Music jobs in Kirkby

Head of Marketing

Salary: £35,000–£40,000 per annum, depending on experience

Job type: Full-time, permanent

Location: Aurora Music Works, New Court Way, Ormskirk, L39 2YT

Work pattern: Office-based in Ormskirk, with the option of one day a week working from home where needed. This is not a remote role

Working hours: 40 hours per week, Monday–Friday

Team: You will lead a team of four: two full-time marketers, one at 0.8 FTE and a 0.2 FTE agency resource

Who we are

Aurora Music Works (AMW) is the guitar business of UNIK Artist Factory, a privately owned Swiss group that builds and invests in businesses across music, instruments and the creative industries. UNIK takes a long-term view: rather than chasing quick exits, it backs brands it owns or has equity in and gives them the support to grow internationally.

Within the UNIK group, AMW designs, develops and distributes guitars and related products. Founded in 2024, we have grown quickly year on year and now operate from the UK (Ormskirk), the US and Switzerland, selling to wholesalers, retailers and consumers across the UK, Europe, North America and beyond. Sister ventures in the group include an instrument subscription and rental business in Switzerland and a shared brand showroom in Neuhausen.

Our own brands include Cream T, Newman, Stromberg, Guitar-X and Mad Alice. We also distribute and partner with brands including Kauffmann, Black-Ice, Maybach, Stanford, Fenech, Luna, LSL Instruments, Dean Guitars, Balaguer, Zemaitis and Pluginz.

We are now expanding beyond instruments into merchandise and lifestyle e-commerce, selling through our own Shopify stores and marketplaces including Amazon, TikTok Shop and Temu.

We are a small team that moves fast, makes decisions quickly and expects everyone to roll their sleeves up, including the people who lead.

The role

We are looking for a Head of Marketing who can both lead and deliver. You will set the marketing plan across our brands and ventures, manage the team day to day, and contribute directly to the work itself, from campaigns and content to emails, product launches, website updates, ads and print.

This is a genuinely hands-on leadership role, with a balance of planning and leading the team alongside creating work yourself.

Marketing here covers far more than social media. In any given month you might be launching a new guitar model, building a dealer catalogue, briefing a product photoshoot, rewriting product pages on Shopify, running a paid campaign for a merchandise drop, preparing for a trade show and sending newsletters in more than one language.

This role is based in our Ormskirk office. Working alongside the product, sales and operations teams, and having the guitars on hand for photography, video and launches, is central to how we work. You will be in the office at least four days a week, with the option of one day working from home where it suits the work. We are unable to consider fully remote applications, and candidates should live within a reasonable commute of West Lancashire.

Using AI

AI tools play an increasing part in how we work, helping a small team deliver across more than 15 brands. We are looking for someone who is comfortable using AI in areas such as copywriting, content creation, research, planning and analysis, and who can help the team make good use of it. Just as important is the judgement to check and refine what AI produces so it is accurate and on brand.

What you will be responsible for

Planning and leadership

• Build and own the annual marketing plan and calendar across all brands and ventures, and turn it into clear weekly priorities for the team.
• Lead, manage and develop the marketing team: plan workloads, set deadlines, review work and hold the standard.
• Manage the marketing budget and allocate spend where it will drive sales.
• Report monthly on what was delivered, what it achieved and what we will do next. Keep it short and focused on results.
• Work closely with sales, e-commerce and operations so marketing supports real commercial targets.

Brand and product marketing

• Plan and deliver product launches from start to finish: positioning, photography and video, copy, launch content, dealer communications and post-launch review.
• Protect and develop the identity of each brand, keeping it consistent across every channel, market and piece of material.
• Run seasonal, promotional and peak-trading campaigns, including Black Friday and Christmas, across our own sites and marketplaces.

E-commerce and digital

• Own the marketing side of our Shopify stores: product pages, merchandising, landing pages, SEO, conversion and customer experience.
• Plan and run marketing for our marketplace channels (Amazon, TikTok Shop, Temu), including listings, content and promotions.
• Plan, manage and optimise paid advertising, including Meta and Google, against clear return targets.
• Lead email marketing and CRM: newsletters, automated flows, segmentation and reporting, including campaigns for UK, US and European audiences.
• Lead social media across brands: content planning, creation, scheduling, community management and performance.

Trade (B2B) marketing

• Create dealer and distributor marketing: catalogues, price lists, dealer packs, sell-in presentations and point-of-sale material.
• Support trade shows, dealer events and showroom activity, including stand materials and event content.
• Support artist relations and endorsements, turning them into content and PR.

Content and creative

• Create content yourself as well as through the team, including photography, short-form video, graphics, copy and email.
• Produce print materials including brochures, certificates of authenticity, business cards, swing tags and packaging inserts.
• Brief and manage external creative resources, freelancers and our agency support when needed.

Insight

• Track performance across web, email, social, paid and marketplaces, and use it to decide what to do more of and what to stop.
• Monitor competitors, market trends and new opportunities, and turn findings into action.

What a typical week looks like

No two weeks are the same, but a typical week might include:

• Running the team planning session and keeping the content and campaign calendar on track.
• Creating or refining social and video content across several brands.
• Working on email campaigns and newsletters.
• Producing assets for a product launch, promotion or dealer request.
• Improving a Shopify store or marketplace listings.
• Reviewing results and adjusting spend, content or priorities.

Your first 90 days

• First 30 days: get to know the brands, team and tools; take ownership of the marketing calendar and start contributing to content and campaigns.
• 60 days: a clear marketing plan and budget for the next 12 months; team roles and weekly workflow agreed; quick wins delivered on our websites and email.
• 90 days: an efficient team workflow in place, making good use of AI and other tools, with measurable improvement in results.

What you will bring

Essential

• At least four years in marketing, with a track record of planning and delivering campaigns yourself.
• Experience leading or managing others while remaining hands-on yourself.
• Strong creative skills, with hands-on ability in design, content and copywriting using tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, CapCut and Canva.
• Hands-on experience with Shopify and e-commerce marketing.
• Experience running email marketing and CRM campaigns.
• Experience running paid social and/or paid search campaigns.
• Confident use of AI tools to support content, research, planning and analysis, with the ability to review AI outputs critically.
• Commercial awareness: you understand margins, conversion and return on spend, and can show the results your work delivered.
• Excellent organisation and the ability to juggle multiple brands, deadlines and priorities.
• Clear, direct communication and good judgement.

Desirable

• Experience in musical instruments, fashion, lifestyle or other e-commerce businesses.
• Experience marketing multiple brands at the same time.
• Marketplace marketing experience (Amazon, TikTok Shop, Temu).
• Trade or B2B marketing experience, including working with dealers or distributors.
• Experience with Zoho CRM or Zoho Campaigns.
• Knowledge of guitar brands and products. Being a player is a bonus.
• A second European language, particularly German.

What we are looking for

Someone who gets things done. You are creative, organised and commercially minded, you take ownership and use your initiative, and you are as comfortable delivering work as planning it. You enjoy the pace of an entrepreneurial business, you like building brands, and you are open to new tools and ways of working.

How to apply

Apply through Indeed with:

• Your CV, including where you are based.
• A short covering letter (one page) telling us about a campaign or piece of work you are proud of and the result it achieved.
• A portfolio or links to marketing and creative work, making clear what your role was in each.

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to complete a short practical task based on a real product brief. You are welcome to use any tools you like, including AI, and we will ask you to talk us through your approach.

No agencies.

Pay: £35,000.00-£40,000.00 per year

Experience:

• Marketing: 4 years (preferred)

Work Location: In person