Marketing Director (PBSA)

Homes for Students is seeking an ambitious Marketing Director to lead a talented marketing team, work in close partnership with operational colleagues and client stakeholders, and be the strategic voice that connects market intelligence, customer insight and commercial ambition into a coherent, compelling marketing engine.

• Location: Liverpool / Hybrid
• Reporting To: Chief Marketing Officer
• Contract: Full-time, Permanent
• Working Hours: Monday to Friday, 9.00am-5.30pm
• Sector: Purpose-Built Student Accommodation

About Homes for Students

Homes for Students is one of the UK's leading third-party operators in the Purpose-Built Student Accommodation sector, managing over 60,000 beds across 56 cities on behalf of a diverse range of clients, investors and institutional portfolios.

The Role

This is not a role for someone who wants to manage campaigns from a distance; it demands genuine leadership, sector fluency and the ability to operate with authority at board and client level.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

You will develop and own the annual marketing strategy, aligning it to the commercial objectives of the business and the specific needs of individual client portfolios. You will set the direction for brand positioning, channel strategy, customer acquisition and retention, ensuring that Homes for Students maintains a competitive edge in an increasingly sophisticated marketplace.

Portfolio Marketing

You will design and execute multi-site, multi-client marketing programmes that balance the need for portfolio-wide brand coherence with the local nuance that individual cities, universities and demographics demand. You will be comfortable working across a wide range of asset types, price points and client requirements simultaneously.

Client Relationships

You will play a senior role in client-facing conversations, presenting marketing performance, articulating strategy, and building the kind of trust that turns good client relationships into long-term partnerships. You will understand that every bed filled is a data point in the story we tell our investors and owners.

Team Leadership

You will lead, inspire and develop a multi-disciplinary marketing team, creating a culture of high performance, creativity and accountability. You will set clear objectives, coach your people to grow, and ensure the team has the tools, budget and clarity it needs to deliver exceptional results.

Digital, Data and Technology

You will champion a data-led approach to marketing, ensuring that decisions are grounded in insight rather than instinct alone, and that the team makes intelligent use of CRM, marketing automation, paid digital channels, SEO and analytics platforms. You will stay ahead of emerging technology trends, including the growing role of AI in marketing execution and personalisation, and will bring a progressive mindset to how the team operates.

Brand and Online Presence

You will guard our brands, ensure consistency, quality and relevance across all touchpoints, from property-level collateral and digital presence through to digital PR and social media. You will ensure that the brand works equally hard for students choosing where to live and for clients choosing who to trust with their assets. You will work close with the Communications Director to support with corporate and internal communications where necessary.

Budget and Commercial Accountability

You will own the marketing budget, allocating resources with rigour and transparency, and reporting on ROI and key performance metrics with clarity and confidence. You will understand the commercial model of the business well enough to make smart trade-offs and to make the case for investment when the numbers support it.

What We're Looking For

Experience and Background

A proven track record of driving occupancy and commercial performance at scale is essential, as is experience of operating in a third-party, client-facing environment where relationship management is as important as campaign delivery.

Skills and Capabilities

You are a strategic thinker who can also roll up your sleeves when the situation demands it. You communicate with clarity and conviction, whether presenting to a board, briefing a creative agency or coaching a junior member of the team. You are commercially sharp, intellectually curious and comfortable with ambiguity, because in a portfolio of this size, no two weeks are ever quite the same.

You will be adept at managing multiple stakeholders with competing priorities, and you will have the political intelligence to navigate complex client and internal relationships without losing sight of what matters.

Personal Qualities

We are looking for someone who brings energy and optimism to a leadership role, who builds trust quickly and maintains it carefully, and who genuinely believes that great marketing makes a meaningful difference to students' lives as much as to commercial performance. A sense of humour and the ability to keep things in perspective are, frankly, essential given the pace and scale of what this role involves.

What We Offer

Homes for Students offers a competitive salary and benefits package commensurate with the seniority and scope of this role. Beyond the remuneration, this is a genuine opportunity to shape the marketing direction of a business at the leading edge of the UK's student accommodation sector, working with a team that is ambitious, supportive and very good at what it does.

• Competitive salary, reviewed annually.
• A genuine leadership mandate in one of the UK's fastest-moving property sectors.
• Hybrid and flexible working arrangements.
• Generous holiday package: 25 days, plus bank holidays, for work-life balance 
• Enhanced family leave packages for the important things in life.
• Exclusive retail discounts to make your money go further.
• Celebrate your birthday with a well-deserved day off.
• Car leasing scheme for a comfortable commute.
• Cycle-to-work scheme to stay active and eco-friendly.
• 2 charity days per year to make a difference in the community.
• Life insurance for peace of mind.

If you're ready to lead excellence, shape the future of student living, and exceed goals and expectations, apply now and be a key player in transforming the student experience!

Homes for Students is committed to creating an inclusive workplace that reflects the diversity of the students and communities we serve. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are happy to discuss flexible working arrangements.