Head of Travel Marketing
Location: New Scientist Headquarters, HSK, London, W8 5HY
Position: Full Time/Permanent
About New Scientist Discovery Tours
New Scientist Discovery Tours curates' science-themed travel experiences that combine exploration, discovery, and scientific insight, providing participants with unique and engaging experiences around the world.
As part of New Scientist—the world's leading science media brand—Discovery Tours sits at the intersection of science, travel, and storytelling.
We are entering an exciting growth phase and seeking a commercially minded Head of Marketing to accelerate the expansion of our Tours business. This role will drive awareness, demand, and revenue through strategic marketing leadership and high-impact execution.
The Role
This is a pivotal role for a strategic yet hands-on marketing leader who can turn insight into action. You will define and deliver the marketing and customer acquisition strategy, balancing creativity with commercial rigour. The ideal candidate will bring entrepreneurial energy and a performance mindset, building scalable marketing foundations to fuel sustained growth.
Main Responsibilities
Growth & Commercial Performance
* Own end-to-end marketing performance across the funnel—from awareness to conversion and retention.
* Drive commercial growth through data-led optimisation of channels, campaigns, and customer journeys.
* Develop acquisition and retention strategies that maximise lifetime value and ROI.
* Test and scale new growth channels and marketing partnerships.
Customer, Data & Insight
* Lead a customer-first strategy informed by data, insight, and behavioural understanding.
* Build segmentation, targeting, and personalisation frameworks to drive relevance and conversion.
* Leverage analytics to forecast, report, and optimise marketing investment.
Brand, Content & Partnerships
* Strengthen Discovery Tours' positioning as the go-to brand for science-inspired travel.
* Oversee content and creative that differentiates the brand and drives engagement.
* Build strategic partnerships and community programmes that deepen loyalty and advocacy.
Leadership & Collaboration
* Act as the marketing and customer growth lead for a fast-evolving business unit.
* Partner with internal teams across editorial, product, and operations to align marketing with business priorities.
* Balance tactical delivery with strategic foresight, ensuring all marketing drives measurable business outcomes.
Person Specification
* Proven marketing leader with a strong track record of commercial growth from travel, experiential, or niche/high-value sectors
* Deep expertise across performance marketing, CRM, SEO, paid media, content, and PR.
* Highly analytical, ROI-focused, and commercially astute.
* Strategic thinker with strong creative instincts and storytelling ability.
* Entrepreneurial and resilient, comfortable operating in a fast-paced, lean environment.
What You'll Achieve
* Build a scalable, data-driven marketing engine that consistently delivers bookings and revenue growth.
* Elevate Discovery Tours into a leading global brand in science travel.
* Establish marketing strategies, frameworks, and partnerships that underpin long-term profitability.
About New Scientist
New Scientist is the world's global science media brand, reaching more than 1.2 million readers every month.The website, app and print editions cover international news from a scientific standpoint, and ask the big-picture questions about life, the universe, technological progress and what it means to be human.
The magazine was founded in 1956 for "all those interested in scientific discovery and its social consequences". It now includes newsletters, videos, podcasts, courses, holidays and live events in the UK, US and Australia, including New Scientist Live, the world's greatest festival of science and technology.
Our Commitment
We are committed to increasing diversity and maintaining an inclusive workplace culture. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability.
We are Disability Confident Committed. Please let us know if you require any recruitment documentation in other formats or if you require reasonable adjustments to be made during the recruitment process. Please be assured that any such information will be held separately to your recruitment application and will not be considered as part of the selection process
Text sent from Clarissa Agnew