Marketing Director

We are entering a revolutionary and exciting new era here at Twycross Zoo.

Working alongside the CEO, you’ll play a key role leading an ambitious new marketing strategy to engage, inspire, and spread awareness of our charity purpose and conservation strategy.

You will be joining us at an exciting time where you will be integral to shaping the future of the zoo. In this newly created senior leadership role, you will form part of a dynamic senior team focussed on delivering outstanding guest experiences whilst driving visitation and delivering commercial targets.

Our Charity

Twycross Zoo has existed for 60 years. At the heart of what we do, the reason we exist, is to be an influential conservation and education charity, delivering on our commitments to be visitor obsessed and provide world-class animal environments and levels of husbandry. Alongside this, we strive to be an effective charity with a commercial mindset, putting our people at the heart of the organisation.

We welcome over 600,000 people every year to our 100-acre rural site near Atherstone, and are home to 400 animals, including one of the largest chimpanzee families in the UK, and our primate collection is up there with the best in the world! We’re the only zoo in the UK to house all four great apes and we care for many other endangered species to the highest welfare standards, including Eastern black rhino, Sumatran tigers, Amur leopards and snow leopards.

The Role – Marketing Director

Reporting to the CEO, as the Marketing Director your key objectives will be to:

• Lead and own the marketing strategy to spread the purpose of our charity
• Demonstrate creativity and passion for exceeding guest expectations that appeals to visitors of all ages, driving visitation and awareness of our conservation strategy
• Design and develop captivating and creative campaigns that engage, educate and inspire, resulting in increased revenue for our charity
• Lead the marketing team and third parties, ensuring resources are fully utilised to successfully execute marketing campaigns
• Act as a key member of the Leadership Team which creates, implements and drives business strategy and leads the Zoo’s values, supporting the CEO in the delivery of the strategic plans

Our Requirements

• Demonstratable experience of creating, delivering and owning a brand, whilst driving commercial success, preferably gained within a visitor attraction, or alternatively within another visitor lead environment such as hospitality, leisure, a visitor lead charity organisation etc.
• Commercially focussed, strategic thinker who can set long term goals with the ability to turn a business vision into a robust and effective marketing strategy
• Innovative, enthusiastic and always have your finger on the pulse with the ability to share a compelling message
• Line management experience, as you’ll be responsible for leading and motivating the team ensuring they deliver the wow factor that embodies our vision
• Eye for detail, data driven with strong analytical skills and written communication
• Natural influencer with the ability to bring people with you on the brand journey
• Action and results oriented with a proven track record of delivering in line with expectations
• Ability to communicate at all levels, clearly and consistently increasing the visibility of the zoo
• Good understanding of budgets, cost management and effective resource allocation

The Package

You will be based at our zoo and offices near Atherstone (easily accessible off Junction 11 of the M42, working Monday to Friday 9am to 5.30pm – with occasional weekend working.

• Permanent contract
• Competitive salary, with the level dependent on experience
• Non-contractual bonus
• Salary sacrifice electric car scheme
• 34 days annual leave inclusive of bank holidays
• Family private healthcare – upon completion of probation period
• Life assurance – upon completion of probation period
• Onsite retail and catering discounts
• Free zoo entrance ticket for your days off, plus an allowance of tickets to use with friends and family throughout the year

More About Us

Twycross Zoo is at the forefront of conservation, education, and research. We have a strong commitment to our award-winning education programme, aiming to increase the level of awareness, knowledge and understanding of visitors about our animals. We aim to inspire visitors to support biodiversity conservation in any way they can. 

This is an exciting time to join Twycross Zoo as we have been awarded £20m grant funding to develop the National Science and Conservation Centre (NSCC) on the Twycross Zoo site. The NSCC will support vital work around species conservation. It will bring together experts in conservation science and train the next generation of conservationists, whilst offering researchers from around the world the opportunity to study the four great apes and other endangered species, in naturalistic complex environments. The facilities will include a lecture theatre, classrooms, and laboratories, all planned to open in 2024.

How to Apply

All applications for this Marketing Director vacancy are to be submitted online, and strictly no agency calls or agency CV submissions.

Please include a cover letter with your CV highlighting your salary expectations.

Shortlisting and interviews for this Marketing Director role will take place while the advert is live; the vacancy will be closed as soon as the successful candidate is appointed. Applicants are therefore encouraged to submit applications as soon as possible.

Contact information

Twycross Zoo