Head of Marketing and Communications – Germany and Austria

Company:

Oliver Wyman

Description:

At Oliver Wyman, a Marsh (NYSE: MRSH) business, we bring deep industry insight, bold innovation, and a collaborative approach that cuts through complexity to help organizations navigate their most defining transformative moments.

For more information, visit oliverwyman.com, or follow us on LinkedIn and X. 

This is a hybrid role, requiring 60% in-office presence.

Role Purpose

The Head of Marketing and Communications - Germany and Austria turns commercial priorities into a focused, high-impact marketing agenda, with Germany as the primary focus and proportionate support for Austria. The role combines senior marketing advisory, hands-on delivery and strong people leadership.

Why Join Us

• Shape the marketing agenda for Germany, one of Oliver Wyman's most strategically important European markets, with the opportunity to further build the firm's presence in Austria.

• Work closely with the Market Leader and the Marketing Partner for Germany and Austria, local Partners and European leadership, with substantial exposure to senior decision-makers.

• Lead and develop a dedicated local team while working with a closely connected European network of marketing specialists and market colleagues.

• Build a data-informed and AI-augmented marketing approach that improves creativity, productivity, targeting and measurement and the team’s ability to test and learn.

• Own the marketing budget and make visible choices about where investment can create the greatest commercial impact.

• Enjoy a vibrant culture with regular social events and activities, plus great benefits like up to €100/month public transport reimbursement, JobRad, Wellpass, and more.

Meet the Team

Reports to: Marketing Director, Co-head of European Markets.

Key local stakeholders: The Market Leader and Marketing Partner for Germany and Austria, alongside local Practice Leaders.

Day-to-day collaborators: Partners and Practice Leaders across Germany and Austria; the European Markets and practice team; Regional and Global Marketing; specialist teams across Content, PR, Digital, Events, Social Media, Marketing Operations, Design, Data & Analytics, Client Impact Teams; and relevant external agencies.

People management: Direct leadership of one Senior Marketing Manager and one Senior Associate dedicated to Germany and Austria, including people development, performance management, coaching and workflow prioritisation. The role also provides broader steer and coaching to two Germany-based colleagues who support the markets part-time, the local Events team and relevant European and global specialists, leading delivery through a matrix with accountability for priorities, resources, quality and delivery.

How This Role Will Contribute to Team Success

• Translate business priorities across Germany and Austria – particularly the European leadership agenda for Germany – into an integrated marketing plan that connects brand, thought leadership, client engagement and commercial growth.

• Provide senior marketing advisory to local leadership, turning market insight, client priorities and intellectual capital into distinctive and impactful marketing activity.

• Lead, motivate and develop a high-performing team, creating clarity, accountability and an environment in which people contribute ideas, collaborate effectively and grow.

• Improve marketing effectiveness by aligning resources, campaign investment and channel choices to measurable outcomes and return on marketing investment (ROMI).

• Embed practical, responsible use of AI into day-to-day marketing workflows to improve productivity, quality, insight and speed while applying appropriate judgement and governance.

Your Day-to-Day

Develop and deliver the marketing strategy

Own the annual marketing plan and campaign calendar for Germany and Austria, aligned with market priorities, firm objectives and commercial growth. Balance long-term brand-building, thought leadership and commercial impact, concentrating resources on the highest-value opportunities in Germany and providing proportionate support for Austria.

Success measures: Delivery of the agreed marketing plan; stakeholder alignment; ROMI; contribution to brand, client and commercial priorities.

Advise leadership and Partners

Act as a trusted advisor to the Market Leader, Marketing Partner and local Partners on positioning, messaging, campaign strategy, content priorities and marketing investment. Build strong relationships across the Partnership, while being prepared to challenge constructively and recommend where the market should - and should not - invest.

Success measures: Quality of leadership engagement; adoption of marketing recommendations; Partner confidence; alignment between marketing activity and business priorities.

Lead integrated marketing campaigns

Lead multi-channel campaigns across content, PR, digital, social, events and communications, from planning through delivery and post-campaign analysis. Coordinate the right capabilities to bring Oliver Wyman's ideas to market with consistency, creativity, impact and appropriate risk management.

Success measures: Campaign delivery; audience engagement; channel performance; contribution to pipeline, client engagement or priority account activity.

Lead and develop the local marketing team

Set clear direction for the dedicated team, establish priorities, allocate work and provide regular coaching and feedback. Create an inclusive, motivating environment that combines high standards with autonomy, encourages ideas and supports individual development.

Success measures: Team engagement and development; clarity of objectives; quality and timeliness of delivery; effective workload management; retention and succession readiness.

Coordinate cross-functional delivery

Bring together the dedicated team, the two Germany-based colleagues who provide part-time support, the local Events team, European and global marketing specialists, agencies and internal partners. Set clear plans, responsibilities, decision rights and milestones so work progresses at pace in a matrixed environment.

Success measures: Quality and timeliness of delivery; effective collaboration; stakeholder confidence; clear governance, ownership and prioritisation.

Manage the marketing budget and use insight to maximise ROMI

Own and manage the marketing budget for Germany and Austria, using campaign analytics, CRM insight, market trends and competitor intelligence to guide investment decisions and improve marketing effectiveness. Develop and manage a transparent investment plan, assess competing requests and make disciplined trade-offs based on strategic relevance, audience value, expected impact and ROMI. Share performance insights with leadership and use evidence to refine campaigns and reallocate resources as priorities or performance change.

Success measures: Budget discipline; investment aligned to priorities; stronger ROMI; timely reallocation of spend; clear and credible reporting to leadership.

Embed AI-augmented ways of working

Champion practical and responsible use of AI across the team's day-to-day work, including research, ideation, content development, targeting, project delivery, measurement and knowledge sharing. Identify use cases, test new approaches and help colleagues build confidence and capability while maintaining quality, confidentiality and professional judgement.

Success measures: Adoption of useful AI-enabled workflows; measurable productivity or quality gains; stronger team capability; appropriate governance and risk awareness.

First six months

The initial focus will be to take ownership of the marketing plan for Germany and Austria, which will have largely been developed before the successful candidate joins, build the relationships and operating rhythm needed to deliver it effectively, and refine it as market needs and performance evidence emerge.

• Build trusted relationships with the Market Leader, Marketing Partner, local Partners, the Co-head of European Markets and key marketing colleagues across Europe, while reviewing the agreed marketing plan, campaign calendar, budget, commitments, assumptions, success measures and immediate risks or dependencies.

• Understand the team’s strengths, development needs, aspirations and workload; agree individual objectives and development priorities; and establish a consistent rhythm of coaching, feedback and performance conversations. Clarify roles, decision rights and ways of working across the dedicated team, Germany-based colleagues providing part-time support, the local Events team and wider specialist network, ensuring disciplined execution and clear accountability.

• Identify targeted refinements to campaign sequencing, channel mix, resource allocation and investment based on stakeholder feedback, market developments and performance evidence, while avoiding unnecessary disruption to the agreed plan. Establish a consistent KPI and ROMI reporting cadence and identify practical AI-enabled quick wins for the team.

Success measures: Strong stakeholder relationships; effective implementation of the agreed marketing plan; clear priorities, ownership and operating rhythm; evidence-based refinements where needed; initial improvements in measurement, resource allocation and AI-enabled productivity.

Skills & What You Bring to the Team

Essential experience and capabilities

• At least 7 years' experience in B2B marketing, including significant responsibility for strategy and delivery, ideally in professional services, consulting or another expertise-led and complex matrix environment.

• Experience advising senior stakeholders and translating commercial priorities into marketing strategy, content agendas and integrated campaigns.

• Demonstrated line-management experience, including setting direction and objectives, coaching and developing people, managing performance, navigating difficult conversations and balancing competing workloads.

• Strong campaign and programme leadership across content, events, PR, digital, social and marketing operations.

• Experience managing budgets and using ROMI, campaign metrics and commercial judgement to prioritise investment and make difficult trade-offs.

• Ability to lead through both direct authority and influence across geographies, functions and specialist teams, with clear prioritisation and delivery discipline.

• Practical fluency with AI-enabled tools and workflows, with evidence of using them responsibly to improve marketing productivity, quality, insight or performance.

• Strong analytical capability, including use of CRM, campaign metrics, market intelligence and performance reporting to inform decisions.

• Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills, including the ability to turn complex ideas into clear messages for senior audiences.

• German at C2/professional proficiency level and excellent written and spoken English are mandatory.

• Degree or equivalent additional professional experience.

• You will also bring an entrepreneurial, curious and self-starting approach, commercial judgement, resilience, collaborative working, high ownership and the confidence to prioritise rigorously and challenge constructively.

What Will Make You Stand Out

• Experience leading marketing in professional services, consulting or another expertise-led B2B environment.

• Strong understanding of the German business environment and relevant client segments, together with familiarity with the Austrian market.

• Experience building thought leadership programmes that connect market insight, Partner expertise and client engagement.

• A track record of introducing new ideas, channels or operating approaches and taking them from concept to measurable delivery.

• Advanced fluency with CRM, marketing automation, analytics dashboards or data-led campaign reporting.

• Experience designing and scaling AI-enabled marketing workflows across a team.

• Experience managing agencies, external editors, event partners or strategic partnerships.

• Established relationships within, and strong knowledge of, the German media landscape.

How To Apply

• Submit CV

• Process: Our selection process typically includes an initial recruiter conversation (15-30 min.), followed by interviews and assessments with the hiring team, where you will get to know us overall.

• To ensure confidentiality, recording, transcription, screen capture, or use of AI/automated note-taking tools during interviews is strictly prohibited; by joining, you agree to these terms. Unauthorized capture may result in interview termination, disqualification, and mandatory deletion of any recorded material. We reserve all rights and remedies under applicable law.

Living Our Values

At Oliver Wyman, we lead with heart - we love what we do and have fun while we do it! We also strive for breakthroughs by seeking diverse perspectives, and finding powerful and sustainable solutions. If you share these values and want to work as one and own our impact at the same time, be brave and achieve the amazing with us!

At OW, we're committed to building a diverse team, and we recognize that uncertainty about the relevance of one’s qualification and experience may deter some talented candidates from applying. If you feel you don't meet every requirement, we'd love to hear from you nonetheless! If you require adjustments during the recruitment process, we are happy to discuss it with you.

Find more about our Values and Firm Inclusion Stance.

Oliver Wyman is a business of Marsh (NYSE: MRSH), a global leader in risk, reinsurance and capital, people and investments, and management consulting, advising clients in 130 countries. With annual revenue of over $27 billion and more than 95,000 colleagues, Marsh helps build the confidence to thrive through the power of perspective. For more information, visit oliverwyman.com, or follow us on LinkedIn and X. 

Marsh is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and flexible work environment. We aim to attract and retain the best people and embrace diversity of age, background, disability, ethnic origin, family duties, gender orientation or expression, marital status, nationality, parental status, personal or social status, political affiliation, race, religion and beliefs, sex/gender, sexual orientation or expression, skin color, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Marsh offers hybrid working arrangements that provide both the flexibility of mobile working and the benefits for collaboration, personal connections and professional development of working in the office. Employees are authorized to work remotely. If needed, some teams also schedule weekly “anchor days” where the entire team meets in person at the site office.