JOB DETAILS

Director of Marketing

CompanyEF Education First / Hult
LocationZurich
Work ModeOn Site
PostedJune 14, 2026
About The Company
Founded in 1965 in Sweden, EF (Education First) is a global association of education companies that share a common mission of opening the world through education. Some companies are in the business of banking. Others are in the business of shoes. Or sports. Or soft drinks. At EF, we're in a different kind of business. One that's a little less tangible, and a lot more important. Because our business, what we make, makes everything else possible. We're in the business of understanding. Between people. Between cultures. For over half a century we’ve been the leader in international educational programs and experiences designed to foster such understanding. Through language, cultural exchange, academic studies, and educational travel, we create the kinds of immersive experiences that challenge biases, open minds, and pave the way for a more understanding world. You’ll find our offices and schools located in some of the world’s greatest cities, and filled with smart, driven people (over 50,000 of us) who push each other to be better every day. But it’s what we do together - building greater understanding, breaking down barriers, and creating a better world - that makes all the difference. Forbes 2025/2024 World’s Best Employers | Time100 Most Influential Companies 2026 | Fast Company 2025 Next Big Things In Tech | 2024 App Store Award winner in Cultural Impact A notice on recruitment scams We are aware that recruitment scams are increasingly common worldwide and affect job seekers across many organizations. These may appear on various messaging platforms, e.g., text messaging, WhatsApp, etc. To support your safety, we recommend that you do not respond to such unsolicited offers of employment. If you believe you are the victim of any fraudulent activity, we advise you to contact your appropriate authorities. Only submit your application to jobs through our official job board, jobs.ef.com. We never ask our applicants to pay a fee for any service whatsoever.
About the Role

The world is your brief.

EF Language Abroad has three business units (Products) that people around the world have been experiencing for more than 65 years: Language Travel, Academic Year Abroad and International Language Schools, and we are looking for a Director of Marketing to help them grow.

This role exists at the intersection of art and spreadsheet. This role is about helping us find as many customers as possible and it isn't a role for someone who wants to maintain the status quo. It's for someone who sees a crowded market and thinks "I know how to cut through this”. Someone who finds genuine joy in turning complexity into clarity. Someone who wants to grow grow grow.

What you’ll do.
You'll own the go-to-market strategy for our most exciting growth bets. That means getting deep into the minds of our customers, wrestling with market data until it tells you something genuinely interesting, and translating all of it into marketing that's better than what's out there.

You'll report to the Product Head with a dotted line to EF Language Abroad's Head of Marketing, and partner closely with the product’s Sales and Marketing Directors across our global markets. Your inner circle will include our key leaders in EF Language Abroad’s Central teams including our VP of Digital Marketing, Creative Director, and Director of Product Development. These people are the ones who will help you turn a sharp brief into something that actually moves people (and moves the business).

This one's for you if:
You toggle effortlessly between instinct and analysis. You brief like a strategist and think like a storyteller. You believe that good marketing does not interrupt people, it attracts them.

Still nodding? Then read on…  

In this role, you will:
•    Establish and nurture partnership with the Product Head as well as Language Abroad’s Central Creative Studio and Digital Marketing Team and lead all product marketing efforts and ensure on-brand localization of both product and central marketing effort and strategies.
•    Build and foster collaboration with markets, sales, central creative, central marketing, technology, and product development teams to deeply understand what we sell and who we sell it to. 
•    Drive Positioning & Messaging by owning the global positioning framework and messaging hierarchy across the Product’s full program and destination portfolio. 
•    Lead Go to Market (GTM) strategy for all launches, expansions, and updates; build scalable GTM playbooks with built-in local adaptability. 
•    Champion Customer & Market Intelligence by owning voice of customer, competitive insights, and the feedback loop between markets and the product roadmap. 
•    Partner with the Product Heads and Sales Management on Commercial Enablement, creating and maintaining sales tools, training, and enablement of materials for commercial and local marketing teams. 
•    Own Audience & Segmentation, including persona frameworks, and translate these into actionable briefs for all channel teams. 
•    Work with the Commercial Director and Product Head on Pricing Communication, turning pricing decisions into compelling, market ready value narratives. 
•    Help establish a culture of accountability by shaping departmental KPIs and setting clear marketing goals and objectives. 
•    Keep EF ahead of the competition and ensure the business remains “futureproof” by monitoring trends and evolving our strategies to meet market needs.

You’ll be successful in this role if you have:
•    8–12 years of experience in product marketing, brand, or GTM—preferably in education, travel, or subscription based businesses
•    Strong international experience, with high EQ and the ability to navigate cultural nuances and balance local relevance with global scalability. 
•    Exceptional collaboration and networking skills, paired with strong presentation, communication, and storytelling abilities. 
•    Experience with planning, budgeting, and managing a P&L
•    The ability to write and present strategic, on brand briefs that resonate with creative, media, and market teams. 
•    Experience designing and managing GTM plans at global scale, including collaboration with central Brand and Media planning/buying teams. 
•    Expertise in customer research and competitive intelligence leadership. 
•    Channel literacy across paid, organic, SEO, social, and CRM—able to brief effectively without owning execution. 
•    A deep understanding of emerging communication, media consumption, marketing, and cultural trends. 
•    A natural ability to translate big ideas into tactical execution, turning strategy into work that performs. 
•    Unmatched curiosity about how people think, behave, and communicate. 
•    Comfortably operating in fast changing, ambiguous environments. 
•    Strong project management, planning, and organizational skills. 
•    A sharp eye for outstanding creative—and a clear understanding of what makes it exceptional. 
•    A communication style that simplifies complexity and inspires action. 
•    An entrepreneurial mindset with a strong bias toward action.


EF Staff Benefits
•    Discounts on EF programs for Staff, and Staff Friends and Family for all EF Programs
•    Swiss Halb-tax reimbursement 
•    Free use of EF Hello: a premium Language Learning App
•    Tuition Reimbursement for continued Education
•    Referral Bonus for referred staff hires (equivalent to 500 USD)
•    Discounts with our global hotel and travel partners
•    15% off our on-site Kita 
•    And much more


At EF Language Abroad, we believe that the world is better when people try to understand one another. Since 1965, we've helped millions of students discover new places, embrace diverse cultures, and gain fresh perspectives. We're dedicated to our mission of opening the world through education, harnessing the power of language learning to deepen the connection between people across the globe.
 
We offer immersive short-term and long-term language courses and programs across different languages in the countries where they’re spoken. Through blending classroom-based lessons with interactive exercises and real-world practice, our courses bring you to the heart of the language. Together, our global staff help students from around the world develop the language skills they need to achieve their dreams.
 
EF is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All positions are subject to a criminal background and/or reference checks, as applicable.
Key Skills
Product MarketingGo-To-Market StrategyBrand PositioningMarket IntelligenceCustomer SegmentationCommercial EnablementP&L ManagementStrategic BriefingStorytellingInternational ExperienceProject ManagementCompetitive AnalysisChannel LiteracyBudgetingStakeholder CollaborationKPI Development
Categories
MarketingManagement & LeadershipEducationCreative & MediaSales
Benefits
Discounts on EF programs for Staff, Friends and FamilySwiss Halb-tax reimbursementFree use of EF Hello Language Learning AppTuition Reimbursement for continued EducationReferral BonusDiscounts with global hotel and travel partners15% off on-site Kita
Job Information
📋Core Responsibilities
Lead the global go-to-market strategy and positioning for EF Language Abroad's growth bets across multiple business units. Collaborate with central creative and digital teams to translate market data into actionable marketing briefs and scalable playbooks.
📋Job Type
full time
📊Experience Level
10+
💼Company Size
20587
📊Visa Sponsorship
No
💼Language
English
🏢Working Hours
40 hours
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