Job Description
The Marketing Director, Small Business is a senior leadership role responsible for defining and delivering performance marketing strategy for Sage's Small Business segment across the UK and Ireland. You will own the Winning in Small strategy, driving customer acquisition, lifecycle growth, and Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) through direct digital channels, accountants, and embedded accounting ecosystems.
This role combines deep performance marketing expertise with commercial leadership. You will oversee full-funnel acquisition and lifecycle programmes, lead a large multi-disciplinary team, and work cross-functionally with Brand, Web, Product, Sales, Finance, and Technology to ensure marketing investment delivers sustainable growth, strong ROI, and long-term customer value. As a senior leader within the Performance Marketing organisation, you will shape strategy, influence at executive level, and embed a high-performance, AI-enabled culture.
Location - Hybrid, 3 days per week out of our Dublin, London, Newcastle or Winnersh office.
Key Responsibilities
What will I be doing?
You will lead and optimise end-to-end performance marketing for the Small Business segment, with accountability for acquisition, retention, and ARR growth. This includes:
* Owning acquisition strategy across direct digital, accountant-led, and embedded channels, ensuring sustained customer growth and marketing-sourced revenue.
* Forecasting, managing, and reporting on acquisition and lifecycle performance, with ownership of large budgets and clear accountability for ROI.
* Leading full-funnel optimisation across awareness, conversion, retention, cross-sell, and up-sell, embedding test-and-learn principles throughout planning and execution.
* Owning paid media strategy at scale (PPC, Paid Social, Display, Affiliates, Programmatic), ensuring continual optimisation and commercial impact.
* Running a cross-functional trading and ecommerce cadence to deliver monthly unit and ARR targets, optimising digital storefronts for conversion and revenue growth.
* Connecting brand and demand investment into a single, unified strategy that maximises impact across channels.
* Leading quarterly and annual performance planning, including scenario modelling, investment recommendations, and growth forecasts.
* Driving lifecycle marketing strategies that maximise customer engagement, retention, and lifetime value across direct and indirect channels.
* Leveraging AI and emerging technologies to improve efficiency, speed, and performance across marketing execution and decision-making.
* Acting as a senior leader within Performance Marketing, coaching leaders, influencing peers, and embedding a high-performance culture.
What we are looking for?
We're looking for a commercially minded, performance-driven marketing leader with strong people leadership skills and deep digital expertise. You'll bring:
* Experience in demand generation or performance marketing, ideally within small business, accounting, or SaaS environments.
* Experience leading large, multi-disciplinary teams and influencing cross-functional stakeholders toward shared commercial goals.
* Proven experience leading digital acquisition strategies at scale within high-growth or ecommerce-led organisations.
* Deep expertise across paid media channels and performance marketing optimisation.
* Strong ecommerce trading experience, with a track record of delivering customer growth, ARR, and ROI.
* Demonstrated ability to forecast, budget, and manage large-scale marketing investment with commercial rigour.
* Experience driving lifecycle marketing, including retention, cross-sell, and up-sell strategies to support ARR objectives.
* Knowledge of indirect acquisition models, including accountant and partner-led growth.
* AI fluency, with practical experience using modern tools to increase speed, efficiency, and performance.
* Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with confidence influencing at senior and executive level.
* A data-driven mindset, able to translate complex performance data into clear insights and actions.
Your benefits (Only Applicable for Ireland Based Roles)
* Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage.
* Work away scheme for up to 10 weeks a year.
* Ongoing training and professional development.
* 5 paid days yearly to volunteer through our Sage Foundation.
* Employee Assistance program.
* Cleo- inclusive app for family and caregiving support.
* Free access to Calm App.
* Save and Share Plan: Option to buy Sage Shares at a pre-set discounted price.
* Flexible working- variable hours and part-time.
* Hybrid working- 3 days in office.
* Private Medical insurance.
* Life Assurance.
* Death in Service Benefit on commencement of employment with lump sum payment to beneficiaries.
* Pension Plan.
* Health Screenings available via Vhi Medical Centres.
* Virtual GP (General Practitioner) provided by Vhi Healthcare Ltd.
* Group Income Protection (GIP- allows you to claim back a percentage of your earnings after company sick pay has been exhausted.
* Holiday Buy & Sell option available, with cost based on current hourly rate.
* Computer Scheme Loan with flexible 6 or 12 month repayment options via salary deductions.
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