Torchora
Back to Home

Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Head of Content Marketing

💰 $140,000 - $190,000+

MarketingContentLeadershipDigital MarketingSEO

🎯 Role Definition

The Head of Content Marketing is the chief storyteller and strategic architect of the company's content ecosystem. This leadership role is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive content strategy that builds brand authority, drives audience engagement, generates qualified leads, and supports overall business objectives. You are the conductor of the content orchestra, ensuring that every piece of content—from a blog post to a major research report—is on-brand, high-impact, and contributes to a cohesive brand narrative. This position requires a unique blend of creative vision, strategic thinking, data-driven decision-making, and inspirational leadership to build and guide a high-performing content team.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Senior Content Marketing Manager
  • Director of Content Strategy
  • Managing Editor / Editor-in-Chief

Advancement To:

  • VP of Marketing
  • Head of Brand
  • Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)

Lateral Moves:

  • Head of Brand Marketing
  • Director of Demand Generation
  • Director of Corporate Communications

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Architect, implement, and continuously optimize a comprehensive content marketing strategy that aligns with marketing and business-wide goals, including brand awareness, lead generation, and customer retention.
  • Lead, mentor, and scale a high-performing team of content strategists, writers, editors, and SEO specialists, fostering a culture of creativity, accountability, and professional growth.
  • Own the global editorial calendar, overseeing the entire content lifecycle from ideation and planning to creation, publication, distribution, and performance analysis.
  • Act as the ultimate guardian of the brand's voice and tone, developing and enforcing style guidelines to ensure consistency and quality across all published materials.
  • Spearhead the SEO strategy in collaboration with technical experts, focusing on keyword research, topic clustering, on-page optimization, and link-building initiatives to drive organic growth.
  • Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) for all content initiatives, delivering regular, insightful reports to senior leadership on content ROI, audience growth, and engagement metrics.
  • Oversee the creation and production of a wide array of content assets, including in-depth blog articles, long-form ebooks and whitepapers, compelling case studies, engaging webinars, and dynamic video content.
  • Collaborate deeply with cross-functional leaders in demand generation, product marketing, sales, and PR to create integrated campaigns and ensure content effectively supports their objectives.
  • Manage the content marketing budget, including resource allocation for freelance talent, creative agencies, and essential marketing technology platforms.
  • Conduct thorough audience and persona research, as well as competitive analysis, to identify content gaps and uncover new opportunities for thought leadership.
  • Develop and execute a sophisticated content distribution and amplification strategy across owned, earned, and paid channels to maximize the reach and impact of every asset.
  • Champion innovation by experimenting with new content formats, emerging channels (like podcasts and interactive content), and cutting-edge marketing technologies.
  • Serve as the organization's Editor-in-Chief, providing final editorial review to ensure all content meets the highest standards of quality, accuracy, and storytelling excellence.
  • Build and scale a "content pillar" or "topic cluster" model to create interconnected content experiences that improve SEO authority and guide users through the marketing funnel.
  • Direct the strategy for the company's primary content properties, such as the blog and resource center, transforming them into industry-leading destinations for your target audience.
  • Drive the development of high-impact sales enablement materials, including pitch decks, one-pagers, and competitive battlecards, to empower the sales team to convert leads more effectively.
  • Oversee the social media content strategy, guiding the team to build a vibrant community, foster engagement, and drive meaningful traffic back to the company’s web properties.
  • Identify and cultivate relationships with external partners for co-marketing campaigns, content syndication, guest authoring, and influencer collaborations.
  • Master the art of translating complex product features, technical concepts, and industry jargon into compelling, accessible narratives that resonate with both expert and novice audiences.
  • Stay relentlessly curious and informed about the latest trends, best practices, and algorithm changes in the worlds of content marketing, SEO, and social media.

Secondary Functions

  • Manage relationships and contracts with external freelancers, vendors, and creative agencies to augment the in-house team's capabilities.
  • Act as a key stakeholder in the selection and implementation of marketing technology (MarTech) related to content creation, management, and analytics.
  • Collaborate with the People/HR team to develop content that supports employer branding and recruitment marketing efforts.
  • Contribute to the annual and quarterly marketing budget planning process, providing forecasts for content-related expenditures and ROI.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Advanced SEO & SEM: Deep understanding of keyword research, on-page/technical SEO, link building, and the ability to use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz Pro.
  • Content Strategy & Architecture: Expertise in developing pillar/cluster models, mapping content to the buyer's journey, and performing content audits.
  • Data Analysis & Reporting: Proficiency with Google Analytics, data visualization tools (e.g., Looker, Tableau), and the ability to translate data into actionable insights.
  • Content Management Systems (CMS): Hands-on experience with modern CMS platforms like WordPress, Contentful, or similar headless CMS solutions.
  • Marketing Automation Platforms: Working knowledge of systems like HubSpot, Marketo, or Pardot to understand lead nurturing and content's role within it.
  • Project Management Software: Fluency in tools like Asana, Monday.com, or Trello to manage complex editorial calendars and team workflows.
  • Budget Management: Experience creating and managing departmental budgets, tracking spend, and reporting on financial performance.
  • Exceptional Writing & Editing: World-class editing and proofreading skills with an impeccable command of grammar and style.

Soft Skills

  • Strategic Vision: The ability to see the big picture, connect content to business objectives, and plan for the long term.
  • Inspirational Leadership: Proven ability to build, mentor, and motivate a creative team to do their best work.
  • Exceptional Storytelling: A natural gift for crafting compelling narratives that captivate audiences and communicate brand value.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: A highly collaborative and diplomatic nature, with the ability to build strong relationships and influence across departments.
  • Data-Driven Decision Making: A mindset that defaults to data for validating hypotheses and optimizing strategy, moving beyond "gut feelings."
  • Creativity & Innovation: A passion for pushing creative boundaries and a drive to find new and better ways to engage an audience.
  • Audience Empathy: The ability to deeply understand and champion the customer, creating content that truly serves their needs.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's Degree

Preferred Education:

  • Master's Degree (e.g., MBA, Master's in Marketing, Communications, or Journalism)

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Marketing
  • Communications
  • Journalism
  • English
  • Business Administration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 8-12+ years of progressive experience in content marketing, with at least 3-5 years in a people management or leadership capacity.

Preferred:

  • A proven and demonstrable track record of building and scaling a content marketing function from the ground up or significantly transforming an existing one. Extensive experience, backed by a strong portfolio, in a B2B SaaS or technology environment is highly desirable. Must have direct experience managing a team of full-time employees and a budget for freelance and agency resources.
Explore More Careers