Big Bus Tours is the world’s largest operator of open-top sightseeing tours, carrying nearly six million customers a year across many major cities and operating a fleet of around 500 vehicles. Founded in 1991, the company now employs over 2,000 people and was listed in The Sunday Times Top Track 250 in 2018 and 2019. Backed by private equity firm Exponent, Big Bus Tours is driving an ambitious phase of digital transformation and portfolio expansion, including brands such as Tour Dubai, Touristation, Tower Tours, and the upcoming Big Duck Tours.
The business culture is defined by ambition, collaboration, and a commitment to delivering outstanding customer experiences. Following significant transformation over the past three years, Big Bus Tours is focused on growth through smart technology, digital innovation, new market opportunities, and enhanced customer value.
The Purpose of the Role
Big Bus Tours sets the benchmark for purchasing bus tour tickets and experiences online. Since 2016, digital revenue has grown by almost 500%, delivering millions of tickets to customers in that time. Whilst we have already seen incredible growth, the vision remains to grow the digital channel further.
Big Bus Tours seeks an experienced Performance Marketing Manager to own and manage the global acquisition strategy across key digital channels. This is a fundamental role to ensure our continued digital growth and has the strategic objective of maximising web revenue within an acceptable cost per acquisition.
Reporting into and working closely with the Vice President of Digital Marketing, Ecommerce team, digital agencies and wider commercial function, you will drive customer acquisition for all Big Bus cities and other owned brands through maximising the impact of our performance marketing initiatives across paid search, organic search and affiliates.
This is a great, hands-on manager role for someone who loves all things digital marketing and enjoys the challenge of optimising multiple channels side by side. Working in a global environment where we are always evolving and improving, you will need to be comfortable prioritising workloads and liaising with a wide network of stakeholders. The role has one dotted-line report and offers an exciting opportunity to manage large budgets and make a significant impact in driving forward the strategy.
Key Responsibilities
• Own and manage the acquisition strategy across key performance marketing channels including paid search, organic search and affiliates to maximise web revenue within cost per acquisition targets.
• Manage the prioritisation and delivery of the performance marketing roadmap, with an understanding how industry developments will shape this
• Own the measurement, analysis and reporting of website and channel-specific KPIs. Identify performance insights and translate data into actions.
• Manage our digital marketing agencies to continuously optimise for revenue growth and ROI.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders, including the wider commercial function, tech and in-city teams.
• Assist in managing and developing the Digital Marketing Executive.
• Identify industry developments and new areas of opportunity within the business.
• Drive growth of additional brands from BBT Group – Eg. Tower Tours, Tour Dubai.
Education & Experience
• At least 5 years-experience in a digital acquisition / performance marketing role (ideally D2C) which includes PPC and SEO.
• Proven results of managing multiple digital marketing channels within ROI targets.
• Highly experienced in data interpretation to optimise digital performance.
• Experienced in managing agencies and wider stakeholders.
• Travel or global experience desirable but not essential.
Skills
• Extremely data driven with a strong digital and commercial acumen.
• Strong understanding of how to optimise performance marketing campaigns.
• Strong understanding of the impact that performance marketing channels play in the customer acquisition strategy and how these channels are evolving.
• Agency management skills and relationship building.
• Comfortable communicating and presenting to stakeholders across all levels of the business.
• Ability to prioritise tasks and work to deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong grasp of the full discovery funnel, from high-intent traditional search(Google/Bing) through to mid- and upper-funnel intent discovery emerging via social platforms (TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Pinterest).
• Deep appreciation of how social is increasingly becoming a “search engine” for Gen Z and younger audiences, driving not just brand awareness but also direct conversion pathways.
• Awareness of the rapid shift in user behaviour from keyword-based search to suggested and contextual discovery powered by AI and algorithmic surfacing. Eg Google SmartBidding and PMax.
• Interest and understanding in future traffic channels such as AI assistants (ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity, and in-platform AI search) become key referral sources and decision influencers.
• Experience in optimising content for multiple intent layers including SEO, social SEO, and AI-readability, ensuring a combined presence across all major discovery touchpoints.
• Ability to connect measurement across traditional, social, and emerging AI search to understand how different channels contribute to revenue across the funnel.
Competencies
• Logical and measured approach.
• Results driven with a customer focus, contributing to the delivery of the organisation’s vision.
• Personal resilience and self-awareness, with a passion for personal growth.
• Effective communication underpinning quality relationships and strong team working.
Contract Details & Working Hours
• Fixed-term 6 month contact.
• Normal working hours are 9.00-17.30 Monday to Friday, plus additional hours as necessary to fulfil the requirements of the job (including weekends and bank holidays).
• The business is currently operating a flexible working pattern, with a minimum of 2 days a week in the Victoria office and up to 3 days working from home, but should we return to 5 days a week in the office the employee would be required to meet this pattern.