Location: London (central co-working space) | Hybrid: 3 days in the office, 2 from home
Reports to: CEO | Direct reports: 1 at first (Distribution Assistant), growing to possibly 2–3
The role
Carpe Diem Tours is hiring a hands-on Marketing Manager to rebuild our marketing function from the ground up. You’ll manage our Distribution Assistant from day one, run campaigns yourself, hold our paid media freelancer to account, help define our marketing strategy, and help us hire the team around you, starting with a Social Media & Content Lead.
We’re a London/Rome-headquartered tour operator running food tours, cooking classes, walking tours and ticketed experiences across seven European cities: Rome, Florence, Barcelona, Lisbon, London, Madrid and Budapest. We welcome around 100,000 customers a year.
This isn’t a role for someone who wants to manage from a distance. It’s for a sharp, results-driven marketer who loves getting their hands dirty, knows paid media inside out, and wants the chance to shape a team and a brand’s next chapter.
What success looks like
- Strong, profitable return on ad spend (ROAS) across our paid channels
- Meaningful growth in direct revenue through our own website
- A small, high-performing marketing team you’ve helped hire and develop
- A consistent, well-applied Carpe Diem brand across every touchpoint
- New distribution channels and partnerships that bring in fresh demand
- A clear, agreed marketing strategy that the whole business understands
What you’ll own
- Marketing strategy. Work with the CEO to define our overall marketing strategy: who we target, where we show up, how we grow direct and partner revenue, and how we measure success. Then own its delivery.
- Paid media. Own our PPC performance across Google Ads, Meta and other paid channels. Brief, review and hold our paid media freelancer accountable, challenge the numbers, and roll up your sleeves to run campaigns yourself when needed.
- Website, SEO and CRO. Own the performance of the Carpe Diem Tours website and direct booking funnel: SEO, content, conversion rate optimisation and the end-to-end customer journey. Work with our Head of Technology and her team to test, ship and improve.
- Social media. Shape our social strategy across Instagram, TikTok and other channels, and guide our Social Media & Content Lead once they’re in place.
- Building the team. Lead our Distribution Assistant, who handles OTA listing changes, and help us hire the right people, starting with a Social Media & Content Lead who’ll own our copy and social channels. You’ll grow to lead possibly 2–3 direct reports, setting direction, running 1:1s and holding a high bar.
- Brand stewardship. Keep the Carpe Diem brand consistent across every channel and sub-brand
- OTA content. Managing our Distribution Assistant, manage the content on our OTA listings (Viator, GetYourGuide, Airbnb Experiences and others): titles, descriptions, imagery and positioning that help our tours stand out and convert.
- Growing our distribution. Find and open new routes to customers: new online marketplaces and booking platforms, partnerships, influencers, affiliates and more.
- Campaigns and creative. Turn strategy into integrated campaigns across paid, organic, email and direct, and set the creative standard for everything we put out.
- Performance and reporting. Track what’s working, report clearly to the CEO, and use the data to decide what we do next.
- AI and automation. Use AI tools to work smarter across creative production, reporting and day-to-day workflows.
Who you are
- A paid media pro. This is non-negotiable. You know PPC inside out, can build and optimise campaigns yourself, and can spot when an agency or freelancer isn’t delivering.
- A doer. You’d rather ship than talk about shipping. You move fast and bring energy to the people around you.
- Results-driven. You think in ROAS, conversion rates and revenue, and you let the data guide your decisions.
- Creative. You can tell when an ad is flat and know how to fix it. You think in headlines, hooks and angles.
- A builder. You’re excited by the chance to shape a team from scratch, and you have a good eye for talent.
- Great with people. Warm, collaborative and confident managing freelancers, colleagues and team members.
- Web-native. You understand SEO, CRO and how a website turns visitors into bookings.
- AI-fluent. You already use AI to work faster and smarter, and you want to push it further.
- Social-savvy. You know the platforms, the trends and what makes content travel, and you can build a social strategy that drives bookings, not just likes.
- Strategic. You can step back, see the bigger picture and turn it into a clear plan, then get stuck into delivering it.
- Commercially curious. You’re always looking for new ways to reach customers, whether that’s a new marketplace, a partnership or the right influencer.
Experience
- 5+ years of hands-on digital marketing experience
- A proven track record running profitable PPC campaigns (Google Ads and Meta as a minimum)
- Experience with SEO, CRO and website performance
- Experience briefing and managing freelancers or agencies
- Experience managing or mentoring others
- Experience in travel, tours, hospitality or experiences is preferred, but not essential
- Experience marketing on online marketplaces (Viator, GetYourGuide, Airbnb, Booking.com or similar) is a bonus
- Native or near-native English, with a good understanding of the UK and US consumer markets
- Strong knowledge of social media platforms and social strategy
- Experience developing marketing strategy and opening new channels, partnerships or influencer collaborations
Location, salary and benefits
This role is based in London. You’ll spend 3 days a week at our WeWork coworking space (TBC) and 2 days working from home. Expect regular travel, mainly to our Rome headquarters, with occasional trips to our other destinations.
- Hybrid working: 3 days in the office, 2 from home
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