About LIS

The challenges facing the world today are not theoretical. They are urgent, messy, and interconnected. And yet, most universities still train students in narrow silos, disconnected from the real world.

LIS is doing things differently. We are the first university in over 50 years to be granted full degree-awarding powers from inception. Our mission is to prepare the next generation with the interdisciplinary tools, methods, and mindsets needed to tackle complex problems, and to thrive personally and professionally.

We’ve moved from experimentation to disciplined scaling. Our founding undergraduate cohort graduated in 2024 at the Royal Institution, with 85% already in skilled work or further study. Our Master’s is growing fast, our first MBA is underway, and we’re delivering leadership programmes to organisations like the UK Health Security Agency, TSB bank, and Mori Building in Japan.

All this powered by a talented team of 40+ combining experience from Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, MIT, the RSA, British Airways, McKinsey, LEGO and more. 

LIS is building a niche, prestigious brand with global relevance. This is a rare chance to help shape a world-class institution from the ground up, challenging the most well-established players in higher education. Come join us!

About the role

We’re looking for a bold, strategic, and hands-on Head of Marketing to help scale LIS through its next phase of growth. This is a rare opportunity to build one of the most distinctive brands in higher education and to connect it with the students, partners, and organisations who need it most.

This role leans analytical, with approximately 70% focused on data-driven, performance-oriented marketing and 30% on creative, brand-led initiatives.

You will help us:

• Drive applicant pipelines across all our programmes: Bachelor’s, Master’s, MBA, and professional development
• Shape the research, positioning, and go-to-market strategy for new programme launches (e.g. AI, Education, BASc Year Abroad)
• Push our creative boundaries: from digital campaigns to events, partnerships, and beyond
• Lead, coach, and develop a small but mighty team of three (Marketing Lead, Video & Design Lead and Content Marketing Manager)
• Build out clear success metrics and work closely with leadership to deliver against them
• Grow awareness of LIS as a prestigious, globally relevant institution
• You’ll be joining at a time of momentum, with strong proof points behind us, exciting new launches ahead, and growing international attention. Your role is part brand architect, part growth strategist, part operator.

You will report to our CEO Ed Fidoe and work closely with our Head of Admissions & Recruitment, Head of Network, as well as a broad range of cross-functional colleagues across LIS.

About you

We think you’ll thrive in this role if you:

• Care deeply about the LIS mission, and want to help shape a new kind of educational institution
• Bring a track record of building and scaling exceptional, high-performing marketing, ideally across multiple audiences or sectors
• Have experience managing agencies and a broad mix of marketing channels (digital, offline, partner-led, etc.) to drive and sustain growth. You may identify as a digital acquisition specialist, with deep expertise in performance marketing, paid channels, and conversion optimisation
• Are a player-coach: just as comfortable setting vision as you are writing copy or QA-ing a landing page
• Know how to sharpen a value proposition and tailor it across different stakeholders and formats
• Have strong instincts for storytelling, content, events, and community-building
• Can work creatively within tight budgets and evolving constraints (you will own the marketing budget)
• Are data-minded but not data-blinded: you ask the right questions and act on insight
• Reject generic or “good enough”: you are relentlessly curious, bold in your thinking, and hungry to create a generational institution

Benefits

• £62-70k base salary, depending on experience
• Campus-first (at least 2 days a week) with flexibility to work from home
• £1k annual personal development contribution
• Company-sponsored Vitality Health insurance (after you pass probation)
• 30 days of paid leave annually (plus bank holidays)
• Monthly fitness contribution