Fractional CMO
VP Marketing | Chief Marketing Officer | Marketing Consultant
Develop comprehensive B2B marketing strategies, lead client engagements, and architect multi-year marketing programs for an established agency (since 2009) serving professional services firms across multiple verticals. Own comprehensive marketing strategies and multi-year marketing action plans for multiple concurrent clients. This is a senior strategic role - you develop the strategies and plans that execution teams implement.
This is a primarily remote position with occasional in-person collaboration in the Tampa Bay area (quarterly or as needed). Tampa Bay area candidates strongly preferred; open to exceptional candidates in other US states.
Key Skills: B2B Marketing Strategy | Strategic Planning | Brand Strategy | Go-to-Market Strategy | Demand Generation | ABM | Content Strategy | Customer Journey Mapping | Sales Enablement | MarTech Architecture | AI Marketing Strategy | Client Engagement
This Role Is Perfect For Someone Who:
- Has 20+ years developing comprehensive B2B marketing strategies across multiple industries
- Is building or growing a fractional practice and wants a steady, high-quality client base through an agency partnership
- Thinks in frameworks; you build structured, phased marketing roadmaps, not ad hoc recommendations
- Is equally comfortable presenting to a CEO and briefing an execution team on campaign specifications
- Wants strategic ownership across multiple client engagements without managing a team
- Can teach and document your strategic thinking, not just produce deliverables
- Values working within a proven methodology while bringing your own strategic depth to it
This Role Is NOT a Fit If:
- Your primary strength is tactical execution (campaign building, platform configuration, ads management)
- You prefer a single deep client engagement over multiple concurrent accounts
- You want a full-time position with benefits (this is a contractor role with variable hours)
- You need to be told what to do; this role requires independent strategic judgment
- You view budget guardrails, scope boundaries, and approval processes as unnecessary constraints on your autonomy
- Your B2B experience is limited or primarily B2C
What We Offer
- Strategic ownership - you own client marketing strategy from assessment through multi-year planning, with experienced leadership providing business context and quality standards
- Established methodology - our Marketing Direction Strategic Blueprint® methodology and Detailed Marketing Action Plan (DMAP) framework give you proven structures to work within, not a blank slate
- Senior collaboration - work alongside experienced strategists and directly with agency leadership; implementation teams are senior-level professionals, not junior resources
- Variety with depth - professional services clients across multiple verticals, each with unique market dynamics
- Flexibility - variable hours based on client demand and your availability; fully remote; no rigid schedule
Responsibilities
Strategic Planning & Program Development
- Develop comprehensive marketing strategies and multi-year marketing action plans for B2B professional services clients
- Translate client business objectives into structured marketing programs with clear deliverables, timelines, and budget allocations
- Develop brand strategy (positioning, messaging), go-to-market strategy, demand generation strategy, ABM strategy, and content strategy
- Map customer journeys and develop sales enablement frameworks aligned with client growth objectives
- Architect integrated marketing campaigns across digital, content, and traditional channels
- Present strategies to client leadership with confidence and clarity (PowerPoint, Excel proficiency required)
Client Engagement
- Lead strategic discussions with client leadership to understand business goals, challenges, and market position
- Serve as senior strategic point of contact for assigned client engagements
- Deliver strategic work within established scope, timeline, and budget parameters, flagging concerns proactively
MarTech Strategy
- Evaluate and recommend marketing technology solutions aligned with client objectives
- Architect CRM, automation, and analytics strategies at a strategic level (platform selection, data architecture, integration approach)
- Develop lead scoring frameworks, nurture strategy, and conversion optimization approaches
- Stay current on AI marketing applications and evaluate opportunities to integrate AI-powered tools into client marketing programs
Knowledge Transfer & Documentation
- Document strategic frameworks and decision rationale clearly enough for execution teams to implement without ambiguity
- Brief execution teams on strategic intent behind tactical specifications; you provide strategic direction, they execute under agency operations leadership
- Contribute to agency intellectual property by refining methodologies and developing repeatable frameworks
Qualifications
Required:
- 20+ years of progressive B2B marketing experience - with a clear arc from execution to strategic leadership
- Strategic planning expertise - proven experience developing comprehensive, multi-year marketing strategies (not just campaign plans)
- Multi-industry B2B experience - demonstrated work across multiple professional services verticals (e.g., IT/MSP, accounting, legal, insurance, consulting, architecture/engineering)
- Agency, consulting, or fractional background - at least one year of experience managing strategic work across multiple concurrent client engagements
- Client-facing confidence - experience presenting to C-suite and leading strategic conversations with business owners
- Budget and scope discipline - proven ability to deliver within budget, manage scope, and communicate proactively when adjustments are needed
- Exceptional communication skills - written and verbal; compelling strategic presentations and clear articulation of complex ideas
- Bachelor's degree in business administration, marketing, or related field
Preferred:
- Fortune 500 marketing experience (strategy, planning, or senior marketing leadership)
- MBA or advanced degree
- MarTech architecture experience, including platform selection, CRM strategy, automation design
- Experience with HubSpot, Salesforce, GoHighLevel, or similar at a strategic/architectural level
- Content strategy and thought leadership program development
- Former VP Marketing, CMO, or senior agency strategist background
- Advanced AI prompt engineering for strategic planning, research, and analytical applications (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini)
About Marketing Direction
Marketing Direction is a strategic B2B marketing agency established in 2009, specializing in comprehensive marketing solutions for professional services firms. We serve clients across MSP/IT services, accounting, insurance, HR consulting, legal services, and architecture/engineering.
We're known for our Marketing Direction Strategic Blueprint® methodology and Detailed Marketing Action Plans (DMAPs) that provide clients with clear, transparent roadmaps from strategy through execution.
Company Values: Action-Oriented, Strategic, Passionate, Innovative, Results-Driven, Expertise
Evaluation Process
We move efficiently with qualified candidates. Application review, screening conversation, strategic assessment with practical component, final conversation and decision.
How to Apply
Submit your application through our online application system.
Required with your application:
- Resume highlighting strategic marketing experience and career progression
- Desired hourly rate (applications without rate expectations will not be considered)
- Availability (estimated hours per week and any constraints)
- Work samples demonstrating strategic thinking: strategic plans, marketing frameworks, or client presentations you developed (redacted as needed for confidentiality)
- Responses to application questions
Applications without strategic work samples will not be considered.
Marketing Direction is an equal opportunity employer.
