Marketing Manager Job Description Template for Startups

🎯 Role Mission

Build and execute the marketing engine that drives [Company Name]'s growth from [current ARR/users] to [target] over the next 12 months. You'll be our first full-time marketer, responsible for strategy and execution across [key channels: content / paid / SEO / partnerships / community — pick yours] with direct accountability for pipeline and brand awareness.

📋 What You'll Own

• Own end-to-end content and SEO strategy — from editorial calendar to on-page optimization and link building
• Build and manage paid acquisition across [channels, e.g. Google Ads, LinkedIn] — from creative to optimization to reporting
• Define our messaging and positioning, working closely with the founder to sharpen how we talk about [product]
• Own the website and landing pages — writing copy, running A/B tests, and improving CVR on key funnels
• Launch and iterate on email marketing — onboarding sequences, nurture, and re-engagement campaigns
• Build and report on a marketing dashboard tracking CAC, pipeline contribution, and channel ROI
• Represent the brand at relevant industry events, online communities, and partnerships

✅ Must-Have Requirements

• 3–6 years of B2B marketing experience, ideally at a SaaS startup
• Proven track record of building and scaling at least one growth channel from scratch (not just managing an existing one)
• Strong copywriting skills — you write your own content, emails, and ads, not just brief an agency
• Data-literate: comfortable in GA4, HubSpot / equivalent CRM, and building your own reporting in Sheets or similar
• Self-directed and comfortable in ambiguity — you've worked without a marketing team before

➕ Nice to Have

• Experience marketing to [your ICP — e.g. founders, HR teams, developers]
• Hands-on experience with [specific tools you use — e.g. Webflow, Notion, Zapier, etc.]
• Background in [adjacent domain — e.g. recruiting tech, HR, etc.]
• Previous experience as a first marketing hire

🏆 What Success Looks Like

30 days: Full audit of existing marketing assets, channels, and analytics. Clear picture of what's working, what's broken, and a prioritized 90-day plan presented to the founder.

60 days: Core marketing infrastructure in place — CRM setup, UTM tracking, email sequences live, editorial calendar running. First [X] pieces of owned content published.

90 days: Monthly reporting dashboard live. At least one acquisition channel showing measurable growth. Clear hypothesis on where to double down in Q2.

🧠 The Competencies We're Evaluating

• Entrepreneurial execution: Can operate without direction, invent process from scratch, and ship fast
• Analytical thinking: Makes decisions from data, not assumptions; builds measurement into everything
• Clear writing: Produces copy that is specific, benefit-driven, and free of marketing jargon
• Channel expertise: Has gone deep on at least one acquisition channel and can demonstrate real results
• Stakeholder communication: Keeps the founder informed without over-reporting; proactively flags risks

🏢 About [Company Name]

[2–3 sentences on what you do, who you serve, and why it matters. Be specific. "We're a fast-growing SaaS" is not specific. "We help 300 independent recruiters run their full business from one tool" is.]

Stage: [Seed / Pre-Series A / Series A] · Team size: [X] · Investors: [if notable] · Customers: [count or well-known names if possible]

💰 Compensation & Logistics

Salary: $[X]–$[Y] depending on experience · Equity: [X]% over 4 years · [Remote / Hybrid / On-site in [city]] · [Benefits summary]