Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Job Description
Hire a senior marketing leader to set and deliver the organisation's customer acquisition, brand and product-led growth strategy. This template helps you describe the CMO’s strategic remit, reporting, KPIs and the leadership qualities you need.
What does a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) professional do?
A Chief Marketing Officer is a board-level executive who defines marketing strategy, leads brand and demand-generation teams, oversees customer and product marketing, and aligns commercial goals with marketing investment and measurement.
Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
Chief Marketing Officer
About the role
We are recruiting a Chief Marketing Officer to lead marketing strategy and delivery at [Company name]. You will report to [CEO / Managing Director], own the marketing P&L and lead a multi-disciplinary team of [approx. team size]. Key priorities include defining the brand proposition, driving demand across channels, optimising customer lifecycle value and building a data-driven marketing organisation. This role can be based at [Location] with [hybrid/remote] working.
Key responsibilities
- Set and communicate a clear, multi-year marketing strategy aligned with the company’s commercial objectives and the board’s priorities.
- Own marketing planning and the marketing budget, including ROI-based allocation across channels and campaigns.
- Lead and develop a cross-functional marketing leadership team (brand, performance, product marketing, content, comms), defining structure and hiring priorities.
- Translate commercial objectives into measurable KPIs and reporting for the executive team and board.
- Oversee brand positioning, messaging and creative standards to ensure consistent customer experiences across channels.
- Drive demand-generation and growth initiatives across digital, performance and partner channels to support sales and revenue targets.
- Embed customer insight and analytics into decision-making; ensure measurement frameworks and attribution models are in place.
- Collaborate with product, sales, operations and finance to align go-to-market plans, pricing and customer retention activities.
Essential skills and experience
- Proven senior marketing leadership experience, ideally with board-level responsibility and P&L accountability.
- Track record of delivering multi-channel growth and brand-building at scale.
- Strong people leadership experience with the ability to recruit, structure and grow a high-performing marketing function.
- Practical experience using data and analytics to set strategy and measure marketing ROI.
- Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills at executive and board level.
- Ability to develop and manage multi-million-pound budgets and vendor relationships.
Desirable
- Experience in this industry or a closely related sector.
- Experience of international or multi-market marketing.
- Background in digital-first and product-led growth environments.
- Formal business qualification such as an MBA or equivalent executive education.
- Experience of M&A, rebrand programmes or rapid scale-up environments.
What we offer
- [Competitive base salary]
- [Performance-related bonus or equity package]
- [Pension scheme contribution]
- [Private healthcare or wellbeing allowance]
- [Flexible / hybrid working arrangement]
- [Annual leave: [number] days + statutory public holidays]
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) role?
A Chief Marketing Officer leads an organisation’s marketing function and is responsible for brand, demand generation, customer experience and marketing operations. The CMO sets strategy, manages the marketing budget and leadership team, and provides the executive team with measurable plans that support revenue and retention goals. They bridge creative positioning with data-driven performance to influence growth across the business.
Reporting
Typically reports to the CEO or MD and works regularly with the executive team and board.
Leadership remit
Leads multi-disciplinary marketing teams: brand, digital, product marketing, comms and demand generation.
Primary focus
Brand strategy, customer acquisition, lifetime value optimisation and marketing ROI.
Location & working
Can be office-based, hybrid or remote depending on organisation needs and market coverage.
Typical Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Set and communicate a clear
Set and communicate a clear, multi-year marketing strategy aligned with the company’s commercial objectives and the board’s priorities.
Own marketing planning
Own marketing planning and the marketing budget, including ROI-based allocation across channels and campaigns.
Lead and develop a cross-functional
Lead and develop a cross-functional marketing leadership team (brand, performance, product marketing, content, comms), defining structure and hiring priorities.
Translate commercial objectives into measurable
Translate commercial objectives into measurable KPIs and reporting for the executive team and board.
Oversee brand positioning
Oversee brand positioning, messaging and creative standards to ensure consistent customer experiences across channels.
Drive demand-generation
Drive demand-generation and growth initiatives across digital, performance and partner channels to support sales and revenue targets.
Embed customer insight
Embed customer insight and analytics into decision-making; ensure measurement frameworks and attribution models are in place.
Collaborate with product
Collaborate with product, sales, operations and finance to align go-to-market plans, pricing and customer retention activities.
Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Proven senior marketing leadership experience, ideally with board-level responsibility and P&L accountability.
- Track record of delivering multi-channel growth and brand-building at scale.
- Strong people leadership experience with the ability to recruit, structure and grow a high-performing marketing function.
- Practical experience using data and analytics to set strategy and measure marketing ROI.
- Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills at executive and board level.
- Ability to develop and manage multi-million-pound budgets and vendor relationships.
Useful where relevant
- Experience in this industry or a closely related sector.
- Experience of international or multi-market marketing.
- Background in digital-first and product-led growth environments.
- Formal business qualification such as an MBA or equivalent executive education.
- Experience of M&A, rebrand programmes or rapid scale-up environments.
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Specify strategic scope
Be clear whether the role owns the full marketing P&L, international markets, performance marketing, product marketing or PR — this affects candidate seniority.
State KPIs and priorities
List the top 3–5 KPIs (e.g. revenue growth, CAC, LTV, brand awareness) and the immediate priorities for the first 6–12 months.
Describe team and budget
Include current team size, direct reports and approximate marketing budget to set realistic expectations for scope and resourcing.
Highlight culture and leadership style
Explain whether you need a hands-on growth operator, a brand-builder, or a transformational leader to attract the right profile.
Be clear about decision-making level
State whether the CMO will sit on the executive team/board and their level of autonomy over strategy and hiring.
Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) salary considerations
Chief Marketing Officer pay varies widely. Rather than a single market figure, describe the internal and external factors that will determine the salary and total package for this role.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
Who will I report to and who are my peers?
Candidates want clarity on the reporting line, whether they’ll sit on the board and who they’ll work alongside in the exec team.
What budget and headcount will I control?
Senior hires expect clear information about marketing budgets, direct reports and agency relationships.
What are the immediate 6–12 month priorities?
Experienced candidates assess whether their skills match the company’s short-term goals (rebrand, growth, retention, new market entry).
How is marketing performance measured?
Candidates want to know KPIs, reporting cadence and which analytics or attribution tools are in use.
What is the working pattern and travel expectation?
Senior candidates will check hybrid/remote policy, expected travel and presence required for board/external events.
Will I be able to hire and restructure the team?
Clarity on hiring authority and levers for building the team is important for candidates planning 12–18 month changes.
Where to post a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) job
Senior marketing roles are best promoted through a mix of executive search or specialist recruiters, professional networks and sector-specific channels. Use LinkedIn and senior marketing forums to reach passive candidates, industry associations and marketing leadership communities for sector-fit applicants, and consider targeted advertising on specialist job boards for digital or product marketing leaders.
Related marketing / executive job descriptions
Recruiting for a slightly different role? These templates may be a closer fit.
Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) job description FAQs
Should we use an executive search firm for this hire?
Executive search firms are commonly used for CMOs, especially when confidentiality, sector expertise or access to passive senior candidates is important. For well-networked hires, direct sourcing through LinkedIn and industry contacts can also be effective.
How long does a typical CMO recruitment take?
Expect 8–14 weeks from brief to offer for a thorough process. Timelines vary with candidate availability, interview rounds and whether you use a search partner.
What are the most important qualities to assess in interviews?
Look for strategic thinking, measurable delivery (case studies of growth or brand impact), people leadership, financial literacy (budget/P&L) and ability to work with product and commercial teams.
Is it acceptable to hire a CMO remotely?
Yes — many organisations hire senior marketing leaders remotely. Ensure you define expectations for board attendance, leadership presence and collaboration rhythms.
How should we onboard a new CMO?
Provide a focused 90-day plan with access to key commercial data, stakeholder meetings, clarity on immediate priorities, and autonomy to assess and recommend team and budget changes.
Ready to hire a Chief Marketing Officer?
Use this template to create a clear brief for candidates or recruitment partners. Include reporting lines, budget scope and 6–12 month priorities to attract seasoned marketing leaders.
