Irwin Mitchell is at an inflection point. The firm has invested heavily in technology, data and insight; the CIO function is mature; Data & Analytics is ready to partner; the infrastructure is broadly in place. What has been missing is a marketing and business development function designed to truly capitalise on that potential.

That changes with this role.

The Head of Marketing Operations is the operational and technical backbone of a Business Development & Marketing function, sitting as a key member of the Senior Leadership Team.

The department has been through recent change — new structure, new pillars, new leadership, and a clear mandate to drive commercial growth. You will define how a team of around 80 people uses technology, data and process to make better decisions, target the right audiences and connect marketing investment directly to revenue.

The Head of Marketing Operations is the product owner for Martech and CRM from a business perspective, accountable for defining commercial outcomes, shaping demand, setting priorities, driving adoption and ensuring technology investment delivers measurable value, while working in partnership with the CIO, Architecture and Data & Analytics functions.

This is a role suited to someone who builds rather than maintains, and who is energised by an organisation genuinely open to change. This is a rare and career‑defining opportunity.

MarTech platform strategy

• Own the BD&M martech stack platform strategy on behalf of the business, from strategy and procurement through to governance, optimisation and retirement, working in conjunction with CIO Architecture and Technical Platform teams.
• Maintain a live martech map covering platforms, integrations, data flows, contracts and renewals.
• Lead evaluation of new martech, including CDP development and AI‑powered marketing tools.
• Ensure every martech investment is commercially justified and demonstrably delivering value.

CRM platform ownership

• Own the CRM from a marketing and BD perspective, including data model, audience segmentation, consent management and list hygiene.
• Ensure platform and data engineering decisions are delivered in partnership with CIO and Data & Analytics, with Marketing Operations accountable for commercial outcomes and adoption.
• Set and govern CRM data standards aligned to firm‑wide data and records governance.
• Own consent, suppression and compliance infrastructure aligned to GDPR and SRA requirements.

Data & analytics

• Act as the primary connection point between Business Development & Marketing and the Data & Analytics Hub.
• Own fit‑for‑purpose attribution models connecting first engagement through to instruction and revenue.
• Ensure first‑party data flows accurately into paid platforms.
• Connect marketing data to commercial outcomes including pipeline, revenue, retention and growth.

Reporting and governance

• Own the BD&M performance dashboard as the single source of truth for monthly GMO updates and quarterly QBRs.
• Design and run the operating rhythm of the function including weekly stand‑ups, monthly reviews, quarterly business reviews and the annual strategy summit.
• Manage the BD&M budget with Finance and ensure all activity remains compliant with regulatory requirements.

Essential

• Senior‑level experience in marketing operations, marketing technology or data‑driven marketing in a complex, multi‑audience organisation.
• Deep knowledge of CRM platforms (Dynamics or Salesforce preferred), marketing automation, CDP principles and attribution modelling.
• Strong data literacy, with the ability to translate complex data into commercial insight.
• Experience leading a Martech stack review, CRM redesign or CDP build.
• Proven ability to create dashboards and frameworks that genuinely drive decisions.
• Confident influencing senior stakeholders including partners, CIO, Finance and marketing leaders.

Desirable

• Experience activating first‑party data in paid channels.
• Familiarity with GDPR, consent management and SRA advertising rules.
• Experience working within a function undergoing structural change.