How do I write a job description for a first marketing hire?
A good job description filters candidates for you. Most first marketing job ads describe five jobs at once.
- What should the job description include?
- Should we list every channel?
- What salary should we post?
Write the job description around outcomes, not tasks. Say who your customer is, which one or two channels the person will own, what pipeline result you expect in the first year and who they report to. Leave out long tool lists and every channel you might try. A focused description attracts people who have done that job, and a vague one attracts generalists who have done a bit of everything.
A structure that works
- The company in two sentences: what you sell, to whom, at what stage.
- The outcome: for example, double qualified demos from mid-market finance teams within 12 months.
- What they will own: one segment and one or two channels.
- What exists today: customers, channels that work, budget, tools.
- Who they work with: founder, sales, any contractors or a fractional CMO.
- Pay range and location.
What to leave out
Long lists of tools, every channel you might try someday and vague traits. They make the role look unfocused and attract people who match keywords rather than outcomes.
Pay ranges
Post a range. BLS medians for May 2025 give a reference point: $78,760 for marketing specialists and $166,790 for marketing managers in the US. Canadian salaries are usually lower in dollar terms, and several Canadian provinces now require pay ranges in job postings, so check the rules where you hire.
- Five jobs in one posting: content, paid, events, design and ops.
- A VP title for a hands-on role.
- No pay range.
- A tool list longer than the outcomes list.
- No mention of the customer they will market to.
- One clear outcome for the first year.
- One or two channels named.
- Honest description of what exists today.
- A posted pay range.
- A short work sample in the hiring process.
What founders and researchers say
We read the threads, surveys and reports so you don't have to. Each card is our summary, linked to the source.
Marketers in job-search threads say they skip postings that list every channel and tool. They look for a clear outcome, a budget and who they report to.
Browse the threads →US medians: $78,760 for marketing specialists, $166,790 for marketing managers. Use these as a reference when you set a range.
See the data →HBR's advice to start from the work needed rather than a predefined role applies to full-time hiring too.
Read the research →Community summaries describe recurring themes across many threads. They are not quotes from individual posts.
Read next
Go deeper in the ShoutEx guides, or check the original sources.
Bring your numbers. We'll tell you what we would do, even if it isn't us.
Book a call →Follow-up questions
Should we mention equity?
Yes, with a range if you can. Candidates at startups expect it and use it to compare offers.
Remote or in-person?
Say clearly. Remote widens the pool; in-person helps when the hire needs to sit close to sales.
How long should the posting be?
One page. Long postings get skimmed, and the key outcome gets lost.