Head of Marketing - LIONS Riyadh

About the Role / About the Job
The Head of Marketing will report to the Marketing Director and will manage a diverse team based in Riyadh. This role focuses on leading the brand, audience, and go-to-market strategy for LIONS Riyadh, establishing the Festival as a premier creative industry platform in the region and a recognized part of the global LIONS community. The ideal candidate is a highly motivated, dynamic marketing leader with a successful track record of commercial collaboration to develop products and positioning that reflect customer demand.

This role requires a unique blend of brand thinking, creative judgment, audience insight, and commercial marketing expertise. A successful candidate will understand how to cultivate desire around a premium global brand while ensuring it is culturally relevant to Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. The Head of Marketing will manage a diverse team of managers, marketing executives, and specialists, inspiring creativity and enthusiasm in others.

Additionally, the individual needs to be analytical and data-oriented, with a history of testing and optimization, complemented by a creative flair and exceptional attention to detail. The candidate will be responsible for creating a marketing platform that embodies the LIONS essence—bold, intelligent, culturally connected, and creatively distinctive—while achieving measurable audience, revenue, and brand-growth objectives.

Key Performance Indicators

• Collaborate with commercial leads to develop value propositions and go-to-market strategies
• Implement ongoing customer insight and engagement strategies
• Oversee deliverables of marketing campaigns aligned with business objectives
• Ensure adherence to timelines and budgets
• Produce Marketing KPI reports
• Manage a cross-functional marketing team with diverse skills and training
• Design and execute campaigns for specific projects as required
• Elevate awareness and demand for LIONS Riyadh across Saudi Arabia, the GCC, and key international markets
• Enhance the Festival's reputation as a leading platform for creativity, marketing, media, and culture
• Drive qualified registrations, ticket sales, and attendance from targeted audience segments
• Increase engagement with senior CMOs, creative leaders, agencies, brands, and emerging talent
• Align all campaigns with LIONS brand, tone, and creative standards
• Maximize the impact of speaker, content, and partner announcements through various channels
• Deliver robust digital engagement, conversions, and return on marketing investment
• Foster an active community year-round around the LIONS Riyadh brand via content marketing
• Enhance collaboration among Marketing, Content, PR, Commercial, Creative, and LIONS teams
• Act as a change management ambassador, promoting a positive attitude toward challenges and changes

Key Responsibilities
Leadership

• Recommend team structures and delivery solutions based on requirements
• Manage senior marketers and specialists across various events
• Collaborate with the Group Director to ensure the appropriate structure and resources meet agreed KPIs
• Provide guidance, feedback, and inspiration to team members
• Build a high-performing, creatively ambitious marketing team that upholds LIONS brand standards
• Promote bold thinking, strong creative judgment, and audience-first marketing within the team
• Champion the use and optimization of marketing technology solutions and digital marketing practices
• Ensure successful campaign delivery aligning with agreed KPIs and event strategies
• Develop skills and competencies within the team to establish clear development roadmaps
• Maintain the competency of managers to lead junior team members effectively
• Create strong collaboration across Marketing, Content, Creative, PR, Commercial, and LIONS teams
• Uphold the high-performance culture of the marketing team

Analysis & Insight

• Monitor campaign performance through timely reporting and recommend adjustments based on data insights
• Share insights with sales, event teams, and senior management to drive revenue and explore new opportunities
• Analyze trends over time to inform more effective campaigns
• Ensure accurate data is collected to monitor campaign performance (e.g., audience surveys, industry research)
• Work with internal teams to adhere to data governance and management policies
• Deliver and ensure the accuracy of pre-agreed reports during and after campaigns
• Foster a culture of testing and metrics-driven decision-making within the teams
• Gain a deep understanding of LIONS Riyadh audience segments and their behaviors across Saudi Arabia, the GCC, and international markets
• Utilize audience and market insights to inform messaging, positioning, strategies, and campaign creativity
• Track brand awareness and perception to measure relevance and desirability
• Monitor cultural and industry trends to identify opportunities for brand engagement

Planning & Campaign Management

• Collaborate with marketing managers and the wider team to plan product marketing campaigns
• Oversee operational implementation plans to ensure deadlines adherence
• Develop and manage a comprehensive marketing calendar for LIONS Riyadh
• Build integrated campaign plans across all channels
• Monitor media engagement and assist in identifying how this fits into campaigns
• Assist marketing managers with budget development and ensure updates are maintained
• Recommend external suppliers and ensure contractual terms are met
• Tailor campaigns by audience segment with clear messaging
• Collaborate with different teams to maximize major announcements

Marketing Execution

• Identify target audiences and key segments within them
• Guide team development of personas, value propositions, and messaging for key segments
• Ensure timely and relevant communications through all channels
• Monitor and advise adjustments on digital marketing based on performance metrics
• Contribute to the Content Calendar, ensuring delivery through appropriate channels
• Foster relationships with strategic partners for maximum exposure
• Ensure active maintenance of social media channels and monitor engagement
• Oversee design and production of marketing collateral
• Ensure marketing materials adhere to brand guidelines
• Translate Festival content into compelling campaigns
• Develop localized messaging for various audiences while maintaining broad appeal

Qualifications

• A degree or professional background in marketing, communications, media, business, creative industries, or related fields is advantageous. Relevant senior-level marketing experience may be considered in place of formal qualifications.

Experience

• Significant senior marketing experience within major events, media, creative industries, entertainment, or premium global brands
• Proven success in launching or scaling brands within competitive markets
• Experience developing and managing integrated marketing campaigns across channels
• Strong experience managing agencies, partners, budgets, and cross-functional teams
• Desirable experience in a start-up environment or scaling a new business
• Experience marketing to both international and regional audiences
• Previous experience in the creative, advertising, marketing, media, or cultural sectors is a strong advantage
• Knowledge of the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia or the GCC, is desirable

Skills & Qualities

• Proficient in written and oral communication in both Arabic and English
• Excellent quantitative skills
• Strong analytical, presentation, and financial modeling skills
• High attention to detail and accuracy
• Self-starter with a proactive approach and ability to work autonomously
• Experience with SAP, TM1 (IBM), and/or Oracle is advantageous
• Highly collaborative and adaptable to change
• Strong creative judgment capable of developing standout brand ideas
• Excellent comprehension of brand positioning, audience development, and premium marketing
• Ability to balance creativity with commercial objectives and measurable results

Core Benefits

• Medical Insurance for individual and family
• Annual Leave: 28 days
• Remote working on Sundays
• Flexible working options: Work from anywhere for 2 months each year
• School fees contribution: 40,000 SAR per child annually (up to three children)
• Wellbeing benefits
• Residency visa with yearly dependent fees covered
• Annual flight allowance for expats

Local Relocation Package*

• Paid flight to Riyadh for individual and family
• 30 days accommodation or suitable serviced apartment from arrival date, or a one-off payment of SAR 5,000
• Up to SAR 2,500 reimbursement of shipping goods/excess baggage costs

International Relocation Package*

• Paid flight to Riyadh for individual and family
• 60 days accommodation or a suitable serviced apartment from arrival date, or a one-off payment of SAR 5,000
• Up to SAR 2,500 reimbursement of shipping goods/excess baggage costs
• Paid flight home for individual and end-of-service gratuity payment when leaving the company (if applicable)

*If eligible

We strive to ensure that life at our organization is rewarding, supportive, and enjoyable. We value energy and ambition and seek colleagues who will actively contribute. We embrace diversity and celebrate differences, welcoming applicants from all backgrounds. We are dedicated to providing a disability-friendly environment and support adjustments needed for applicants during the interview process.