full freedom to experiment and set the standard for how a world‑class AI First Revenue Marketing function operates, from the tech stack to the messaging. True Commercial Ownership. This isn't a support function sitting in the corner making brochures. You sit at the table with Sales Leadership, owning the revenue number and driving the commercial strategy for the UK. High Autonomy in a High‑Growth environment. You will have the freedom to test, break, and build things quickly, without layers of bureaucracy slowing you down. Mission‑Critical Impact. You are solving a genuine crisis in the education system. Every efficiency you build puts money back into classrooms and gets teachers where they are needed most to help students thrive!

What makes you a great fit

You’ll thrive here if:

• Proven Builder: You have set up marketing automation and sales enablement functions from scratch or significantly upgraded them.
• Commercial Fluency: You view Marketing as a revenue function. You understand deal cycles, you sit in sales meetings, and you optimise for closed‑won business, not just vanity metrics.
• Technical & AI First: You are hands‑on with the stack and view AI as a multiplier. Whether it's data flows, automation, or building custom workflows you solve problems with a systems first mindset.
• High Agency: You thrive in ambiguity. You don't need a roadmap handed to you; you are the one who draws the map. If you see a gap, you fill it without waiting for permission.
• Aptitude over Tooling: You don't need to be an AI expert today, but you must be a systems thinker and fast learner who is already experimenting with how automation can 10x your output.

What this role is NOT

We want to be upfront, this role isn’t for everyone. Here’s what might make it a bad fit:

• Performance Marketing or SEO specialist. While we value those skills, this role isn't about paid channels or SEO. This is a B2B Revenue Marketing role, where you will be architecting outbound systems and ABM plays.
• This role isn’t about maximising AI‑generated content, it’s about building the infrastructure that drives schools acquisition.
• You want structure handed to you. We have a starting point, but it needs significant rework. This role is about setting what great looks like, redefining our strategy and building scalable systems, not following a fully mapped‑out plan.
• You’re not a builder. This role is hands‑on. You’ll be setting up the systems, processes, and automations, running campaigns, refining messaging, and reviewing performance.
• You don’t like context switching. You’ll move between tactical delivery, big‑picture planning, team syncs, and cross‑functional collaboration, often in the same day.
• If that sounds more chaotic than energising, it might not be for you.
• You avoid the messy work. We are scaling fast. Data might be messy; processes might be broken. You need to be the person who runs toward that fire, not the one who complains about the smoke.

Our hiring process

We believe in moving fast and respecting your time. Our interview process is broken down into 3 stages, with all interviews in a given stage scheduled simultaneously. Once all interviews in a stage are complete, we aim to get back to you within 36 hours.

• Stage 1: Intro call with our recruiter: we’ll cover basics like your background, salary expectations, and timelines.
• Stage 2: Intro call with me: we’ll dig into your experience and how you approach growth, automation, and cross‑functional work.
• Stage 3: Task & review: you’ll complete a short take‑home task and then present your thinking to another leader and me.
• Sales leadership call: you’ll speak with one of the leaders from the Sales team.

Perks & benefits

• Work that you want to talk about
• Ownership in the company
• 25+ days of holiday (increases with tenure)
• On‑site gym, showers, bike parking & café at our Central London office
• Electric car & Cycle to Work schemes
• Coaching, life insurance & health insurance
• Fun‑loving, mission‑driven team

Diversity & inclusion

We welcome applicants with diverse backgrounds, and different experiences and perspectives — just like the staff who teach through Zen and the children at the schools we work with. We believe in hiring the best people from the widest pool and creating an inclusive atmosphere with a culture where people’s voices are heard, and all our team can look forward to coming to work. We value and respect all differences in all people (seen and unseen). We believe in an environment with equal access to career development opportunities and actively encourage applications from BAME candidates. If you require any reasonable adjustments during your interview process with us, please let us know.

Please note before applying: Due to the high volume of applications, we regret that we are unable to provide individual feedback on initial submissions.