Brand and Content Marketing Director

WHO WE ARE

Apprentify Group is a portfolio of six companies, each with its own culture, personality and people. Across the group we support around 10,000 learners a year and we're scaling fast.

We're looking for a Brand and Content Marketing Director ready to take real ownership of our brand and content strategy across five distinct brands, working across both B2B and B2C audiences.

This is a role with genuine decision-making authority from day one. You'll work closely with our Group CEO, Performance Marketing Director and CRO Manager to make sure brand, content and performance marketing are moving in the same direction.

THE QUICK FACTS

Location: Wilmslow – office based, with occasional travel to Tadcaster, Manchester City Centre, Birmingham and London

Contract: Full-time, permanent

Start: Immediate or near-term

DBS check required for all candidates

LIFE IN THE ROLE

The real work: Most of your time will be spent setting the direction for brand and content across the Group, leading the content team and making sure our five brands have a clear, consistent and commercially effective presence.

You'll own the strategy across SEO, GEO, AEO, content and design, as well as the wider editorial roadmap across website, social and email. You'll oversee the quality and direction of creative work, track brand and content KPIs, and make sure content is contributing to organic visibility, engagement and lead generation.

You'll also lead and develop the content team, including our SEO and Content Marketing Manager, Graphic Designer and Marketing Executives, alongside contributors working across Flourish and Calibr.

This isn't a role where you'll simply provide input into someone else's decisions. You'll have the authority to set the direction for brand and content, make the calls and bring stakeholders with you.

The role moves quickly. The content function has grown fast, and you'll be joining at a point where there is real opportunity to shape what comes next. It moves fast, but the pace here is about depth, ownership and impact, not just speed.

The environment: Apprentify is a growing business where things evolve quickly. You'll be expected to take ownership, make decisions and bring structure and direction where needed. You'll work closely with senior leaders and will need the confidence to challenge priorities when necessary.

We're looking for someone who sees a growing environment as an opportunity to build, improve and make an impact, not someone looking for a quieter brief.

TEAM & CULTURE

You'll join the Marketing function, working closely with the Group CEO, Performance Marketing Director, CRO Manager, brand MDs and the wider content team.

You'll be leading a team that includes the SEO and Content Marketing Manager, Graphic Designer and Marketing Executives, with additional contributors across Flourish and Calibr.

Reports to: The role works closely with the Group CEO on brand direction, alongside the Performance Marketing Director and CRO Manager.

How we work: Clear expectations, genuine ownership of how you deliver against them. We want someone who can lead from the front, bring people together and confidently set direction.

THE HONEST HARD BIT
This isn't a role where you'll inherit a perfectly finished strategy and simply manage it.

You'll be responsible for bringing together five different brands, multiple audiences, content, SEO, design and performance priorities, while managing expectations across senior stakeholders.

Priorities will change. You'll sometimes need to push back on senior leaders, make difficult calls and maintain consistency without making each brand feel the same.

If you want to build something, shape the direction and have a genuine say in how the function develops, that's exactly what makes this role interesting.

IS THIS FOR YOU?

✔ You've set and led brand or content strategy across more than one brand, audience or business unit

✔ You have strong SEO and content expertise and can demonstrate measurable results in organic visibility or performance

✔ You're confident managing and developing content, design, SEO or brand teams

✔ You're comfortable working directly with CEOs, MDs, Board members and other senior stakeholders, including pushing back when needed

✔ You're commercially minded and understand how brand and content contribute to the wider marketing funnel, from awareness through to conversion

✔ You're confident working across multiple projects, brands and deadlines without losing sight of quality or strategy

✔ You're curious about where content, SEO and brand are heading next, including GEO and AEO

This is NOT for you if:
✘ You only want to execute someone else's brand and content strategy

✘ You need a step-by-step guide for every task or decision

✘ You prefer slow, predictable work with clearly defined boundaries

✘ You haven't managed teams or aren't comfortable taking ownership of people development

✘ You're uncomfortable challenging senior stakeholders or managing up

✘ You see brand, content and performance as separate functions rather than connected parts of the customer journey

✘ You need a fully structured corporate environment to do your best work

WHAT YOU BRING

• Proven experience setting and delivering brand and content strategy across multiple brands or business units

• Strong knowledge of SEO, GEO and AEO, with measurable results to demonstrate your impact

• Experience leading and developing content, design, SEO or brand teams

• Strong editorial judgement, with the confidence to set and maintain tone of voice and brand consistency

• Experience managing relationships with Board and C-suite stakeholders, including the confidence to challenge and influence

• Strong understanding of how brand and content contribute to the wider marketing funnel and commercial performance

• Experience managing content across website, social and email

• The ability to oversee creative and design output, ensuring it supports both brand and performance objectives

• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple brands, projects and deadlines simultaneously

• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate strategy clearly and back decisions with data

• A curious, ambitious and adaptable approach, with the drive to build and improve rather than simply maintain

Nice to have: Experience working in a fast-growing business and/or across both B2B and B2C audiences, as well as familiarity with content and SEO tools such as Ahrefs and GA4.

WHAT WE OFFER

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing with length of service

• Private medical insurance through AXA

• Birthday Leave + Volunteer Day

• Office-based working from our Wilmslow HQ, with occasional travel to our other offices

• Ongoing professional development and leadership support

• Fully planned induction and training plan

• Career progression and development opportunities

• Pension plan

• Enhanced family leave policies

• Access to mental health and wellbeing support

• Benefits portal, The Loop, offering discounts and perks across hundreds of retailers and services

• Regular company-wide events and team socials

• All IT equipment provided, with MacBook or Windows depending on preference

THE INTERVIEW PROCESS

Stage 1 – Recruiter screening call (30 mins):
An introductory conversation covering your experience, motivation, salary expectations and key logistics.

Stage 2 – Competency interview (60 mins, Microsoft Teams):
A deeper discussion around your leadership experience, brand and content strategy, and senior stakeholder management.

Stage 3 – Strategy presentation & final interview (2 hours, in person – Wilmslow):
You’ll be briefed in advance to prepare a short brand and content strategy proposal for the Group. You’ll present your ideas and take questions, followed by a discussion around culture and senior stakeholder fit.

Please note: The postholder will be required to undergo Safer Recruitment check prior to starting work, including an appropriate level of DBS check (dependent on role) and a reference check.

At Apprentify, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, particularly those who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. We value different perspectives, lived experiences and ways of thinking and we recognise the positive impact they have on our learners, our culture and our organisation.

We are dedicated to removing barriers in our recruitment process and will provide reasonable adjustments where needed to ensure all candidates have a fair opportunity to succeed.

If you have any questions about the application process or would like to discuss reasonable adjustments, please get in touch with us – we’re here to support you.