Use this as a neutral starting point for a marketing manager job description — adapt every line to your own company, team and market. For the writing principles, see how to write job descriptions; for the underlying structure, the job description template.
Role overview
The title spans a wide range — from a generalist who does everything in a small company to a manager of a specialist team in a larger one. Naming the scope, channels and seniority keeps applications relevant.
What a marketing manager typically does
The role balances planning and doing. A marketing manager sets priorities, briefs and reviews work, manages a budget, and reports on what is working. In smaller organisations they also produce the work themselves — writing, designing campaigns, running ads or email — while in larger ones they spend more time coordinating specialists.
Key responsibilities
- Plan marketing activity that supports clear business and revenue goals
- Own one or more channels (e.g. content, email, paid, social, events)
- Brief, coordinate and review work by team members, freelancers or agencies
- Manage a marketing budget and prioritise spend
- Track performance and report results honestly, including what underperformed
- Work closely with sales to align messaging and pass on qualified interest
- Keep brand and messaging consistent across channels
Day-to-day activities
- Reviewing campaign performance and adjusting plans
- Writing or reviewing briefs, copy and creative
- Meeting with sales, leadership or agencies to align on priorities
- Planning the content or campaign calendar
- Checking budgets and approving spend
- Analysing channel metrics and preparing simple reports
Required and preferred skills
Required skills
- Clear strategic thinking — connecting activity to goals
- Strong writing and an eye for messaging
- Comfort with analytics and drawing honest conclusions from data
- Project coordination across people and deadlines
- Budget awareness and prioritisation
Preferred skills
- Depth in a specific channel relevant to your plan (e.g. paid, SEO, lifecycle email)
- Experience in your industry or with your audience
- Familiarity with your marketing and analytics tools
- Experience managing people or agencies
Education and experience considerations
Many marketing managers hold a degree in marketing, communications, business or a related field, but a portfolio of real campaigns and results often carries more weight than the specific qualification.
Match the experience requirement to the scope. A first-time manager role can suit a strong individual contributor ready to step up; a role owning a large budget and team needs evidence of having done that before. Avoid inflated requirements that exclude capable people.
Example job description template
A generic, editable structure — not tied to any company. Replace every bracketed placeholder.
Hiring a marketing manager?
Plan the role before you post it. Start from a neutral structure and a free, printable recruitment planning checklist — no signup, no gating.
Common hiring mistakes
- Listing every channel and tool so the role reads as three jobs in one
- Confusing a hands-on generalist role with a strategic team-lead role
- Asking for a senior title but an entry-level scope (or vice versa)
- Over-weighting tool names instead of judgement and results
- Leaving out how success is measured, so candidates cannot judge the role
Interview considerations
- Ask for a walkthrough of one campaign they planned and ran, including what they would change — this shows judgement and honesty.
- Give a short brief and ask how they would approach it under realistic constraints.
- Probe how they decide what not to do, which separates strategy from activity.
- Use a consistent scorecard so every candidate is judged on the same competencies.
For ready-made questions and a way to compare candidates fairly, use the interview question bank and the hiring scorecard guide.