Director of Marketing, Asia

 

Company Overview

Guidepost Global Education & Cosmic Education Group is a leading provider of world-class education, dedicated to nurturing the potential of every child. We operate the world’s largest Montessori network, under brand ‘Guidepost Montessori’ and ‘Nest Pre-school’ with more than 100 schools across the United States and Asia. We are committed to building teams that are passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and families, fostering an environment where our educators and staff can thrive and grow.

 

Core Job Responsibilities

Regional Strategy & Brand Leadership

• Report directly to the Regional Director to align local market strategies with broader APAC business objectives.
• Craft and execute a unified annual growth plan for Hong Kong, Singapore, Bali, and Australia, managing the marketing budget to optimize for customer acquisition cost and return on investment.
• Own the brand identity across the region, ensuring consistency in visual identity, tone of voice, and market positioning across all platforms and campuses.

Content Strategy & Digital Marketing

• Focus on Content Strategy: Lead the development of a best-in-class content ecosystem. Move beyond basic promotional materials to create high-value, insight-driven content (video, blogs, SEO articles, and social assets) that establishes our brand as a thought leader in early childhood development.
• Digital Savvy: Oversee the digital roadmap, including website management (SEO), social media strategy, and eDM campaigns. Leverage automation and digital tools to scale personalized customer journeys from prospect to enrollment.
• Market Awareness: Stay ahead of cultural trends, competitor activity, and platform algorithm changes across the four regions. Ensure the brand remains culturally relevant and responsive to local nuances.

Analytical Insight & Performance Marketing

• Utilize advanced analytics (Dynamics) to generate deep insights into customer behavior, channel performance, and conversion rates.
• Move beyond basic reporting to deliver actionable insights that inform creative direction, budget allocation, and go-to-market strategies.
• Implement a rigorous testing framework to optimize for lower cost-per-lead (CPL) and higher lead-to-visit conversion rates.
• Incorporate modern tools and technologies, including AI where relevant, to enhance testing, targeting, and performance optimization.

Communications & PR

• Media & Brand Visibility: Develop and execute a regional PR strategy to secure consistent brand visibility across key media channels, including parenting publications, lifestyle media, and business press in Hong Kong, Singapore, Bali, and Australia. Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with journalists, editors, and media partners to position the brand as a trusted authority in early childhood education.
• KOL & KOC Partnerships: Lead influencer marketing strategy, identifying and managing collaborations with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and Key Opinion Consumers (KOCs) across social media platforms, with a primary focus on Meta (Facebook & Instagram) and Xiaohongshu (RED) . Drive authentic, story-led partnerships that amplify brand reach, build social proof, and generate high-quality enquiries.
• Crisis Communications: Serve as the brand guardian for external communications, managing reputation risks and ensuring timely, appropriate messaging in response to market or operational developments.

Inquiry Team Management

• Lead and manage the inquiry team, responsible for responding to prospective family enquiries across all channels (social media, website, phone, and walk-ins).
• Set clear performance targets for the inquiry team, including response time and enquiry-to-visit conversion rates.
• Ensure the inquiry team delivers a best-in-class experience that reflects our brand voice and values, serving as the critical first touchpoint in the customer journey.
• Implement training, systems, and processes to optimize inquiry handling efficiency and effectiveness, ensuring seamless handover to campus admissions teams.
• Monitor enquiry volume trends in partnership with the performance marketing function, providing feedback to optimize campaign targeting and messaging.

Stakeholder & Budget Management

• Budget Management: Manage a multi-market marketing budget, ensuring fiscal discipline while maximizing growth opportunities. Justify spend with clear ROI analysis.
• Team Leadership: Lead, mentor, and develop the team, fostering a culture of creativity, accountability, and data-driven decision making.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Act as a strategic partner to School team leaders in Hong Kong, Singapore, Bali, and Australia, ensuring marketing initiatives support on-the-ground operational realities.

Community Engagement & Partnerships

• Develop and manage network-wide events across the region to strengthen brand presence and community connection.
• Establish strategic partnerships with like-minded businesses to offer benefits and promotions to families, enhancing brand affinity and retention.
• Evaluate and analyze the effectiveness of partnerships and community initiatives in driving engagement and loyalty.

Qualifications

 

We're looking for someone who has: 

• Industry Background: Proven experience in Retail, FMCG, Hospitality, or Premium Services. We are specifically seeking candidates from outside the traditional education sector to bring fresh, consumer-centric thinking and high-velocity marketing practices.
• Scope: Bachelor's degree with at least 6 years of experience in increasingly senior positions in Marketing (APAC experience highly preferred).
• Skills: Deep expertise in content strategy (editorial calendars, storytelling, video production), digital marketing (SEO, SEM, Social Ads), and analytics tools (Google Analytics).
• PR & Influencer Marketing: Demonstrated experience in media relations and managing KOL/KOC partnerships across Meta (Facebook & Instagram) and Xiaohongshu (RED) , with a track record of driving measurable brand lift and conversions.
• Inquiry & Sales Support: Experience managing or closely collaborating with inquiry or sales development teams, with a strong understanding of lead management, conversion optimization, and customer journey mapping.
• Budget Management: Demonstrated experience managing a significant marketing budget with a clear understanding of ROI and P&L impact.
• Analytical & Insight Generation: You don’t just look at data; you interpret it to tell a story and pivot strategy accordingly.
• Technology Curiosity: Demonstrates openness to new tools and technologies, including AI, and a willingness to continuously evolve marketing practices.
• Bilingual Proficiency: Fluent in English and Cantonese/Mandarin is essential to navigate Hong Kong’s core market, manage local media relationships, and collaborate with KOLs/KOCs.
• Growth Mindset: Comfortable with ambiguity, pivoting strategies based on market feedback, and working in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
• Leadership: A track record of leading multi-functional, multi-cultural teams to deliver measurable results.
• Team Player with Independence: Ability to work autonomously while collaborating effectively across the organization.