How to hire a head of marketing

How to hire a head of marketing, step by step

Here's a step-by-step head of marketing hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a head of marketing job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new head of marketing
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a head of marketing do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your head of marketing job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a head of marketing for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A head of marketing's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, heads of marketing from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of head of marketing salaries for various roles:

   Type of Head Of Marketing	Description	Hourly rate
   Head Of Marketing	Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers plan programs to generate interest in products or services. They work with art directors, sales agents, and financial staff members.	$44-97
   Marketing And Operations Manager	A marketing and operations manager handles the marketing program and campaigns of an organization. Marketing and operations managers plan and create production process management, data and analytics, brand compliance, and technology infrastructure... Show more	$34-58
   Marketing Program Manager	The job of marketing program managers is to create marketing campaigns for a company's programs and products. They often work closely with the sales and advertising managers and assist in developing pricing strategy and monitoring marketing trends... Show more	$30-55

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Digital Marketing
   • Integrated Marketing
   • Marketing Campaigns
   • KPIs
   • Channel Marketing
   • Google Analytics
   • Content Strategy
   • Brand Management
   • Marketing Mix
   • Content Marketing
   • B2B Marketing
   • ROI
   • Facebook
   • Business Objectives

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Provide strategic oversight and a strong business approach to managing existing systems and developing enhance models for future events.
   • Establish and maintain a dashboard of key sales and operational metrics (KPIs).
   • Present monthly and quarterly program ROI report to in country marketing team and regional executive team.
   • Create all advertising units - physical ads for film festivals; website advertising; Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn ads.
   • Create PowerPoint audio and video presentations.
   • Track and analyze program effectiveness to determine ROI and prioritize resources.

   More head of marketing duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your head of marketing job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A head of marketing salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a head of marketing in South Dakota may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level head of marketing usually earns less than a senior-level head of marketing. Additionally, a head of marketing with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average head of marketing salary

   $137,829yearly

   $66.26 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level head of marketing salary

   $93,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 29, 2025

   Average head of marketing salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$174,746	$84
   2	California	$164,983	$79
   3	New York	$156,274	$75
   4	Connecticut	$153,536	$74
   5	Illinois	$153,229	$74
   6	Massachusetts	$152,445	$73
   7	Arizona	$150,962	$73
   8	Delaware	$146,850	$71
   9	Maine	$146,710	$71
   10	Oregon	$145,912	$70
   11	Rhode Island	$144,322	$69
   12	District of Columbia	$144,294	$69
   13	Virginia	$143,029	$69
   14	Hawaii	$142,412	$68
   15	Wisconsin	$141,933	$68
   16	Nevada	$139,287	$67
   17	Ohio	$136,300	$66
   18	Texas	$135,534	$65
   19	New Hampshire	$135,497	$65
   20	Indiana	$134,603	$65

   Average head of marketing salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$200,877	$96.58	159
   2	Airbnb	$192,624	$92.61
   3	Google	$189,335	$91.03	70
   4	Apple	$185,134	$89.01	10
   5	ByteDance	$183,498	$88.22
   6	eBay	$178,452	$85.79	12
   7	Uber Technologies	$178,335	$85.74	2
   8	Canva	$177,196	$85.19	5
   9	Cloudflare	$172,892	$83.12	8
   10	Unikrn	$168,236	$80.88
   11	Medallia	$165,995	$79.81
   12	DocuSign	$165,758	$79.69	8
   13	Intuit	$165,647	$79.64	93
   14	Duolingo	$164,455	$79.06	4
   15	Instabase	$163,863	$78.78
   16	Bloomberg	$163,462	$78.59	1
   17	Citi	$163,435	$78.57	16
   18	Victory Capital	$162,084	$77.92	8
   19	BuzzFeed	$161,826	$77.80
   20	DoorDash	$161,431	$77.61	39

4. Writing a head of marketing job description

   A job description for a head of marketing role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a head of marketing job description:

   Head of marketing job description example

   Helbiz is a multi-modal, international company with a focus on micro-mobility to solve first and last-mile transportation problems. Helbiz offers an array of mobility products including electric scooters and bicycles to cities around the world. We aim to revolutionize mobility in cities and on campuses by offering unique and creative transportation options that are more sustainable, efficient, and affordable.
   
   The Head of Marketing US reports to the CMO, who in turn reports to the CEO of the company. The Head of Marketing role has a dotted line to the Country General Managers and takes an active role in the regional leadership team alongside policy, communication and operations.
   
   You will work in close partnership with central brand, marketing, growth and product teams on a weekly basis, as well as local operations, public policy, public relations and HR teams. Your team will be supported in day-to-day execution by a fully centralized performance marketing team as well as central support roles for CRM activities.
   
   Responsibilities Owner of national brand, growth and marketing budget, KPIs and performance Attract, retain and develop a 2-5 team of high caliber marketing and partnership associates and managers Develop a country marketing strategy in collaboration with country general managers, the CMO and the rest of the global marketing leadership team Plan and execute on a national marketing and brand campaign calendar Source and execute on policy-, growth- and brand-oriented partnerships Localize our product experience and product marketing Build and communicate local user and market insights Support the team in local tender processes
   
   Requested QualificationsBachelor or Master degree within business, marketing or similar+5/10 year experience within marketing, growth, commercial or brand in a company with a digital product in a highly competitive market, including strategic and results oriented positions Experience managing a team of both junior and more autonomous professionals Exceptional communication skills in English, both in writing and speaking Working knowledge of French, Italian and/or Spanish is a plus Independent problem solving skills and ability to thrive in an adaptive environment Proven experience from commercial and contract negotiations Role model behavior that will inspire and challenge the team
   
   What We OfferFlexible work schedule and working remote Highly impactful position with great growth potential and visibility across the business Work with a close knit team of highly motivated and skilled colleagues centrally and locally Revolutionize the micro-mobility industry and make a difference in building sustainable cities Competitive compensation and performance-based bonus structure Competitive benefits package including health benefits, PTO & Paid Sick Leave
   Helbiz is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Helbiz prohibits the discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, military or veteran status, marital status, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

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5. Post your job

   To find heads of marketing for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any heads of marketing they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level heads of marketing with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your head of marketing job on Zippia to find and attract quality head of marketing candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as swipe files, exit five, marketinghire, american marketing association.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with head of marketing candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new head of marketing

   Once you've found the head of marketing candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new head of marketing. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a head of marketing?