Marketing Manager (JHB)

About the position

ENVIRONMENT:

A South African-based education and skills development entity is seeking a Marketing Manager to drive measurable demand generation, lead pipeline growth, and brand positioning across the Group’s five revenue streams (SETA, B-BBEE, Government, FDI/PPP, and professional services). This role owns the digital marketing engine, brand architecture, event coordination, and cross-BU marketing alignment, with a specific focus on the skills development, education, and public-sector landscape in South Africa.

DUTIES:

Demand Generation & Lead Pipeline

• Design and execute quarterly digital marketing campaigns (LinkedIn, paid media, SEO, email) targeting SETAs, government departments, corporate SD buyers and FDI/DFI funders
• Own the Group's digital presence including the PEH website, academy microsites, and LinkedIn company pages – ensuring content is current, on-brand, and commercially relevant
• Deliver ?30 marketing-qualified leads per quarter into the CRM pipeline with full tracking, attribution, and stage progression data
• Build and maintain a content marketing engine: case studies, impact reports, sector briefings, and thought leadership articles aligned to the Group's investment-enablement narrative
• Coordinate employer outreach campaigns in partnership with BU BDMs to drive inbound leads across all five revenue streams
• Implement AI and automation tools to scale content production, campaign execution, and reporting efficiency
• Own website conversion optimisation: optimise all websites for lead conversion (landing pages, CTAs, forms, analytics, A/B testing) and track/improve conversion rates monthly

Brand Architecture & Standards

• Manage and steward the Group brand architecture – ensuring PEH, BPO Skills Academy, WRSA, and 21st Century Skills each maintain a distinct but coherent identity within the Group visual and tonal framework
• Own and continuously refine the group’s core positioning statement and value proposition across all revenue streams (SETA, B-BBEE, Government, FDI/PPP)
• Ensure all campaigns, proposals, and stakeholder communications consistently reflect this positioning
• Develop and maintain the Brand Governance Process document specifying which marketing materials require CE review and which may be approved at BU level
• Provide 24-hour brand review turnaround for Tier 1 client-facing collateral submitted by business unit MDs
• Develop and distribute brand toolkit (templates, tone-of-voice guide, visual identity pack) for use by BU-level marketing staff

Events, Activations & Stakeholder Engagement

• Plan, coordinate, and execute Group events including employer breakfast sessions, sector conferences, CBPO/BPESA participation, awards entries, and investor/funder activations
• Manage event lead capture, CRM logging within 24 hours of events, and post-event follow-up sequences in coordination with BDMs
• Represent the Group at sector events where appropriate; liaise with CapeBPO, BPESA, DTIC, and provincial government and other events teams to position our client as a thought leader
• Coordinate the Group's presence at investment conferences relevant to the FDI/PPP pipeline
• Support CEO and CE in building thought leadership profiles (speaking opportunities, panel placements, content)
• Prepare executive presentations, speeches, and talking points for key engagements

Cross-BU Marketing Coordination

• Serve as the marketing interface between Group Shared Services and each academy MD – coordinating BU marketing calendars, campaign plans and collateral development
• Develop BU-specific go-to-market playbooks aligned to sector strategies (BPO, Retail, ICT)
• Equip BDMs with campaign toolkits (pitch decks, sector narratives, email sequences)
• Support conversion of pipeline through targeted deal-stage content (case studies, ROI narratives, funding alignment materials)
• Provide marketing support to the Bid Office for proposal design, company profile updates, case study development and submission collateral quality
• Ensure all academy marketing activity is logged and reported to the CE on a monthly basis; flag any brand or compliance concerns within 24 hours of identification
• Support the Senior BDM and CE on thought leadership content, investor presentation materials and stakeholder communication templates

Internal Brand Alignment

• Implement internal branding standards across offices and business units
• Ensure all staff-facing materials (presentations, templates, apparel where relevant) reflect the Company’s brand
• Drive internal brand adoption and consistency

Reporting & Analytics

• Produce a monthly Marketing Performance Report covering: MQL volume, campaign ROI, digital metrics, event outcomes and pipeline attribution – submitted to the CE by the 5th of each month
• Maintain marketing dashboards in the CRM system tracking all campaign activity, lead sources and conversion rates
• Provide quarterly marketing contribution input for the Group Commercial Scorecard presented to EXCO and the Board
• Conduct bi-annual competitor and market analysis – tracking how the company is positioned relative to competitors across the SETA, corporate SD and DFI funding landscapes
• Develop and maintain a 12-month rolling marketing calendar aligned to: SETA cycles, government funding windows, corporate B-BBEE planning cycles, and FDI/investment timelines

REQUIREMENTS:

Education – Minimum

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business or related field

Education – Preferred

• Postgraduate qualification in Marketing or Digital Marketing; CIM or IMM certification advantageous

Experience – Minimum

• 5+ years in a marketing role with demonstrated demand generation and campaign management track record

Experience – Preferred

• Experience in the skills development, education, SETA, public sector or professional services sector in South Africa
• Exposure to B2B marketing and government/funder audiences

Digital Proficiency

• Demonstrated expertise in LinkedIn Ads, Google Ads/SEO, email marketing platforms, and CRM-integrated campaign management
• Working knowledge of AI-driven marketing tools (content generation, automation, analytics)
• Proficiency in design tools (e.g. Canva, Adobe Suite)
• Ability to independently produce campaign creatives, pitch decks, social media assets, and event collateral

Content & Writing

• Strong copywriting ability
• Ability to produce board-ready content, case studies, and sector reports independently
• Produce high-quality visual and written content in-house to support rapid campaign execution and bid turnaround

ATTRIBUTES:

• Self-starter with ability to produce high-quality collateral independently
• Strong project management and cross-functional coordination skills
• Commercially minded with an understanding of public and private sector funding cycles
• Excellent written and verbal communication, including executive-level presentation skills

Proficiency with CRM systems, marketing automation, and analytics dashboards

Desired Skills:

• Ability to Meet Deadlines
• Ethical Decision-Making
• Technical Writing

About The Employer:

A South African-based education and skills development entity.