As the Marketing Director for an attractions/s you will be responsible for leading a talented team to deliver innovative, data-driven marketing campaigns and activations that drive consumer demand for your attraction to achieve revenue targets and enhance the guest experience. You will work very closely in a matrix with Marketing specialist teams such as E-commerce & Digital Marketing, Corporate Affairs, Global Brand, Content and Partnerships, as well as other non-Marketing function specialist teams such as Strategy & Commercial, Revenue Management, Indirect Sales (Trade), Finance, People and Merlin Magic Making (the innovation arm of Merlin). The key to success will be working together as a high performing and collaborative team within this matrix to deliver the revenue and guest experience results for your attraction and contribute to your region’s annual targets.

You will primarily be based at your attraction/ Cluster/ Resort and will work as a Marketing Business Partner to the Operational business leader within your attraction but are a member of the Global Marketing function and report directly to the VP Marketing for your region. The role requires a dynamic leader with a deep understanding of both digital and traditional marketing with a keen drive for results and a strong commercial focus to elevate Merlin’s position in the market while aligning with the company’s global vision.

As a Marketing function at Merlin, we take immense pride in how we work with our colleagues to help deliver the business’ strategic goals and ultimately a great guest experience. A key element of this is our ability to partner with teams outside our function to provide expertise. The essence of business partnering (be it with our operations or with other functional teams) is less about reporting lines and more about ways of working. Every partnering role will have a 'functional home' and an 'operational home'. A functional home will be where the specialist community of the function resides and will provide guidance on latest thinking, consistent tools and templates and will be a forum for knowledge sharing. On a day-to-day basis, the 'operational home' is the function / region the role supports. This will continue to remain the key relationship the partners need to build and nurture. This is where the role will spend the majority of time and will remain accountable to provide the service required. For clarity, the formal reporting line will be to the function. The partnering role will be the conduit between the business and the specialties. This is a role that embodies the essence of the future ways of working for Merlin and will be a critical enabler of success for our business.

Key Accountabilities:

Marketing Strategy: Develop and deliver the marketing strategy for your attraction working alongside your Regional VP Marketing, aligning with the company’s overall business objectives. Ensure a cohesive and impactful brand presence across your market.

Campaign Planning & Execution. Lead the planning, development, and execution of compelling integrated marketing campaigns for your attraction and experiences that engage and inspire our target audiences and deliver our customer, brand and commercial objectives.

Brand Management: Work closely with the Global Brand to align marketing efforts with brand strategies & frameworks and drive brand growth. Ensure consistent brand messaging and identity across all marketing activity.

Cross-Functional Collaboration. Deliver our marketing objectives by embracing matrix working and building partnerships across Merlin and with external agencies to ensure strategies are integrated across all customer touchpoints.

Customer Insights & Analytics: In collaboration with the Global Insights team, drive customer engagement by putting target customers at the heart of marketing strategies and plans for our brands, by ensuring a deep understanding of customer behavior, market trends, and the competitive landscape.

E-Commerce & Digital Marketing. Work closely with E-Commerce & Digital Marketing, and Content, to build cohesive, compelling strategies and plans that deliver our objectives for our e-commerce and digital channels, focusing on growing traffic, reach, engagement and conversion.

Regional Marketing. Work as a team with your regional marketing leader peers and colleagues to support your Regional VP Marketing and ultimately the Regional MD by developing marketing plans that deliver our regional and attraction objectives. Drive relevance and effectiveness by ensuring any global activity is adapted effectively to meet the needs of local markets. Use frameworks provided for regional teams to help achieve local marketing goals and build best practice.

Leadership. Lead and develop a high-performing team, fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration, and excellence. Ensure ongoing professional development and growth opportunities for team members.

Measurements & Budgets: Provide regular reporting and insight to senior leadership, making data-driven recommendations for continuous improvement. Manage the attraction marketing budget, ensuring optimal allocation of resources across campaigns and regions with no overspends.

• 10+ years of experience in senior marketing roles, ideally within entertainment, hospitality, tourism, or retail sectors.
• Proven success in developing and executing integrated marketing campaigns, with an emphasis on digital marketing.
• Experience working within a global organization and collaborating with regional teams, balancing local and regional priorities.
• Strong leadership and people management skills, with experience in managing and developing teams.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking abilities, with a track record of using data-driven insights to inform marketing strategies.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to work across functions and influence at all levels.
• Proven experience managing complex marketing budgets and demonstrating marketing ROI.
• A passion for the entertainment and tourism industry, with a customer-first approach to marketing.