EdTech Hiring Case Study: mini-CMO

This case study highlights the successful recruitment of a UK Marketing Director for a US-based EdTech firm expanding into Europe. Filled within 55 days, the project was a collaborative effort and exclusive engagement, where we partnered closely with the client as advisors, overcoming sourcing challenges to secure a leader aligned with their growth goals and culture.

Project Overview

Client: US-Based EdTech Firm Expanding in Europe
Role: EMEA Marketing Director
Key Stakeholders: Global VP Marketing, VP & GM Europe
Timeline: 55 days (from client brief to candidate offer)
Objective: Hire a seasoned marketing leader to drive European growth.

Client Background

• A rapidly growing college career network connecting students and graduates with job opportunities.
• Headquarters: San Francisco, California
• Employees: 500+
• Funding: $434M over 7 rounds, latest Series F 
• Investors: Spark Capital, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
• Valuation: up to $10B 

The project

The client, a rapidly growing EdTech company, sought their first European Marketing Director to lead their expansion strategy. It was a mini-CMO role for the region working to meet the business goals. 

Candidate Profile Expectations

The ideal candidate for the Marketing Director role was expected to have a robust background in:

• Proven track record in SaaS with a focus on B2B enterprise solutions, ideally having worked with US-headquartered companies.
• Significant experience in scaling marketing within high-growth environments. 
• Demonstrated ability to scale and manage teams (ranging from 3 to 10 members), with hands-on experience in growing marketing functions.
• Resourceful and data-driven, capable of leveraging insights to drive marketing strategy.
• Curious and innovative, constantly exploring new ideas to stay ahead in a competitive market.
• Persistent with a strong ability to navigate and embrace ambiguity, especially within a startup environment.

Our Recruitment Strategy

Profile Review & Screening:

• Optima Search sourced and reviewed 1,800 profiles, focusing on candidates with at least 3 years in one role to ensure stability. 
• We handpicked 172 candidates (circa 10% of total profiles) and approached them directly.

Engagement & Shortlisting:

• 47 candidates (27%) engaged in conversations.
• Presented full screened 7 candidates (15% of engaged) to the client.

Interview Process:

• The client conducted 13 interviews over four weeks:
  1st Round: 7 candidates
• Subsequent Rounds: 2 candidates progressed through up to 4 rounds of interviews with senior stakeholders.

Stakeholder Collaboration:

Delivered the project via regular Slack communications and weekly online meetings with key hiring managers, ensuring alignment and quick decision-making.

Successful Outcome:

The project concluded successfully with an offer made and accepted by the top candidate within the 55-day timeframe.

Challenges/Learnings:

• Initial candidate search against client candidate criteria showed that many UK-based candidates had short job tenures or preferred established brands over high-growth startups. 
• The client presented their own “wish list” of 40 target firms that yielded only 22 potential profiles due to either lack of a UK marketing presence or insufficient seniority.
• Several top-tier profiles were based outside the UK, particularly in the US, which limited immediate availability for an in-market role.

This efficient and targeted recruitment effort met the client's needs, securing a key hire to lead their European market growth, with strong involvement from the Global VP Marketing and VP & GM Europe. 

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