Head of Marketing and Communications/Senior Marketing Manager – Operations – Colchester banner

Head of Marketing and Communications/Senior Marketing Manager – Operations – Colchester

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Head of Marketing and Communications/Senior Marketing Manager – Operations – Colchester

About us

Thompson Smith and Puxon LLP (TSP) is a long-established regional law firm serving individuals, families, businesses, farmers, landowners and organisations across Essex, Suffolk and beyond.

Our mission is to Transform, Succeed, and Prosper for our clients, our people and the wider community.

Through TSP2030, we continue to invest in our people, technology and working environment, creating opportunities for our teams to develop, grow and thrive. We want our people to develop, progress and build long-term careers with us, while delivering a high standard of service to our clients.

The role

We are looking for an experienced Head of Marketing and Communications/Senior Marketing Manager to lead and manage the firm's marketing and communications function. Develop the team, set clear priorities and take responsibility for the quality, organisation and delivery of its work. The role requires broad marketing management capability, particular expertise in communications and the commercial judgement to decide what is worth doing.

Working closely with the firm's Fractional Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer to turn agreed TSP2030 and business development priorities into a manageable programme of activity.

The Head is responsible for implementing those plans, managing the team and improving delivery within agreed strategy and authority.

Key responsibilities

Lead and develop the team

  • Provide consistent day-to-day management of the Marketing Executive and Marketing Assistant, with clear responsibilities, priorities, regular one-to-ones and timely feedback.
  • Retain overall accountability for the team's priorities, standards and results while delegating appropriate day-to-day activity to the Marketing Executive and Marketing Assistant, with clear ownership and follow-through.
  • Coach colleagues in marketing practice, software use, writing, design judgement and professional standards; identify training needs and assess improvement.
  • Manage workloads, deadlines, handovers and performance. Anticipate problems, resolve routine issues and escalate material decisions early.
  • Establish practical processes that provide dependable delivery and clear operational oversight.

Plan, prioritise and deliver

  • Maintain a rolling marketing and communications plan linked to agreed firm, team and sector priorities, KPIs, with an owner, brief, deadline and budget for each significant activity.
  • Oversee campaigns, events, publications, sponsorship, internal communications and other activity from initial brief through delivery, follow-up and review.
  • Challenge requests that lack a clear purpose or offer poor value. Make sensible choices about time, capacity and marketing expenditure.
  • Manage suppliers and approved budgets, commissioning specialist support where this produces a better result than attempting everything in-house.

Own communications quality and brand application

  • Set and maintain standards for TSP’s internal and external communications, including website copy, social media, email, print, presentations and event material.
  • Edit and review material for audience, clarity, accuracy, tone, design quality and consistent application of the existing TSP identity; maintain effective templates and publication checks.
  • Ensure messages reflect the firm’s strengths and are useful to clients and referrers, avoiding generic claims and unnecessary content.
  • Coordinate routine media and public relations activity. Refer sensitive, technical or reputational matters to the appropriate lawyer, Professional Standards or senior management for approval.
  • Identify and coordinate opportunities that raise the profile of Thompson Smith and Puxon, including thought leadership, media coverage, awards, sponsorship activity, speaking opportunities.

Manage digital delivery and reporting

  • Oversee the website, search performance, social media, email and digital campaigns, with enough practical knowledge to brief, check and challenge colleagues and agencies.
  • Use marketing and enquiry information, including relevant P4W and referral-source data, to improve follow-up, reporting and decisions.
  • Produce concise, reliable reporting on agreed priorities, expenditure, enquiries, campaigns and outcomes. Assess return where it can reasonably be measured.
  • Improve working methods and use suitable tools, including approved artificial intelligence tools within firm policies, without compromising quality or confidentiality.

Support business development delivery

  • Work with the fractional Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer and practice teams to implement agreed client, referrer and sector activities.
  • Coordinate the marketing team’s support for lawyer profiles, client communications, awards and directory submissions, pitches and relevant events.
  • Ensure contacts, actions and follow-up arising from campaigns and events are recorded and progressed with the responsible lawyers and teams.
  • Work with relevant colleagues to improve the capture and use of client, referral-source and business development data, supporting cross-selling opportunities and informed decision making.
  • Support the development and delivery of marketing and business development training, guidance and practical tools to help lawyers and support teams contribute effectively to firmwide growth objectives.

Events

  • Oversee the planning and delivery of firmwide events, sponsorship activity and profile-raising initiatives, ensuring clear objectives, budgets, ownership and follow-up.
  • Ensure opportunities arising from events, campaigns and sponsorship activity are recorded, communicated and progressed by the appropriate lawyers and teams.
  • Evaluate event performance and return on investment, making recommendations for improvement and future activity.
  • Maintain a consistent focus on client experience, relationship development and commercial outcomes across all marketing-led events and initiatives.
  • Research and develop new event opportunities, aligned to the firm’s priorities and growth opportunities.

Scope and accountability

The Head of Marketing and Communications is the senior operational lead for the function. The role reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer, or to a future Head of Operations if the reporting line is formally transferred.

The Head is accountable for the marketing team's people, priorities, performance, budgets, standards and delivery within agreed authority. Appropriate day-to-day activity is delegated to the Marketing Executive and Marketing Assistant, with clear management oversight.

The Head works closely with the fractional Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer, who provides strategic expertise and support. This is a collaborative relationship, not a line management arrangement.

The Head is responsible for implementing the agreed strategy and managing the function. Partners and fee earners retain ownership of their client and referrer relationships and approval of technical legal content. Major expenditure and reputational decisions follow TSP's approval arrangements.

Experience, skills & attributes

Essential

  • Proven experience managing and developing a small marketing team, with examples of improving quality, capability and dependable delivery.
  • Strong practical marketing and communications experience, including clear writing, editing, digital channels and the ability to judge design and content quality.
  • Good organisational and project management skills, with evidence of delivering work to deadlines and within budgets.
  • Sound commercial judgement, confidence to challenge weak proposals and an ability to work constructively with busy professional colleagues.
  • Confidence using marketing systems and performance data to make decisions and explain results clearly.

Desirable

  • Experience within legal or other professional services, including business-to-business marketing and client or referrer development.
  • Experience managing agencies, improving contact and relationship data and commissioning or reviewing professional design work.

What success looks like in the first six months

  • The team has clear priorities, reliable management, practical development plans and a working forward schedule.
  • Agreed KPIs, reporting measures and business development tracking are established, providing meaningful insight into marketing performance, return on investment and progress against firm priorities.
  • Published output is consistently accurate, well written and professionally presented within agreed TSP brand standards.
  • Campaigns, events and supplier commitments have clear aims, budgets, ownership and timely follow-up.
  • Senior leaders and practice teams have confidence in delivery, professional standards and concise reporting.

The package

We offer a competitive salary, depending on the level of appointment, experience and ability.

Other benefits include:

  • 25 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays, with an additional three days for the Christmas to New Year closure, pro-rated for part-time staff.
  • Death in service and Group Income Protection.
  • Workplace pension scheme with Scottish Widows after three months' service, including enhanced and salary sacrifice options.
  • Health cash plan and Employee Assistance Programme.
  • Firm sick pay policy.
  • Additional holiday linked to long service.

Equal opportunities

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all communities and backgrounds. Recruitment is based on merit, skills, and suitability for the role.

To apply

Please send your covering letter and curriculum vitae to recruitment@tsplegal.com.