Head of Marketing

Organisation: British Weight Lifting
Salary: £40000.00 PA
Location: Home based UK only
Contract type: (Full time)
Closing date: 17 March 2026
Interview date: 23 March 2026
Job Description: 1. About British Weight Lifting
As the UK’s recognised Governing Body for weightlifting and para powerlifting, our mission is to inspire a nation of lifters through exceptional leadership and expertise.
We are committed to driving the growth and success of weightlifting and para powerlifting at every level. Our work supports a thriving network of weightlifting bodies, clubs, and gyms across the UK, alongside the thousands of people actively engaged in Olympic and Paralympic disciplines.
Beyond participation, we deliver high-quality training programmes, robust educational pathways, and world-class competitions - creating opportunities for everyone to discover, develop, and excel in our sports.
BWL’s 2021 – 2025 Stronger Together strategy sets out a vision to educate, inspire, and create greater opportunities for weightlifting, para powerlifting, and strength-based activity across the UK. The plan recognises the value of strength as both a competitive sport and a lifestyle, positioning BWL as an advocate for the physical, mental, and social benefits of lifting. By engaging a wider and more diverse audience, the organisation aims to contribute to a fitter, healthier, and stronger nation.
The strategy is built around two central themes. The first, Showcasing Strength as a Lifestyle, focuses on making the sport more visible and accessible by promoting the benefits of strength training beyond traditional participants. This includes building inclusive, positive experiences for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities, as well as developing partnerships across sport, health, and community sectors to broaden reach and impact.
The second theme, Strength as an Enabler of Sporting Success, is centred on performance, people, and pathways. BWL is committed to placing membership and community at the heart of its work, while delivering clear, high-quality progression routes for athletes, coaches, and officials, from grassroots through to international competition.
Alongside this, the strategy highlights the importance of innovation, integrity, and inclusivity in governance, ensuring that weightlifting and para powerlifting in the UK are sustainable, successful, and respected on the global stage.
In terms of public investment, BWL continues to secure record levels of funding from UK Sport and Sport England. In December 2024, BWL was awarded £5.6 million from UK Sport for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games cycle — representing a 52% uplift from the Paris 2024 cycle. This includes a return to World Class Programme status for Olympic weightlifting, with funding rising to £3,450,000, while Para Powerlifting retains its World Class Programme status with a 21% increase to £2,150,000. This investment reflects growing confidence in the organisation’s leadership, performance trajectory, and governance standards.
2. Why This Role Matters Now
This appointment comes at a pivotal moment as BWL launches its new four-year strategy in April 2026 and enters the LA 2028 Olympic and Paralympic cycle with record levels of investment. The Head of Marketing will play a central role in modernising the BWL brand, driving growth, and strengthening our national profile.
3. Reporting Structure
Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Head of Marketing will work closely with the CEO, Performance Leads, commercial partners, and relevant Board sub-committees. Internally, the marketing function currently comprises one employee and one contractor.
4. Job Purpose
The Head of Marketing will lead and drive the implementation of BWL’s new organisational strategy, translating strategic objectives into a clear, integrated marketing and communications plan that delivers measurable impact. The role will be responsible for strengthening the BWL brand, increasing visibility and engagement across performance, events and community programmes, and supporting commercial growth and membership expansion.
Working closely with the senior leadership team and key stakeholders, the successful candidate will ensure all marketing activity aligns with priorities for the LA 2028 cycle. The role combines strategic oversight with hands-on delivery, ensuring campaigns and communications are integrated, data-driven, and performance-focused.
5. Key Responsibilities
- Line management of other Marketing team members.
- Managing any external marketing / digital agencies / contracts / contractors.
- Lead the development and delivery of a long-term marketing and brand strategy aligned to BWL’s organisational objectives.
- Identify and evaluate new business opportunities, markets, products, and revenue channels, translating insight into actionable commercial plans.
- Conduct market assessments and feasibility analysis, preparing summary papers and presenting recommendations to the Senior Leadership Team and Board (including the Commercial & Development Sub-Committee where appropriate).
- Analyse consumer trends, competitor activity, and market intelligence to develop a robust consumer insight and segmentation strategy.
- Oversee and interrogate marketing and membership data systems to drive evidence-based decision-making and performance measurement.
- Lead product and service development, including pricing strategy, value proposition refinement, and continuous improvement of the BWL offering.
- Develop and execute launch and marketing plans for products, programmes, events, and partnerships, ensuring consistent delivery of a consolidated BWL brand across B2C and B2B audiences.
- Lead customer profiling and segmentation to support targeted campaigns and strategic growth initiatives.
- Communicate clearly with internal stakeholders to ensure successful implementation and integration of new products, campaigns, and initiatives.
- Drive projects from concept to delivery, ensuring timelines, budgets, and performance outcomes are achieved.
- Provide marketing guidance and training to internal teams to enhance organisational capability.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with internal departments, commercial partners, and external stakeholders.
- Champion best practice, consistency, and alignment across all marketing and communications activity.
- Provide monthly performance reports to the CEO and COO, including KPIs, campaign effectiveness, and commercial impact.
- Undertake additional duties as required to support the strategic objectives of the organisation.
7. Key Performance Indicators (Indicative)
- Membership growth and associated revenue increase.
- Digital engagement and audience reach growth.
- Commercial campaign performance and partner activation delivery.
- Event marketing impact and participation growth.
- Improved CRM and data capture performance.
8. Person Specification
Essential Experience & Knowledge
- Proven experience in a senior marketing role, ideally within sport, membership organisations, or a regulated/publicly funded environment.
- Demonstrable track record of developing and implementing integrated marketing strategies that deliver measurable growth.
- Experience in brand development and management across B2C and B2B audiences.
- Strong commercial acumen, with experience identifying and developing new revenue opportunities, products, or markets.
- Experience using data, insight, and market research to inform decision-making and strategy.
- Experience presenting strategic recommendations to senior leadership and/or Boards.
- Knowledge of digital marketing, content strategy, social media, CRM systems, and performance analytics.
- Budget management experience.
Skills & Competencies
- Strategic thinker with the ability to translate vision into delivery.
- Strong analytical capability, able to interrogate data and derive actionable insight.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Confident stakeholder manager, able to influence at senior level.
- Organised and delivery-focused, with strong project management capability.
- Commercially aware and opportunity driven.
- Collaborative leadership style, able to work across departments and build trust.
Desirable
- Experience within an Olympic or Paralympic sport or a National Governing Body.
- Understanding of public funding frameworks (e.g. UK Sport / Sport England).
- Experience working within a membership-based organisation.
- Interest in weightlifting, para powerlifting, or strength-based sport.
9. Salary and Benefits
The salary for this position is £40,000 per annum and is reviewed annually each April. The role is full-time, although alternative working arrangements may be considered for exceptional candidates. The position is home-based / remote (UK). Benefits include 26 days’ annual leave (FTE), increasing with length of service, plus statutory bank holidays, a company pension scheme, an annual bonus scheme, and access to an Employee Assistance Programme delivered by an independent third-party provider. The role will require occasional weekend working to support competitions and events, for which time off in lieu (TOIL) will be provided. The closing date for applications is 20 March 2026, with interviews to be held virtually during the week commencing 29 March 2026.
10. Commitment to Equality
BWL is a recognised equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from suitably qualified candidates regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.
How to apply: Closing date 17th March 2025 Interviews will be held virtually w/c 23rd March: To Apply: Please download and complete the application form available on our website at Careers at BWL – British Weight Lifting and submit it via email to sue.ward@britishweightlifting.org by the closing date.