Director of SME Marketing

Hello, we’re Starling. We built a new kind of bank because we knew technology had the power to help people save, spend and manage their money in a new and transformative way. We’re a fully licensed UK bank with the culture and spirit of a fast-moving, disruptive tech company. We’re a bank, but better: fairer, easier to use and designed to demystify money for everyone. We employ more than 3,500 people across our London, Southampton, Cardiff and Manchester offices. 

We're seeking an innovative and strategic Director of SME Marketing to lead our marketing efforts on Small and Medium Enterprises. The ideal candidate will combine deep marketing expertise with a strong understanding of the SME banking sector and digital financial services.

Key responsibilities:

• Be the voice of SME marketing for the company, partnering with the SME business lead across all aspects of marketing.
• Develop the Annual SME Marketing Plan that translates business strategies into a clear, actionable marketing roadmap across customer acquisition, engagement, and retention.
• In partnership with the data team, own the customer segmentation strategy, including developing detailed personas, identifying unique value propositions for each segment, and creating targeted marketing approaches.  Analyse customer data to identify new segments, opportunities, and trends within the SME market.
• Cultivate and manage strategic SME partnerships that amplify our awareness and affinity.
• Lead the marketing planning process for all SME comms, collaborating with cross-functional teams (brand strategy, product, media, communications).
• Establish and track key marketing metrics, providing regular insights and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Manage internal creative workflows and agency partnerships. Lead weekly creative review meetings to ensure strategic alignment and quality execution.  Oversee planning, development, and implementation of marketing communication efforts.
• Own the marketing budget and ensure optimal allocation of resources across channels and campaigns. Develop accurate annual and quarterly budget forecasts. Conduct detailed capacity planning aligned with the annual marketing plan.  Collaborate with production teams to optimise resource allocation.

• 10+ years of marketing experience, with at least 5 years in senior marketing roles
• Proven track record in B2B marketing, preferably within financial services or fintech
• Strong understanding of SME banking needs and the digital banking landscape
• Experience in developing and executing successful digital marketing strategies
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop high-performing marketing teams
• Excellence in data-driven marketing and analytics
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills
• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, or related field; MBA preferred

Essential skills:

• Strategic thinking and planning capabilities
• Deep understanding of digital marketing channels and technologies
• Strong analytical and financial acumen
• Experience with marketing automation and CRM platforms
• Excellence in brand development and management
• Ability to translate complex financial products into compelling marketing messages
• Strong project management and organisational skills

Applications for this role will close on Wednesday 19th February at 12pm.

• 25 days holiday (plus take your public holiday allowance whenever works best for you)
• An extra day’s holiday for your birthday
• Annual leave is increased with length of service, and you can choose to buy or sell up to five extra days off
• 16 hours paid volunteering time a year
• Salary sacrifice, company enhanced pension scheme
• Life insurance at 4x your salary
• Private Medical Insurance with VitalityHealth including mental health support and cancer care. Partner benefits include discounts with Waitrose, Mr&Mrs Smith and Peloton
• Generous family-friendly policies
• Perkbox membership giving access to retail discounts, a wellness platform for physical and mental health, and weekly free and boosted perks
• Access to initiatives like Cycle to Work and Salary Sacrificed Gym partnerships

About Us

You may be put off applying for a role because you don't tick every box. Forget that! While we can’t accommodate every flexible working request, we're always open to discussion. So, if you're excited about working with us, but aren’t sure if you're 100% there yet, get in touch anyway.

We’re on a mission to radically reshape banking – and that starts with our brilliant team. Whatever came before, we’re proud to bring together people of all backgrounds and experiences who love working together to solve problems.

Starling Bank is an equal opportunity employer, and we’re proud of our ongoing efforts to foster diversity & inclusion in the workplace. Individuals seeking employment at Starling Bank are considered without regard to race, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, medical condition, ancestry, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

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