Marketing & Communications Director

Zest Equity is looking for a Marketing & Communications Director to lead and execute the company’s brand, messaging, and growth strategy across multiple channels and stakeholders. This role is instrumental in shaping Zest’s positioning in the market, driving engagement, and ensuring brand consistency as we scale across jurisdictions.

The Marketing & Communications Director will be responsible for developing and implementing marketing strategies, managing brand communications, overseeing external agencies, and optimizing performance across digital and offline channels. The ideal candidate will be a strategic leader with the ability to execute hands-on, balancing high-level brand strategy with tactical content development and channel management.

This is a unique opportunity to build and refine the marketing function of a high-growth, private market fintech firm at the forefront of transaction infrastructure innovation.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategy Implementation & Evolution

• Develop Marketing & Communications plans aligned with the strategy.
• Ensure internal alignment on marketing plans, initiatives, and strategic objectives across departments and stakeholders.
• Develop a deep understanding of the company’s operational and strategic goals to inform marketing efforts.
• Advocate for the business’s audiences and clients, ensuring all initiatives remain customer-centric by design.
• Continuously assess and optimize the marketing strategy with clear, data-driven recommendations.

2. Team Collaboration & Coordination

• Work cross-functionally with Business Development, Transaction Execution, Product Development, Compliance, and Regulatory teams to align marketing efforts with corporate objectives.
• Develop and grow the Marketing & Communications function to support business expansion.
• Establish clear reporting SLAs, including marketing channel reports, initiative reports, and operational performance tracking.

3. Brand Guardianship & Content Ownership

• Develop and maintain brand guidelines, including visual identity, tone of voice, and messaging frameworks.
• Act as the brand guardian, ensuring consistency across all Marketing & Communications materials.
• Refine and oversee external-facing content, ensuring all messaging aligns with Zest’s strategic positioning.
• Maintain an up-to-date messaging framework that reflects the business’s evolving value proposition.
• Ensure all external communications and content, including website copy, social media, ads, and PR materials, align with company guidelines and receive internal approval before distribution.

4. Marketing & Communications Initiatives

• Monitor market trends, industry developments, and customer insights to inform marketing initiatives.
• Secure buy-in and approval for marketing initiatives, including KPIs and budgets.
• Oversee the end-to-end execution of online and offline Marketing & Communications initiatives, including PR, organic social media, website updates, email marketing, advertising, and events.
• Track initiative performance, optimize based on data insights, and report on KPI delivery and budget utilization.

5. Third-Party Vendor & Agency Management

• Identify and engage suitable third-party marketing agencies, freelancers, and consultants.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for external marketing partners.
• Manage and lead third-party marketing suppliers, external agencies, and freelancers as needed to execute marketing initiatives.
• Manage contracts, budgets, and deliverables to maximize efficiency and effectiveness.
• Regularly evaluate third-party performance and report internally on outcomes.

6. Marketing & Communications Channel Management

• Oversee and drive performance of external Marketing & Communications channels, including the website, social media, newsletter, and digital marketing efforts.
• Implement a customer-centric digital journey framework, ensuring alignment with strategic and operational objectives.
• Optimize channels to enhance brand discoverability, lead generation, and first-party data collection.
• Define and track marketing channel performance metrics, reporting insights to the Zest Founders.

Deliverables

• Comprehensive brand guidelines covering visual identity, messaging framework, and tone of voice, reviewed and updated annually.
• Marketing & Communications plans outlining initiatives, KPIs, and budget allocations.
• Approved marketing materials, including ads, social media content, PR assets, and branded materials.
• Approved client resources, including how to's, FAQs and guides for clients and users.
• Performance reports tracking marketing initiatives, channel effectiveness, and business impact.
• Delivery reports evaluating third-party vendor and agency performance.
• Business performance reports, covering community engagement, lead generation, and growth initiatives.
• All marketing materials must be reviewed and approved for regulatory compliance before public distribution.
• SLAs for marketing material reviews and approvals will be defined in collaboration with the founders.
• Weekly check-ins with the founders to review plans, execution, and materials.
• Quarterly performance reviews and annual strategic reviews with the founders.

Qualifications & Experience

• 8-10+ years of experience in Marketing & Communications, preferably in financial services, fintech, investment platforms, or asset management, or at an agency handling clients in similar industries.  
• Proven track record in developing and executing brand development strategies and integrated marketing campaigns.
• Strong knowledge of SEO, SEM, digital marketing, PR, social media, and content strategy.
• Experience with Performance Marketing and a solid understanding of its principles is expected.
• Experience managing external agencies, PR firms, and marketing consultants, ensuring alignment with business goals.
• Fluency in English is required; Arabic is a significant advantage.
• Strong project management and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Experience developing senior leadership presentations and presenting to senior leadership is a must.
• Hands-on experience with marketing automation, CRM tools, and analytics platforms.
• Familiarity with FSRA, ADGM, and UAE financial regulations is a plus.

Key Attributes

• Strategic thinker with a hands-on approach to marketing operations.
• Detail-oriented and analytical.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-growth environment with minimal support.
• Exceptional communication and reporting skills, ensuring transparency with internal and external stakeholders.

Key Benefits

• Competitive compensation scheme.
• Unlimited leave.
• Health insurance.