Chief Marketing Officer

Job Description

Description

We’re looking for an experienced Chief Marketing Officer to create a brand around and drive growth for the company that’s transforming education with cognitive science and technology. We’re looking for someone with an impressive track record for crafting strong and successful brand identities and directing high performing marketing organisations. Someone who’s excited to join Up Learn’s mission to improve the education and life outcomes of millions of students, and take Up Learn’s brand and marketing to the next level.

This role will involve working directly with the CEO, and leading the marketing team at Up Learn.

If you’re looking to apply your Marketing skills and experience to have a tangible positive impact on people's lives, read on.

About us

Up Learn has built the world’s most effective learning experience. We’ve done this by combining cognitive science, instructional theory and artificial intelligence.

Up Learn’s mission is to create the most effective learning experiences in the world, and distribute access to as many students as possible 🙌

Up Learn started with A Levels and developed courses that are:

Up Learn has been growing fast, and is backed by investors that share their vision, including leading venture capital firm Forward Partners and the Branson family (Virgin). Social impact is critical to Up Learn’s mission - for every student that pays, Up Learn gives a full scholarship to a student who can’t. We are growing our incredible, 50+ strong team.

What you’ll do in the first 12 months

• Brand Positioning & Category Design: You’ll define what category Up Learn should be in customers’ minds (our customers are students, parents, teachers, school leaders) and create the marketing messaging, collateral, and strategy that successfully positions us as the leader of that category. You’ll refine and communicate Up Learn’s brand messaging and make it consistent across all parts of the company and stakeholders’ touchpoints with Up Learn
• Content, Performance, Email & Digital Marketing: You’ll own, manage and optimise Up Learn’s content marketing, performance marketing, email marketing, and social media channels - supported by members of your marketing team - from the development of advertising creative to delivery and optimisation of campaigns that drive growth and positive return on investment
• Budget, Analytics & Reporting: You’ll manage allocation and forecasting of the marketing budget to maximise return on investment, and you’ll establish key performance indicators (KPI) for marketing and brand at Up Learn and report on these regularly to the rest of the management team and wider company
• Public Relations (PR) and Media: You’ll own Up Learn’s press strategy and execution, build relationships with relevant media outlets, influencers, and industry partners to secure press coverage and amplify Up Learn’s brand and reputation
• Market & Customer Research & Competitor Analysis: You’ll conduct market and customer research and competitor analysis and use these insights to inform marketing strategies
• Strategy: You’ll create, implement, and manage a data-driven, multi-channel marketing strategy that aligns with Up Learn’s goals
• Company Leadership: You’ll serve as a member of the company's management team, contributing to overall decision-making, execution, and strategy
• Lead and Manage the Marketing Team: You’ll recruit, train, and inspire a high-performing marketing team to help deliver all of the above

Requirements

If you don’t meet every requirement below, but you still believe you’re the right person for the job, we strongly encourage you to apply.

• You have experience taking one or more brands to significant success, and are able to articulate how you did it
• You have a proven track record of developing and executing successful marketing strategies and campaigns across content marketing/SEO, email marketing, performance marketing, social media, PR/media, and events/community
• You’re a strong communicator - you write and speak concisely, confidently and persuasively, and can explain your thinking effectively. And have excellent storytelling skills
• You have the ability to deeply empathise with the needs and ways of thinking of different kinds of customers and stakeholders including students, parents, teachers, and school leaders

Additionally, please make sure you are comfortable with:

• Working in a growth company / startup environment, where things can change fast
• You’re genuinely passionate about learning and growth - you thrive in a culture of feedback, giving and receiving it
• You set high standards for everything you do, and have enthusiasm, commitment, and ability to deliver results
• You know that being an outstanding executive can be like being a ‘business athlete’ and requires high levels of mental toughness and resilience
• You excel at time management and task prioritisation, adeptly balancing multiple projects and demands while maintaining a healthy work-life balance
• You’re excited to work in an organisation that directly improves students’ lives, and to join us in our mission to solve education

At Up Learn, we welcome everyone and are committed to building inclusive teams. We celebrate differences and encourage everyone to join us and be themselves at work. We always follow the guidelines of the Equality Act in all aspects of recruitment, selection, employment, training, development and promotion opportunities at Up Learn.

Benefits

What we offer

Up Learn offers generous remuneration, equity share options, and a fun, friendly, high-calibre team that trusts you and gives you the freedom to be brilliant.

You will have the chance to define the future of education and make a meaningful contribution to the lives of thousands of students, and:

• Remuneration
• 💰 Highly generous salary
• 📈 Equity options
• 💸 Employer-matched pension
• 💳 Perks scheme offering discounts & rewards at 30,000+ brands including up to 55% off cinema tickets
• Health & Wellbeing
• 🦷 Level 6 (highest level) dental insurance
• 👶 Significantly enhanced maternity and paternity leave
• 🚲 Cycle-to-Work: we are registered so you can buy a bike and accessories tax-free
• 👓 Eye test & glasses reimbursement
• 📚 Company library: we have hundreds of books in our company library, topped up monthly with the most highly requested books. You can borrow a book whenever you like
• 📖 Unlimited budget for any work-related books you need
• 🚑 Emergency support salary advance
• 🏥 Mental health first aiders
• 👨‍👩‍👧 Family access to Up Learn: your family and close relatives get unlimited access to any Up Learn course for free!
• Time
• 🏖️ Minimum 35 days of paid holiday per year made up of: 26 days of bookable holiday, plus UK bank holidays, plus unlimited ‘extra days’ (i.e. if you need a few more days, no problem)
• 🏡 Hybrid working environment with two days in the office per week (one team day and one company day) and the rest is up to you!
• 💻 Ability to work remotely for longer periods
• 🕰️ Flexible working hours
• ⭐ 1 fully paid day for volunteering at a charity or not-for-profit of your choice each year
• Social
• 🏰 Annual company off-site where we get out of the city and take a break together
• 🏃 Free sporting activities like 5-a-side football games, lunch-time jogs, badminton games, paid-for monthly CrossFit sessions
• ☕ Unlimited delicious coffee (high-end coffee beans) at the office, tea selection and other soft drinks, plus unlimited snacks and fresh fruit
• 🥂 Weekly ‘Friday celebrations’ with a huge range of drinks, from craft beer to frozen margaritas, alongside soft drinks, smoothies, and fruit juice
• ☕ Paid for coffee breaks (a great chance to get to know the team)
• 💃 Regular team outings like go-karting and skiing
• All in addition to
• Influence, trust and impact inside a well-funded VC-backed startup that's scaling
• A spacious and bright private office in Old Street, with delicious coffee, a selection of teas and unlimited snacks and drinks
• Our Core Values
• Live for Learning
  We are open-minded and have a never-quenched thirst for learning, expanding our experiences, getting feedback, iterating and improving
• Strive for Consistent Excellence
  We hold an extremely high standard, pay attention to the details and take pride in consistency
• Objective and Rational
  We think from first principles, avoid biases, use believability, regulate our emotions and are obligated to dissent when we disagree
• Relentlessly Resourceful
  We are honey badgers, we don’t compromise, we work smart and get the job done
• Caring and Compassionate
  We demonstrate care and compassion for ourselves, each other and for students

How to apply

If this sounds like it’s for you, we can’t wait to hear from you!

Use the Apply button below to send us your CV and tell us in 150 words or less why you’d be great for this role.

Inviting someone to join our core team is a big deal for us and we put a lot of care and effort into the process, whilst making it take as little of your time as possible. If we figure out we’re not perfect for each other at any stage we’ll let you know quickly and make sure we provide you with feedback (if you want it!).