📌 Core Information
🔹 Job Title: Marketing and Communications Manager
🔹 Company: HSBC
🔹 Location: Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Chester, United Kingdom
🔹 Job Type: Full-time, Hybrid (3 days in office)
🔹 Category: Marketing & Communications
🔹 Date Posted: May 1, 2025
🔹 Experience Level: 5-10 years
🔹 Remote Status: On-site (3 days per week)
🚀 Job Overview
Key aspects of this role include:
- Developing customer communications strategies that support business objectives
- Managing marketing budgets and ensuring maximum efficiency and ROI
- Collaborating with business stakeholders to create compelling agency briefs
- Providing constructive challenge to existing practices and generating innovative solutions
- Curating performance reporting to generate actionable learnings
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a strategic mindset, strong project management skills, and the ability to build and maintain effective stakeholder relationships.
📋 Key Responsibilities
✅ Lead and manage the creation of customer communications from briefing to delivery, ensuring they are relevant, clear, and consistent
✅ Manage marketing budgets, striving for maximum efficiency and ROI
✅ Ensure campaign activity is delivered within agreed timescales and follows relevant governance and risk controls
✅ Work with business stakeholders to develop communications, creating compelling agency briefs with clear objectives and targets
✅ Provide constructive challenge to existing practices/proposed initiatives and generate new and innovative solutions
✅ Curate performance reporting on all activity to generate actionable learnings
ASSUMPTION: This role involves a high degree of autonomy and requires strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
🎯 Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, or a related field
Experience: Proven experience (5-10 years) in developing and delivering customer communications within a financial services or large corporate organization
Required Skills:
- Proven ability to analyze complex information and develop personal, relevant, and timely communications
- Experience managing multi-channel, multi-step campaigns
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to adapt style and approach to the audience and message
- Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills
- Commercial awareness and understanding of product profitability
- Project management and people management skills, with the ability to deliver on time and within budget
Preferred Skills:
- Fluency in additional languages
- Experience working in a global organization
- Knowledge of the financial services industry
ASSUMPTION: Candidates should have a strong background in customer communications and campaign management, with a proven track record of delivering results in a fast-paced environment.
💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: £50,000 - £70,000 per annum (based on industry standards for a role of this level and location)
Benefits:
- Private Healthcare
- Enhanced Maternity and Adoption Pay
- Contributory Pension Scheme
Working Hours: Full-time (37.5 hours per week), with flexible working arrangements available
ASSUMPTION: The salary range provided is an estimate based on industry standards for a role of this level and location. Actual compensation may vary based on the candidate's experience and qualifications.
📌 Applicant Insights
🔍 Company Context
Industry: Financial Services
Company Size: 10,001+ employees (Global organization with a significant presence in the UK)
Founded: 1865 (Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation)
Company Description:
- HSBC is a global financial services organization that serves more than 40 million customers worldwide
- The company offers a wide range of personal banking, commercial banking, wealth management, and global banking and markets products and services
- HSBC is committed to opening up a world of opportunity for its customers, investors, employees, and the planet
Company Specialties:
- Banking
- Financial Services
- International Finance and Banking
- Wealth Management
- Corporate and Business Banking
- Retail Banking
- Insurance
- Investment Banking
- Commercial Banking
- Private Banking
- Asset Management
Company Website: www.hsbc.com
ASSUMPTION: HSBC is a large, global organization with a significant presence in the UK. The company offers a wide range of products and services and has a strong focus on customer-centricity and innovation.
📊 Role Analysis
Career Level: Mid-level to senior-level management role within the marketing and communications function
Reporting Structure: This role reports directly to the Head of Customer Communications within the UK Marketing function
Work Arrangement: Hybrid (3 days in the office, 2 days remote)
Growth Opportunities:
- Progression to a senior management role within the UK Marketing function or a global marketing role within HSBC
- Broadening of skills and experience through working on diverse projects and collaborating with various stakeholders
- Opportunities to work on high-profile campaigns and initiatives that drive business growth and customer engagement
ASSUMPTION: This role offers significant opportunities for career growth and development within a large, global organization.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: Modern, collaborative office spaces with state-of-the-art facilities
Office Location(s): Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Chester
Geographic Context:
- Birmingham: A major city in the West Midlands, with a diverse economy and a strong financial services sector
- Leeds: A major city in Yorkshire, with a thriving financial services industry and a strong focus on digital innovation
- Sheffield: A city in South Yorkshire, with a diverse economy and a strong manufacturing heritage, as well as a growing financial services sector
- Chester: A historic city in Cheshire, with a strong retail and tourism industry, as well as a growing financial services sector
Work Schedule: Full-time (37.5 hours per week), with flexible working arrangements available
ASSUMPTION: The office locations for this role offer a mix of urban and suburban environments, with access to a range of amenities and transportation options.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process:
- Online application and resume screening
- Phone or video screening with the hiring manager
- On-site or virtual interview with the hiring manager and a panel of stakeholders
- Final round interview with the Head of Customer Communications
Key Assessment Areas:
- Communication skills and ability to adapt to different audiences
- Stakeholder management and influencing skills
- Analytical skills and ability to develop data-driven communications strategies
- Project management and organizational skills
- Cultural fit and alignment with HSBC's values and mission
Application Tips:
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight relevant skills and experiences for this role
- Prepare examples of your past work that demonstrate your ability to develop and execute successful customer communications campaigns
- Research HSBC's values and mission, and be prepared to discuss how your personal values align with the company's
- Prepare questions to ask the interviewer about the role, the team, and the company's priorities
ATS Keywords: Customer Communications, Campaign Management, Marketing Strategy, Stakeholder Management, Project Management, Financial Services, Retail Banking, Wealth Management
ASSUMPTION: The interview process for this role will focus on assessing the candidate's communication skills, analytical abilities, and cultural fit with HSBC's values and mission.
🛠️ Tools & Technologies
- Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software (e.g., Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics)
- Marketing automation platforms (e.g., Marketo, Pardot)
- Project management tools (e.g., Asana, Trello)
- Data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI)
ASSUMPTION: This role requires proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and CRM software, as well as familiarity with marketing automation platforms and project management tools.
👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values:
- Openness: Open to different points of view and embracing diverse perspectives
- Responsibility: Taking personal responsibility for our actions and delivering on our commitments
- Respect: Valuing everyone as an individual and treating people with dignity and respect
- Integrity: Acting with honesty and integrity in all our interactions
- Stewardship: Acting as a steward of our resources and the environment
Work Style:
- Collaborative: Working closely with stakeholders to achieve shared goals
- Agile: Adapting to change and responding quickly to new opportunities and challenges
- Innovative: Embracing new ideas and approaches to drive business growth and customer engagement
- Customer-focused: Prioritizing the needs and preferences of our customers in all our decisions and actions
Self-Assessment Questions:
- How do you approach working with diverse stakeholders, and how do you ensure that their perspectives are considered in your communications strategies?
- How do you adapt your communication style and approach to different audiences and messages?
- How do you balance the need for innovation and creativity with the requirement to adhere to governance and risk controls?
ASSUMPTION: Candidates should be able to demonstrate a strong alignment with HSBC's values and work style, with a proven track record of working effectively in a collaborative, agile, and innovative environment.
⚠️ Potential Challenges
- Managing multiple projects and stakeholders simultaneously, with competing priorities and tight deadlines
- Navigating a large, complex organization with a matrix reporting structure
- Balancing the need for innovation and creativity with the requirement to adhere to governance and risk controls
- Working effectively in a hybrid work environment, with a mix of on-site and remote team members
ASSUMPTION: Candidates should be able to demonstrate strong project management skills, the ability to work effectively in a matrix reporting structure, and the capacity to balance innovation with adherence to governance and risk controls.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
- Marketing Manager (Financial Services): This role focuses more on customer communications and campaign management, while a Marketing Manager role in the financial services industry may have a broader scope, including product marketing and market research
- Communications Manager (Corporate): This role is more focused on internal communications and employee engagement, while a Communications Manager role in a corporate setting may involve external communications, public relations, and brand management
- Campaign Manager (Agency): This role involves working closely with clients and managing agency teams to deliver campaigns on time and within budget, while a Campaign Manager role in an agency setting may involve managing multiple client accounts and teams
ASSUMPTION: This role offers a unique blend of customer communications, campaign management, and stakeholder management skills, with a focus on driving business growth and customer engagement within a large, global organization.
📝 Sample Projects
- Developing and executing a multi-channel customer communications campaign to promote a new wealth management product, targeting high-net-worth individuals and families
- Managing a rebranding project for a regional retail banking division, including the development of new branding guidelines, marketing materials, and customer communications
- Leading a customer segmentation project to identify key customer segments and develop targeted communications strategies to improve customer engagement and satisfaction
ASSUMPTION: These sample projects demonstrate the range of responsibilities and skills required for this role, with a focus on driving business growth and customer engagement through effective customer communications strategies.
❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- What are the key priorities for this role in the first 3-6 months?
- How does this role fit into the broader marketing and communications strategy for the UK Function?
- What are the key challenges facing the UK Marketing Function, and how can this role contribute to addressing them?
- How does the team collaborate with other marketing and communications teams within HSBC, both in the UK and globally?
- What opportunities are there for professional development and growth within this role and the wider organization?
ASSUMPTION: Asking thoughtful, insightful questions demonstrates your interest in the role and the organization, and provides valuable information to help you make an informed decision about the opportunity.
📌 Next Steps for Applicants
To apply for this position:
- Submit your application through the application portal
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant skills and experiences for this role
- Prepare examples of your past work that demonstrate your ability to develop and execute successful customer communications campaigns
- Research HSBC's values and mission, and be prepared to discuss how your personal values align with the company's
- Prepare questions to ask the interviewer about the role, the team, and the company's priorities
- Follow up with the hiring manager one week after your interview to express your continued interest in the role
⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.
