What does a Marketing Manager do in an SME?

A Marketing Manager in an SME is responsible for planning and executing marketing strategies that drive brand awareness, generate leads, and support sales growth. They often manage digital campaigns, content, social media, events, and performance reporting.

What is the typical base salary for a Marketing Manager in an SME?

Base salaries for Marketing Managers in UK SMEs with £20M–£250M turnover generally range from £45,000 to £70,000, depending on the industry, location, and breadth of responsibilities.

What kind of bonus can a Marketing Manager earn?

Marketing Managers may earn bonuses of 10% to 20% of their salary, typically tied to performance metrics like lead generation, campaign ROI, or revenue contribution.

Do Marketing Managers receive other incentives or benefits?

Yes. Incentives may include training budgets, hybrid or flexible working, profit-sharing schemes, or access to performance-based equity in high-growth or PE-backed SMEs.

When should an SME hire a Marketing Manager?

An SME should consider hiring a Marketing Manager when they are ready to build in-house marketing capability, grow brand visibility, launch new products, or create a consistent flow of leads to support the sales pipeline.

How long does it take to recruit a Marketing Manager?

A retained recruitment process typically takes 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the market, urgency, and candidate notice periods.

What types of SMEs do you recruit Marketing Managers for?

We work with owner-managed and investor-backed SMEs in sectors like B2B services, manufacturing, SaaS, and e-commerce, typically with £20M to £250M turnover.

Executive Search I

Marketing Manager Recruitment

Appoint a Marketing Manager who brings strategy, creativity, and measurable impact to your growing SME.

We help business owners and senior leaders recruit marketing professionals who drive brand visibility, generate leads, and support commercial growth — with a practical mindset and a sharp eye on ROI.

Arrange a call back

Do you need to recruit an Marketing Manager for your SME? Speak to our Managing Director, Oliver Adderley.

We recruit Marketing Managers for SMEs with turnovers between £20M and £250M — businesses that need to professionalise their marketing function, build brand visibility, and drive commercial growth.

Appoint a Marketing Manager Who Combines Strategy, Creativity, and ROI

Whether you're launching new products, entering new markets, or building an in-house marketing team, we deliver Marketing Managers who bring the right mix of strategic planning and hands-on execution. Our process is agile, targeted, and tailored to SMEs that need results — not corporate overhead.

In the past two years, we’ve filled 100% of our retained commercial leadership roles — placing Marketing Managers who’ve built campaigns, driven leads, enhanced brand positioning, and directly supported revenue growth.

From first-time marketing hires to scale-ups needing structure and scale, we place leaders who know how to build — and grow — your marketing engine.

How It Works: Our Search Process

Recruit senior level talent in 12 weeks or less.

We begin every project with a formal strategy discussion to fully understand your business, structure, growth plans, and the leadership challenges you face. We confirm the scope of the role, commercial objectives, timescales, and fee terms before initiating any search activity.
Once terms are agreed, we prepare a detailed Assignment Brief outlining the role, responsibilities, business context, cultural environment, and ideal candidate profile. This document is approved by you and used to brief candidates consistently and professionally throughout the process.
We carry out a focused headhunting campaign across relevant sectors and leadership networks. This includes direct outreach, discreet advertising, referrals, and competitor mapping — tailored to attract commercially aligned directors with the capability to lead in fast-paced SME environments.
All shortlisted candidates are interviewed by our senior consultants and complete our in-depth Self-Awareness Questionnaire (SAQ). This provides deep insight into each candidate’s leadership style, career history, and operational decision-making — going well beyond a standard CV.
We present a carefully curated shortlist including candidate CVs, detailed consultant commentary, and SAQ insights. You’ll receive clear, structured feedback and comparative recommendations to support your selection process.
Once you’ve progressed to second-stage interviews, we conduct thorough, confidential verbal referencing. This includes targeted conversations with past colleagues to verify performance, leadership impact, and cultural fit — giving you complete confidence in your final decision.
We support you through salary discussions, offer negotiation, and onboarding. Because our fees are fixed and not linked to salary level, we maintain complete objectivity — focusing solely on securing the right long-term appointment for your business.

What sets us apart?

Specialist, Senior-Led Delivery

Every assignment is led by an experienced consultant - never passed to junior staff. We bring commercial acumen, market insight, and real leadership experience to every project, ensuring your search is handled with the focus and expertise it deserves.

Deeper Candidate Insight: The SAQ

Our proprietary Self-Awareness Questionnaire (SAQ) gives you unrivalled insight into each candidate’s leadership style, motivations, and behaviours. It goes far beyond a CV, helping you make better-informed decisions.

Unrivalled Candidate Reporting

Every candidate is presented with detailed consultant commentary, behavioural insight, and performance history, not just a CV. Our reports give you clarity, comparison, and the confidence to assess fit across strategic, cultural, and operational dimensions.

Fee Structures Built for SMEs

We offer transparent, fixed fees designed around the realities of SME budgets, without the inflated pricing models of traditional firms. You receive board-level quality with flexible terms and no hidden extras.

Access to Exceptional Talent

With over 30 years of experience, we have built deep networks across leadership functions. We find proven managers and rising leaders who are ready to create impact in fast-moving, scaling businesses.

Agile, Focused, Results-Driven

We’re an agile business, able to move quickly, adapt to your timelines, and stay aligned with your goals. We typically deliver fully assessed shortlists within 4–6 weeks, without compromising quality or process.

“SMEs don’t need FTSE-level search fees or to be delegated to a junior consultant. They need a bespoke service that understands their business, the stage of growth, their budget, and their urgency. That’s exactly what we offer.”

— Oliver Adderley, Managing Director

SME Marketing Manager Recruitment Questions Answered

A Marketing Manager in an SME is responsible for planning and executing marketing strategies that drive brand awareness, generate leads, and support sales growth. They often manage digital campaigns, content, social media, events, and performance reporting — typically wearing many hats in a small team.
Base salaries for Marketing Managers in UK SMEs with £20M–£250M turnover generally range from £45,000 to £70,000, depending on the industry, location, and breadth of responsibilities.
Marketing Managers may earn bonuses of 10% to 20% of their salary, typically tied to performance metrics like lead generation, campaign ROI, or revenue contribution.
Yes. Incentives may include training budgets, hybrid or flexible working, profit-sharing schemes, or access to performance-based equity in high-growth or PE-backed SMEs.
An SME should consider hiring a Marketing Manager when they are ready to build in-house marketing capability, grow brand visibility, launch new products, or create a consistent flow of leads to support the sales pipeline.
A retained recruitment process typically takes 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the market, urgency, and candidate notice periods.
We work with owner-managed and investor-backed SMEs in sectors like B2B services, manufacturing, SaaS, and e-commerce, typically with £20M to £250M turnover.