Growth Marketing Specialist (Fixed-Term Contract)

ABOUT DC THOMSON

At DC Thomson we are a business with a purpose—to make a positive impact on the communities we serve.

Deeply rooted in our communities, we are investing in data, technology and talent to unlock a new level of understanding about what really matters to our customers. This is how we are shaping the future of media.

We’ve changed the way we work to create a flexible, collaborative, learning-led culture that draws on expertise from across the organisation to create award-winning content and cultural moments that engage audiences to be part of our communities.

ABOUT THE ROLE

• Job Title: Growth Marketing Specialist
• Reports to: Growth Marketing Manager
• Location: London, Dundee, Glasgow or Aberdeen
• Ways of Working: The role can be based remotely or hybrid from one of our offices (London, Dundee, Glasgow or Aberdeen). There is an expectation that you will spend some time collaborating with colleagues in-person, even if working remotely.
• Contract Type: Full-time, Fixed-Term Contract
• Contract Duration: Fixed-term contract from January 2026 to 5th October 2026 (the end date is subject to change in line with business needs and statutory requirements)

How you’ll play a part:

The Growth Marketing Specialist manages digital marketing campaigns across DC Thomson’s magazine brands including The People’s Friend, My Weekly and The Scots Magazine. The role focuses on delivering growth through paid search and paid social, with the opportunity to broaden activity across additional channels. They are responsible for optimising performance, driving audience engagement, and ensuring campaigns contribute effectively to brand and subscription objectives.

What to expect:

The Growth Marketing Specialist will lead on paid digital marketing activity to increase DC Thomson magazine subscribers across the multiple brands and channels.

The Growth Marketing Team forms a centre of excellence and internal agency-style resource for performance marketing for DC Thomson subscriptions. Using your experience of ads management tools you will deliver impactful digital marketing campaigns geared towards reaching, engaging and converting customers.

You’ll be hands-on, strategic and collaborative – identifying opportunities for growth, carefully managing budgets, writing copy, managing creative assets and deploying, analysing and optimising performance marketing campaigns.

The Growth Marketing Specialists are lead users of Google Ads and Meta Ads Manager and run digital campaigns on other channels too where appropriate (e.g., video, display, audio). You will be experienced in optimising activity to target CPAs, maximising conversions and identifying opportunities for growth while carefully managing budgets.

Equally comfortable delivering comprehensive campaign analysis as you are writing impeccable copy and developing digital assets, you’ll be able to work independently and be accountable for the performance of a significant portion of the business' day-to-day digital marketing activity.

Accountabilities and responsibilities:

The Growth Marketing Specialists provide a growth marketing function to the business and the roles are varied with room for further specialisation and/or periods of focus on particular projects. The below gives an indication of the duties involved:

• Build, deliver and optimise paid social campaigns across platforms; be a lead user of Meta Ads Manager accounts with understanding of their advanced functions.
• Build, deliver and optimise paid search campaigns across Google Ads (and Microsoft Ads where relevant); be a lead user of Google Ads manager accounts (Search, Display and Shopping ads), managing audiences and handling retargeting.
• Be a lead user of our Google Merchant Centre accounts and be responsible for ensuring our product feeds (Google Shopping and others) contain complete, accurate and fully optimised information about our products.
• Develop digital marketing campaigns utilising in-house ad slots and other functionality on owned-sites; plan assets and liaise with internal teams on ad availability and delivery, booking ads via relevant tools (Gemstone, etc.) where necessary.
• Ensure all marketing activity is tracked to a high level of detail. Be a lead user of analytical tools including Google Analytics, Looker Studio and Microsoft Excel to provide analysis and report on digital marketing activity.
• Work to agreed budgets and financial targets; track spend, provide detailed reporting and follow relevant processes with the finance team.
• Brief creative to designers and manage, deploy and test assets to ensure marketing activity has maximum impact.
• Write copy for ads and other content, adhering to SEO best practice where necessary and demonstrating accuracy and creativity.
• Optimise digital marketing activity daily to maximise conversions and achieve target CPAs and/or other related KPIs within budget.
• Integrate audience management tools (HubSpot) to aid targeting and enhance the success of acquisition campaigns.

Requirements

Knowledge, skills and attributes:

The postholder will be able to demonstrate competence and previous experience in the following areas:

• Creating and optimising campaigns in Meta Ads Manager. 
• Managing, and getting the best from, PPC campaigns in Google Ads (including Google Shopping ads and Google Merchant Centre), Microsoft Ads and Facebook Ads Manager.
• Using Google Merchant Centre at an advanced level and managing product feeds.  
• Briefing designers efficiently and effectively.
• Demonstrating excellent copywriting skills with a strong eye for detail.
• Using Google Analytics and similar tools at an advanced level. 
• Applying UTM parameters and following best practice to ensure campaigns are tracked efficiently and effectively.
• Hitting CPA targets consistently and increasing conversions over time.  
• Working to a marketing budget and being accountable for spend. 
• Prioritising effectively, meeting competing deadlines, and adapting to changing demands.
• Utilising excellent communication and organisation skills.  
• Working both autonomously and as part of a collaborative team.

Knowledge of the following will also be beneficial: programmatic and display advertising; video advertising (including YouTube); using Creative Cloud (Photoshop) to edit image assets; Google Search Console.

To apply for this role, please follow our online application process and submit a CV and cover letter that addresses the knowledge, skills and attributes required of the role.

Benefits

This is a full-time, temporary position (fixed-term contract from January 2026 until 5th October 2026), working 35 hours per week. The duration of the contract is based on the return date of the current postholder who will be on maternity leave. The role can be based remotely or hybrid from one of our offices (London, Dundee, Glasgow or Aberdeen). There is an expectation that you will spend some time collaborating with colleagues in-person, even if working remotely. We offer a generous package including 34 days holiday, health cash plan, on-site gym (Dundee), excellent pension, a competitive salary, and many more staff discounts and benefits.

We are an equal-opportunity employer and encourage applications from everyone and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability or any other protected characteristics.

For further information, please visit dcthomson.co.uk/vacancies