Hire an interim marketing manager

Marketing without someone at the helm quickly falls apart. Campaigns keep running without clear direction, budgets are split on gut feeling and your team waits for decisions. An interim marketing manager fills that gap: someone experienced who quickly gets an overview, makes choices and makes your marketing contribute to your business goals again.

When an interim marketing manager?

• Cover: your marketing manager leaves, goes on leave or is ill
• Bridging: you are looking for a permanent successor and don't want to stand still in the meantime
• Change: your marketing needs to become more professional, more digital or more results-driven
• Building up: you don't have a marketing function yet and want to find out what you need first
• After an acquisition or repositioning: a new story and a new approach are needed

What does an interim marketing manager do?

• Quick overview: what is in place, what works, what costs money without delivering?
• Choosing direction: sharpening goals, audience, positioning and channel choice
• Steering budget: moving money to what demonstrably works
• Managing team and agencies: clear priorities, briefings and agreements
• Measuring: making sure you know what marketing delivers, not just how much reach
• Handing over: a plan, documentation and a team that can continue without the interim

What to expect in the first 90 days

• Weeks 1–3: getting to know the organisation, analysing and mapping the main quick wins and risks
• Weeks 4–8: making choices, adjusting the plan and setting up the team for it
• Weeks 9–12: executing, measuring and adjusting. After that, a clear view of what is needed in the long term

This is a common structure, not a fixed script. Every situation needs its own priorities.

Interim, freelance or permanent?

• Interim fits when someone temporarily takes over a role with responsibility and mandate.
• Freelance fits a defined assignment, such as a campaign or a new website.
• Recruitment and selection fits when you are looking for a permanent marketing manager. A combination also works: interim first, then permanent.

What to look for when hiring

• Experience in your type of organisation: B2B differs from e-commerce, a scale-up from a family business.
• Mandate: agree what the interim may decide. No mandate, no change.
• A clear goal: what should be different after three or six months?
• Handover from day one: the knowledge must stay in your organisation.

Frequently asked questions

How quickly can an interim marketing manager start?

Usually within one to two weeks, sometimes sooner.

How long does an interim assignment last?

Often three to nine months, depending on the goal.

Can the interim marketing manager join permanently?

Yes, if it fits both sides. We are happy to discuss that up front.

Can an interim marketing manager work part-time?

Yes. From two days a week to full time, depending on what is needed.

More about placement at Brandable

• Recruitment and selection: finding a permanent hire, no cure no pay
• Temporary staff: extra capacity or expertise for a while
• Hiring freelancers: specialists for a defined assignment
• Interim specialists: someone temporarily taking over a role
• Interim project manager
• Hire a developer: including tech in the Brainport region
• Recruitment marketing: making sure the right people find you

Need an interim marketing manager?

Tell us where your marketing stands now and what needs to change. We think along and propose someone who fits.

Get in touch or book a free strategy session.