What Marketing Roles Does a Growing Business Need?

As businesses grow, marketing activity becomes more complex. New channels appear, campaigns become more sophisticated and leadership teams expect marketing to contribute directly to revenue growth.

One of the most common questions founders and leadership teams ask is which marketing roles they should hire as their company expands.

There is no universal structure that works for every organisation. The right marketing team depends on factors such as the company’s growth stage, sales model, product complexity and marketing strategy.

However, most growing businesses tend to introduce similar marketing roles as they scale.

Why marketing roles become more specialised as companies grow

In early-stage businesses, marketing is often handled by one or two generalist marketers responsible for multiple activities such as content, social media, email campaigns and website management.

As companies grow, this approach becomes harder to sustain.

Different marketing channels require deeper expertise, and leadership teams usually want clearer links between marketing activity and commercial performance.

This is typically when businesses begin introducing more specialised marketing roles.

If you are considering how marketing teams evolve over time, our guide below explains common team structures:

How Should a Marketing Team Be Structured: https://www.kin-collectiverecruitment.co.uk/how-should-a-marketing-team-be-structured

Marketing roles commonly introduced in growing businesses

While every organisation is different, many growing businesses introduce marketing roles in a similar order as their marketing activity expands.

Below are some of the most common roles companies hire.

Marketing Manager

A Marketing Manager is often the first leadership role introduced within a marketing team.

This role typically focuses on coordinating marketing activity and ensuring campaigns support wider business goals.

Responsibilities often include:

• planning marketing campaigns

• managing digital channels and website performance

• coordinating content and brand activity

• supporting product launches

• working closely with sales teams to generate leads

For many businesses, this role provides the structure needed to organise marketing activity as the company grows.

You can learn more about this role here:

Hire a Marketing Manager: https://www.kin-collectiverecruitment.co.uk/hire-a-marketing-manager

Digital Marketing Manager

As digital channels become more important for lead generation and brand visibility, many companies introduce a Digital Marketing Manager.

This role typically focuses on:

• search engine optimisation (SEO)
• website performance and conversion optimisation
• paid media campaigns
• email marketing and marketing automation
• analytics and marketing performance tracking

For organisations that rely heavily on digital lead generation, this role can play a key part in driving growth.

Growth Marketer

Growth marketing roles have become increasingly common in businesses focused on experimentation and scalable acquisition.

A Growth Marketer typically works across the entire customer journey, looking for opportunities to improve acquisition, conversion and retention.

Common areas of focus include:

• testing and experimentation

• customer lifecycle marketing

• funnel optimisation

• improving customer acquisition channels

• analysing performance data to identify growth opportunities

Product Marketing Manager

In businesses with more complex products or services, product marketing often becomes a critical function.

A Product Marketing Manager helps connect marketing, product and sales teams.

This role may focus on:

• product positioning and messaging

• supporting product launches

• creating sales enablement materials

• market research and competitive analysis

• communicating product value to customers

Head of Marketing

As businesses continue to grow, marketing leadership becomes increasingly important.

A Head of Marketing role typically focuses on defining the overall marketing strategy and ensuring marketing activity supports the company’s commercial goals.

Responsibilities may include:

• defining marketing strategy and long-term direction

• aligning marketing with business growth targets

• managing marketing budgets and investment

• building and structuring the marketing team

• working closely with leadership teams on commercial strategy

You can learn more about this role here:

Hire a Head of Marketing:https://www.kin-collectiverecruitment.co.uk/hire-a-head-of-marketing

How businesses decide which marketing role to hire next

Choosing the right marketing hire depends on several factors.

Leadership teams often consider:

• the stage of the business

• growth and revenue targets

• the complexity of marketing activity

• whether marketing is primarily focused on brand, demand generation or product marketing

• how closely marketing needs to align with sales

For some organisations, the priority may be digital lead generation. For others, it may be brand positioning, product marketing or marketing leadership.

Understanding which role will have the greatest impact helps businesses build marketing teams that support sustainable growth.

Building the right marketing team

Marketing teams evolve as businesses grow.

Many companies begin with one or two generalist marketers before introducing more specialised roles such as digital marketing, product marketing and marketing leadership.

Taking a structured approach to hiring ensures marketing teams develop in a way that supports long-term commercial goals.

Kin Collective Recruitment specialises in marketing, digital, brand and growth roles across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk, Hertfordshire and the wider UK.

If you are planning to expand your marketing team, we can help you understand which roles are most likely to deliver impact at your stage of growth.

You may also find the following guides helpful:

1. Should You Hire a Marketing Manager or a Head of Marketing?
   https://www.kin-collectiverecruitment.co.uk/should-you-hire-a-marketing-manager-or-a-head-of-marketing

2. How Should a Marketing Team Be Structured
   https://www.kin-collectiverecruitment.co.uk/how-should-a-marketing-team-be-structured

3. How to Structure a Marketing Team for Growth
   https://www.kin-collectiverecruitment.co.uk/how-to-structure-a-marketing-team-for-growth

4. Hire a Marketing Manager
   https://www.kin-collectiverecruitment.co.uk/hire-a-marketing-manager

5. Hire a Head of Marketing
   https://www.kin-collectiverecruitment.co.uk/hire-a-head-of-marketing

FAQ

What marketing roles does a growing business need?

Most growing businesses begin with generalist marketing roles before introducing more specialised positions such as marketing managers, digital marketing managers, growth marketers and product marketing managers as marketing activity expands.

What is the first marketing role a company should hire?

Many businesses begin with a marketing executive or generalist marketer responsible for delivering core marketing activity such as content, website management and campaigns.

​When should a company hire a marketing manager?

A company often hires a marketing manager when marketing activity becomes fragmented and leadership teams need someone to coordinate campaigns and align marketing with business goals.

What does a head of marketing do?

A head of marketing is responsible for defining marketing strategy, aligning marketing with commercial objectives and building the marketing team as the organisation grows.