Job details

Head of Marketing

About Primer

Fixing our K-12 education system is a civilizationally-important problem. We believe that all of our problems — including the ones that dominate the headlines — are downstream of education.

We have a simple thesis on how to solve it: empower 1,000's of educators to launch microschools in their communities.

We believe the historical tradeoff between price (tuition) and quality is a false dichotomy.

PrimerOS automates and eliminates much of the costs of traditional schools. Microschools have a structural advantage — asset-light real estate — which means much lower capex and opex. You put it together, and you get something that's never existed before: a world-class education that's accessible to normal American families and can rapidly scale.

We’re looking for our first marketing hire to help us tell Primer’s story in a way that resonates with parents, students, and Primer Leaders.

This role is equal parts art and science and you’ll report directly to the COO. You’ll need to be able to operate at 30,000 feet and 500 feet, often switching altitudes multiple times a day.

Over time you should expect to lead a team, but be comfortable rolling up your sleeves until then.

Responsibilities:

Own Primer’s brand. This includes copy, brand design, positioning, tone, and the overall feel of how we communicate about our work.
Own top of funnel. You will be accountable for delivering high quality prospective Primer Leaders and students at or below our CAC targets.
Own our channels. You’ll be responsible for allocating resources across channels to beat our top of funnel growth goals. Today our strongest channels are referrals (both from parents and Primer Leaders), paid (FB, IG, Google), and direct mail – but we expect that you’ll uncover new ones, expand some, and kill others.
Own engagement. We often have a significant gap between the decision point (i.e. a parent enrolling their student, or a leader deciding to start a Primer) and the actual commencement date – keeping folks engaged during this period is critical. You’ll own this and be accountable to retention goals over this period.
Manage partners. This is explicitly not a role where 100% of the work will be outsourced to agencies – you should expect to do the work. That said, we do work with a number of agencies for paid and other channels, and you’ll be responsible for managing them directly.

What we’re looking for:

Experience leading marketing efforts in the tech industry or for a tech-adjacent brand. Bonus points if it was geo-constrained in some way (e.g. market-by-market rollouts, specific target cities, etc.).
A healthy mix of art and science. We’re explicitly looking for someone who can flex between the creative inputs for great marketing (copywriting, managing design, etc.) and the quantitative analysis required to deliver results (channel analysis, CAC forecasts, etc.). We’re not expecting you to be an 11/10 on both fronts, but we are expecting you to be comfortable on both sides of the plate.
Excellent organization and internal comms chops. You’ll be working across the team and managing a large portion of our annual budget. We’ll expect you to communicate clearly on tests we’re running, how we’re tracking against goals, and what you need from the rest of the team to be successful.
An unbridled passion for fixing the US education system. This is, as you’d expect, non-negotiable. This work is incredibly hard. But if we succeed, it will be the most fulfilling work of our lives. On the days and weeks that it feels like we’re chewing glass, there are only two things that will get you through: a deep passion for fixing this problem, and looking around and seeing a team that shares that passion. We can guarantee the latter, but only you can guarantee the former.

If this sounds like you, fill out the application below with a bit about yourself and we'll take it from there! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email us at jobs@primer.com.

Average salary estimate

$100000 / YEARLY (est.)

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max

$80000K

$120000K

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What You Should Know About Head of Marketing, Primer

At Primer, we're on a mission to revolutionize K-12 education and we need a Head of Marketing to help us tell that story! Based in San Francisco, this role is a blend of art and science, perfect for someone who can navigate between high-level strategy and on-the-ground execution. You'll own Primer’s brand, managing everything from copy and design to positioning and tone. Engaging and attracting Primer Leaders and students is key, as you'll be accountable for bringing them in at or below our Customer Acquisition Cost targets. We have a robust approach that includes channels like referrals, paid advertising, and direct mail – but we’re looking to you for insights, too! As our marketing guru, you’ll dive into engagement strategies to keep parents and potential leaders connected while managing external partnerships with agencies. We're eager for someone with a solid marketing background, ideally in the tech industry, who isn't afraid to roll up their sleeves. Above all, we want a team member with an insatiable passion for improving the educational landscape in America. If you're ready to dig in and make a difference with a passionate team, we can’t wait for you to apply and chat more about your vision for Primer!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Head of Marketing Role at Primer

What qualifications do I need to apply for the Head of Marketing position at Primer?

To apply for the Head of Marketing role at Primer, you'll need extensive experience leading marketing efforts, particularly in tech or tech-adjacent industries. A combination of creative marketing skills and strong analytical capabilities is essential. You should also have excellent organizational and communication skills to manage the marketing budget effectively.