Job Description

Associate Director - Marketing Activation

This role will lead market activation across campaigns, channels, external profile and client engagement. You are responsible for how the firm activates its brand and campaigns in the market across paid media, earned media, partnerships, sponsorships, events, content activation, client programmes and market-facing communications.

This is a commercially-led leadership role. You set activation strategy, shape integrated execution plans and ensure activity supports market growth, client engagement and pipeline progression. The role requires strong judgement across media, partnerships, sponsorship activation, editorial planning, executive communications and campaign execution.

You lead the activation team, set delivery standards and stay close to high-value programmes and external market activity. You work with Service Line Marketers, Communications, senior leadership, Global teams and the Global Services Hub to deliver integrated go-to-market activity.

Key Responsibilities

• Own in-market activation strategy. Translate campaign plans into integrated execution across paid, earned, owned and in-person channels.
• Lead and develop the Market Activation team. Set priorities, standards and accountability. Build capability across the function.
• Own market-facing partnerships and external profile strategy across media relationships, sponsorship direction, industry engagement and flagship brand activations.
• Ensure partnerships and sponsorships align to business objectives and deliver measurable value.
• Shape executive visibility opportunities including speaking platforms, thought leadership activation and strategic market positioning.
• Partner with Communications on media moments and reputation-sensitive activity.
• Own paid media and advertising planning, working with Global Channel Marketing and local suppliers on targeting, placement and budget.
• Lead activation for major integrated campaigns alongside Service Line Marketers and sellers, balancing business priorities, brand visibility, stakeholder engagement and pipeline outcomes.
• Oversee the campaign intake process. Ensure every programme launches with clear audience, objectives, ownership, follow-through and measurement.
• Provide editorial oversight across major activation programmes, ensuring messaging quality, consistency, relevance and brand alignment.
• Manage vendor, agency and Global Services Hub relationships for activation delivery, with quality and cost discipline.
• Manage the market activation budget. Track spend against plan and report variance.
• Track and report on activation performance. Run post-programme reviews, ensure CRM capture and recommend what to scale, improve or stop.
• Use AI tools across planning, communications, targeting and operational efficiency. Support team adoption in practical and responsible ways.

Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required. Postgraduate qualification in marketing or business preferred.
• 12+ years in integrated B2B marketing, brand activation, communications or campaign leadership roles within a complex organisation, with significant experience leading multi-channel campaigns across the full mix.
• Direct line management experience, with evidence of building team capability.
• Proven track record leading an activation function and setting strategy, with accountability for budget, vendor relationships and programme outcomes across multiple channels.
• Proven track record delivering multi-channel campaigns that support pipeline, revenue or client engagement.
• Strong experience leading integrated activation across media, sponsorships, partnerships, events, executive profiling, paid campaigns and market-facing communications.
• Experience leading and developing a marketing activation team.
• Experience operating at senior leadership level, with the judgement and credibility to advise stakeholders on external positioning and activation strategy.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to work across service lines, functions and geographies.
• Strong editorial and communications judgement, with experience shaping executive messaging, thought leadership or market-facing content programmes.
• Experience leading commercially focused activation programmes that combine brand visibility, stakeholder engagement and pipeline generation.
• Strong understanding of media planning, sponsorship activation, partnership strategy and integrated channel execution.
• Budget management experience with a focus on cost discipline and ROI.
• Familiarity with marketing technology, CRM and project management platforms.
• Proficiency with AI tools across planning, targeting, communications and operational efficiency, with the ability to guide and support team adoption in a practical and responsible way.
• Ability to balance strategic leadership with hands-on oversight of critical programmes and external engagements.
• Ability to operate across multiple markets and cultures.

#LI-KS1

We are Grant Thornton