Head of Marketing

📌 Core Information

🔹 Job Title: Head of Marketing

🔹 Company: John Keells Group

🔹 Location: Colombo, Sri Lanka

🔹 Job Type: Full-time, On-site

🔹 Category: Marketing

🔹 Date Posted: June 26, 2025

🔹 Experience Level: 5-10 years

🔹 Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Job Overview

Key aspects of this role include:

• Leading marketing efforts across multiple airline and travel businesses
• Defining and driving brand positioning for Cinnamon Air, Mack Air, and Mackinnons
• Developing and implementing integrated marketing strategies for revenue growth and customer acquisition
• Collaborating with international airline principals for co-branded campaigns and global brand alignment
• Driving digital marketing and performance initiatives to enhance online presence and engagement

ASSUMPTION: This role requires a strategic and brand-focused individual with experience in the aviation, travel, or hospitality industries to drive marketing efforts across diverse business verticals.

📋 Key Responsibilities

✅ Define and drive brand positioning for Cinnamon Air, Mack Air, and Mackinnons, ensuring differentiation and relevance in the marketplace

✅ Develop and implement marketing strategies across B2B and B2C segments to support revenue growth, customer acquisition, and long-term brand building

✅ Lead the development of integrated campaigns across digital, print, trade, events, and PR channels

✅ Collaborate with international airline principals to align local marketing activities with global brand standards and co-branded campaigns

✅ Drive digital marketing and performance initiatives including SEO, paid media, social media, and analytics to enhance online presence and engagement

✅ Lead customer research and market analysis to generate actionable insights and guide marketing direction

✅ Work closely with internal stakeholders and creative partners to deliver consistent, high-impact messaging across all customer touchpoints

✅ Leverage synergies across brands to create cross-promotional opportunities and shared value

ASSUMPTION: This role involves a high level of strategic thinking, creativity, and cross-functional collaboration to deliver impactful marketing campaigns and drive brand success.

🎯 Required Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, or Communications (CIM or MBA preferred)

Experience: Minimum 5 years of strategic marketing experience, preferably in the aviation, travel, or hospitality industries

Required Skills:

• Brand building
• Integrated campaign planning
• Digital marketing
• Customer research and market analysis
• Leadership and cross-functional collaboration
• Excellent communication skills
• Strategic mindset with a creative, commercially-driven approach to marketing

Preferred Skills:

• Exposure to airline principal partnerships and marketing collaboration

ASSUMPTION: Candidates with a strong background in marketing, brand management, and digital marketing are well-suited for this role. Experience in the aviation or travel industries is highly desirable.

💰 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: The salary range for this role is not specified. However, based on industry standards and the level of experience required, the estimated salary range is LKR 2,000,000 - 3,500,000 per annum.

Benefits:

• Competitive benefits package
• Opportunities for professional growth and development
• Dynamic and collaborative work environment

Working Hours: Full-time, Monday to Friday, with additional hours as required

ASSUMPTION: The salary range provided is an estimate based on market research and the level of experience required for this role. The actual salary may vary depending on the candidate's qualifications and the company's compensation structure.

📌 Applicant Insights

🔍 Company Context

Industry: The John Keells Group operates in the holding company sector, with a diverse portfolio of businesses across various industries, including airlines, travel, logistics, and real estate.

Company Size: With over 10,000 employees, the John Keells Group offers a large and dynamic work environment with ample opportunities for growth and development.

Founded: The John Keells Group was founded in 1870 and has a rich history of innovation and strategic partnerships, making it a driver and integral part of the Sri Lankan economy.

Company Description:

• The John Keells Group is the largest conglomerate listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange, with a heritage of over 150 years
• The Group comprises 70 companies operating in 7 industry sectors, including airlines and aviation, food and beverages, integrated logistics, and real estate
• The Group is committed to driving brand-led growth through customer-centric strategies, innovation, and digital engagement

Company Specialties:

• Airlines & Aviation
• Food & Beverages
• Integrated Logistics
• Property & Real Estate
• City Hotels & Restaurants
• Holidays & Tours
• Plantations & Commodities
• Resorts & Spas
• Financial Services
• IT Services & BPO
• Ports & Shipping
• Retail & Loyalty

Company Website: www.keells.com

ASSUMPTION: The John Keells Group offers a diverse range of career opportunities across its various business verticals, providing employees with the chance to gain experience in multiple industries and sectors.

📊 Role Analysis

Career Level: This role is a senior-level position, reporting directly to the business leaders of the respective airline and travel businesses.

Reporting Structure: The Head of Marketing will report to the business leaders of Cinnamon Air, Mack Air, and Mackinnons, as well as collaborate with international airline principals for co-branded campaigns and global brand alignment.

Work Arrangement: This is an on-site, full-time position, with additional hours required as needed to manage marketing campaigns and initiatives.

Growth Opportunities:

• Potential to lead marketing efforts across additional business verticals within the John Keells Group
• Opportunities to work on international marketing campaigns and collaborations with global airline principals
• Chance to develop and mentor junior marketing team members

ASSUMPTION: This role offers significant growth opportunities for the right candidate, with the potential to expand their marketing leadership responsibilities across multiple business verticals and international markets.

🌍 Location & Work Environment

Office Type: The John Keells Group's headquarters is located in Colombo, Sri Lanka, with additional offices across the country and internationally.

Office Location(s): No. 117, Sir Chittampalam A. Gardiner Mawatha, Colombo, Western, Sri Lanka

Geographic Context:

• Colombo is the commercial capital and largest city in Sri Lanka, with a vibrant and multicultural business environment
• The city offers a mix of modern infrastructure and historic architecture, providing a unique backdrop for marketing campaigns and events
• Colombo is well-connected by air, sea, and road, making it an ideal hub for regional and international marketing initiatives

Work Schedule: The work schedule for this role is full-time, Monday to Friday, with additional hours required as needed to manage marketing campaigns and initiatives.

ASSUMPTION: The Colombo office provides a dynamic and multicultural work environment, with ample opportunities for collaboration and networking with professionals from various industries and backgrounds.

💼 Interview & Application Insights

Typical Process:

• Online application submission through the John Keells Group careers portal
• Phone or video screening to assess communication skills and cultural fit
• In-depth interviews with business leaders and marketing team members to evaluate strategic thinking, creativity, and marketing expertise
• Final round interviews with senior leadership to discuss career growth and expectations

Key Assessment Areas:

• Strategic marketing planning and execution
• Brand building and management
• Digital marketing and performance initiatives
• Cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management
• Communication and leadership skills

Application Tips:

• Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your marketing experience, brand management skills, and digital marketing expertise
• Prepare examples of successful marketing campaigns you've led, focusing on strategy, execution, and results
• Research the John Keells Group and its various business verticals to demonstrate your understanding of the organization and its marketing needs

ATS Keywords: Brand building, integrated campaign planning, digital marketing, customer research, market analysis, leadership, collaboration, communication, strategic mindset, creative approach, commercially driven, stakeholder management, SEO, paid media, social media, analytics

ASSUMPTION: The John Keells Group uses an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to manage and screen job applications. Including relevant keywords in your resume and cover letter can help ensure your application is seen by the right people.

🛠️ Tools & Technologies

• Marketing automation platforms (e.g., HubSpot, Marketo)
• Customer relationship management software (e.g., Salesforce, Zoho CRM)
• Social media management tools (e.g., Hootsuite, Buffer)
• SEO and analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, SEMrush)
• Project management software (e.g., Asana, Trello)

ASSUMPTION: The specific tools and technologies used by the John Keells Group may vary depending on the business vertical and marketing initiative. Familiarity with industry-standard marketing tools is essential for this role.

👔 Cultural Fit Considerations

Company Values:

• Customer-centricity
• Integrity
• Innovation
• Collaboration
• Excellence

Work Style:

• Dynamic and fast-paced
• Collaborative and cross-functional
• Data-driven and results-oriented
• Creative and innovative

Self-Assessment Questions:

• How do you align with the John Keells Group's customer-centric approach to marketing?
• Can you provide an example of a time when you successfully collaborated with multiple stakeholders to deliver a marketing campaign?
• How do you balance creativity and data-driven decision-making in your marketing strategies?

ASSUMPTION: The John Keells Group values candidates who demonstrate a strong fit with its company values and work style, as well as the ability to thrive in a dynamic and collaborative work environment.

⚠️ Potential Challenges

• Managing multiple brands and stakeholder groups across diverse business verticals
• Balancing global brand standards with local marketing initiatives and customer preferences
• Driving digital marketing and performance initiatives in a rapidly evolving digital landscape
• Working in a fast-paced and dynamic work environment with tight deadlines and competing priorities

ASSUMPTION: This role presents unique challenges and opportunities for growth, requiring a strategic and adaptable marketing professional with experience in brand management, digital marketing, and stakeholder collaboration.

📈 Similar Roles Comparison

• Unlike traditional marketing roles, this position requires experience in the aviation, travel, or hospitality industries, as well as familiarity with airline principal partnerships and marketing collaboration
• This role offers the opportunity to lead marketing efforts across multiple business verticals, providing a broader scope of responsibility and growth potential compared to single-brand marketing roles
• Career progression in this role may involve expanding marketing leadership responsibilities across additional business verticals or international markets

ASSUMPTION: This role is unique in its requirement for industry-specific experience and its breadth of marketing leadership responsibilities, offering a challenging and rewarding career opportunity for the right candidate.

📝 Sample Projects

• Developing and executing a integrated marketing campaign to launch a new domestic airline route, including digital, print, and event components
• Conducting customer research and market analysis to inform brand positioning and marketing strategy for a travel management company
• Collaborating with international airline principals to align local marketing activities with global brand standards and co-branded campaigns

ASSUMPTION: These sample projects illustrate the strategic and cross-functional nature of the Head of Marketing role, requiring a strong understanding of brand management, digital marketing, and stakeholder collaboration.

❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview

• Can you describe the marketing team structure and how this role fits within it?
• How does the John Keells Group support the professional development and growth of its marketing team members?
• Can you provide an example of a successful marketing campaign led by the John Keells Group, and what made it effective?
• How does the John Keells Group approach cross-promotional opportunities and synergies across its various business verticals?
• What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) used to measure the success of marketing initiatives within the John Keells Group?

ASSUMPTION: Asking these questions during the interview process can help you better understand the role, the company culture, and the expectations for success in this position.

📌 Next Steps for Applicants

To apply for this position:

• Submit your application through the John Keells Group careers portal
• Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your marketing experience, brand management skills, and digital marketing expertise
• Prepare examples of successful marketing campaigns you've led, focusing on strategy, execution, and results
• Research the John Keells Group and its various business verticals to demonstrate your understanding of the organization and its marketing needs
• Follow up with the John Keells Group's human resources department one week after submitting your application to inquire about the status of your application

⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.