Seeking a purple squirrel for a Director of Marketing position, but not sure what the role involves? You’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’re providing a run down of what a director of marketing does and how one progresses into this role. Most importantly, mistakes found in job descriptions for this role and how to avoid them. Information surrounding sourcing top talent for this role will also be touched upon. Without further ado, let’s jump in!
What does a Director of Marketing do in Boston?
An average day for a director of marketing depends on the organization they work for. Industry focus and needs also play a part in determination of duties. Individuals in this position wear multiple hats; being a manager, analyst, and strategist. Overall a director of marketing is responsible for…
- Oversight of a marketing team or department, providing guidance and feedback
- Conduct general market research to monitor trends and industry competition
- Preparation of both long and short-term marketing plans
- Production of valuable content that supports
- Approval of marketing campaigns
- Tracking and evaluation of marketing campaign results, assessing for areas of improvement
- Supporting sales and lead generation efforts
- Management of budget and allocation of resources
- Measuring the return on investment (ROI) of marketing initiatives
The journey to a Director of Marketing role
In order to become a director of marketing, experience is a must! Generally, seven to 10 years of marketing field experience is the rule of thumb. Education is also highly important, with director of marketing positions typically requiring candidates to have at minimum a bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, or another related business discipline. Some may even prefer candidates that have obtained their master’s degree. Certifications and continuing education certainly don’t hurt either.
Writing a job description for a Director of Marketing: Mistakes to avoid
1. Recycled job description
Responsibilities and expectations change with time. Especially within marketing. When seeking a new director of marketing, be sure that the description contains up-to-date information on both the role and the organization. If seasoned marketing professionals stumble across your job description and notice it contains noticeably out-of-date information, it is likely they will scroll past.
2. Intensive jargon
Simple really can be best, especially in the case of job descriptions. While potential candidates viewing a director of marketing job posting will likely have knowledge of industry jargon, it is best to not over-do it. When extensive or particular jargon is included in the job description, it can be confusing and or off-putting for the viewer. If jargon is included, keep it to a minimum and ensure it ties in with the role’s responsibilities and or skills required.
3. Too generic
A director of marketing is a significant role that comes with a great deal of responsibility. Potential candidates need to know exactly what will be asked of them in this role. A generic job description leaves room for confusion as well as a poor reflection of the organization. To give perspective, a fitting candidate interviews but realizes there are an array of responsibilities discussed in the interview that are not included in the job description. The same applies for skills and qualifications. It is likely that the candidate will choose to move on elsewhere, which can result in the loss of the ideal talent. However, it is best to not go overboard… which brings us to the next mistake.
4. The never-ending list of skills and qualifications
While it’s important to be thorough and include all required skills and qualifications, it is equally important to not overwhelm, in particular with the preferred. Best practice is to keep it realistic and pay attention to other director of marketing job descriptions from other organizations.
5. Neglecting keywords and SEO
The days of job hunting without the internet are in the past. The majority of job seekers today begin the search online, making SEO crucial. Using the right keywords will make sure the job description appears in the right search results.
How to source a Director of Marketing as a recruiter
A director of marketing is a crucial role within a marketing department and organization. This is why it’s a must to source a well-rounded candidate to make certain resources are not wasted.
1. LinkedIn Recruiter is your friend
A great way to find candidates is to search “director of marketing” or “marketing director” on LinkedIn Recruiter. Filters can also assist, such as location. In this case, the Boston area.
2. Candidate referrals
When recruiting candidates for other roles within marketing, it may be beneficial to ask these candidates if they know of anyone to refer for the director of marketing role. A great place to bring this up is right before ending a phone call or interview.
3. Job boards
By checking job boards as a recruiter, you may be able to locate qualified candidates for the role by keeping tabs on job seekers who are new to the market. A great place to start would be AMA Boston’s job board, found at https://marketingjobs.amaboston.org/. The AMA Boston job board is constantly updated with new marketing jobs for people with all levels of experience and may be a good starting point.
What questions should be asked of the Marketing Hiring Manager?
Having a clear, concise job description is the goal. As well as catching the attention of the right candidates. However, oftentimes job descriptions can contain everything but the kitchen sink, resulting in loss of clarity. Here are a few examples of questions that can be asked…
- Which three qualifications listed in the job description are most important?
- What would you like to see accomplished within the first six months of employment in this position?
- How would you describe the “ideal candidate” for this position?
- Will a certain area of expertise be preferred? How many years of experience at minimum?
- How have you found the current top performers within the department? Could job descriptions of those roles be provided for reference?
- What is the salary range?
- How flexible is the salary?
- How many stages are there in the interview process?
- How will company culture be reflected in the job description?
What if the job description doesn’t match the responsibilities of a director of marketing?
Presented with a job description that doesn’t quite hit the mark? This is the perfect opportunity to look at other director of marketing job descriptions from different organizations, ideally within the same industry. By doing so, one can determine the generalities of the position that should be included.
This situation can be resolved by having a discussion with the marketing hiring manager in order to ask questions and air out concerns similar to the ones previously listed. By having a discussion with the marketing hiring manager prior to sourcing talent, it creates an opportunity for questions and concerns to be addressed, promoting both clarity and efficiency in the process of finding up through hiring a director of marketing.
