Head of Marketing, K12

Cialfo is a leading platform connecting students, higher education institutions, and counselors through technology-driven solutions. Launched in 2017 with a mission to make education accessible to 100 million students, Cialfo provides a range of mobile and web solutions to students, K-12 institutions, and higher education institutions. We're one of the fastest-growing tech startups in the region, consistently charting new heights

Who Are We 

At Manifest Global, we're building an ecosystem of transformative education and career brands that empower learners, educators, and institutions across the world. Our portfolio includes high-impact companies such as Cialfo and BridgeU, both of which are redefining how students connect to global higher education opportunities and institutions engage with schools. 

The K12 vertical is at the heart of Manifest's mission — uniting data, technology, and human connection to help young learners discover and pursue their best-fit pathways to college and career success. 

About This Role 

The Head of Marketing – K12 will own the marketing vision, growth strategy, and P&L for all K12 brands under Manifest Global — currently Cialfo and BridgeU. 

This role requires a leader who can balance strategic foresight with operational precision — someone who understands that marketing in K12 is driven by trust, relationships, and community influence as much as it is by digital reach. You will design and execute an integrated marketing engine across events, client engagement, word-of-mouth advocacy, and digital performance, ensuring consistent growth across global markets. 

Department: Central Marketing 
Hiring Manager: COO, Manifest Global 
Eventual Reporting To: VP, Central Marketing 

What You Will Be Doing 

What You Will Execute On a Day-to-Day Basis: 

• Oversee marketing for all K12 brands — Cialfo and BridgeU — ensuring consistent growth, alignment, and brand integrity.
• Lead integrated campaigns across events, school engagement programs, partnerships, referral initiatives, and digital acquisition channels.
• Partner closely with Sales, Product, and Customer Success to design client engagement and retention strategies.
• Manage and measure marketing performance across channels, tracking MQL velocity, conversion, and ROI.
• Drive advocacy and community marketing programs that amplify word-of-mouth and client-led storytelling.
• Oversee content calendars, creative output, and digital presence to ensure consistent narrative and positioning.
• Maintain fiscal discipline — managing budgets, monitoring marketing ROI, and tracking contribution to revenue and P&L targets. 

What You Will Lead, Strategize & Develop on a Regular Basis: 

• Define and execute the growth strategy for the K12 business, including revenue and profitability ownership.
• Lead the creation of a multi-channel marketing ecosystem — blending events, advocacy, and digital performance to drive brand preference and pipeline growth.
• Build and execute an annual marketing and growth plan for the K12 vertical, including forecasts, KPIs, and investment priorities.
• Architect the shared K12 narrative across Cialfo and BridgeU — connecting them under Manifest's purpose while respecting brand independence.
• Partner with Product and RevOps to align marketing data, attribution, and feedback loops that inform decision-making.
• Drive market expansion initiatives — supporting new geographies, partnerships, and institutional collaborations.
• Mentor and scale a global marketing team — empowering brand leads, campaign managers, and event strategists.
• Represent marketing performance and growth insights in quarterly business reviews and leadership forums. 

About You 

• Qualifications:
  • A bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or a related field. 
• Experience:
  • 10–15 years of experience in marketing leadership, with at least 5 years overseeing multiple markets or brands.
  • Proven track record in P&L ownership, revenue-driven marketing, and integrated growth strategy.
  • Deep understanding of the education sector, particularly K12, edtech, or B2B2C ecosystems. 
• Skills: 
  • Expertise in multi-channel marketing, spanning events, client engagement, referrals, and digital channels.
  • Strong command of brand management, demand generation, and community building in global markets.
  • Proficiency in analyzing marketing performance metrics, forecasting growth, and managing budgets.
  • Excellent storytelling skills and experience managing cross-border creative teams and agency partners.
  • Ability to connect marketing strategy with business outcomes and communicate impact across leadership levels.
  • Strong commercial acumen with the ability to translate marketing investments into revenue outcomes. 
• Qualities: 
  • You think like a GM of growth — commercially minded, yet brand-conscious and deeply customer-centric.
  • You're equally comfortable in a boardroom or at a school event — translating strategy into relationships.
  • You thrive in fast-moving, global environments where storytelling meets analytics.
  • You lead through influence and empathy, bringing diverse teams together under one purpose.
  • You are purpose-driven, mission-aligned, and passionate about transforming the future of education. 
• You're a Notch Above If You Have: 
  • Experience managing both demand generation and brand marketing P&L at regional or global scale.
  • Proven success using word-of-mouth and referral ecosystems as a growth driver.
  • Experience building community-led growth or ambassador programs in education or SaaS.
  • Deep familiarity with school partnerships, counselor networks, and B2B2C engagement models.
  • Comfort working with multi-brand architecture, acquisitions, and post-integration marketing alignment.