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Agency & Media
SALES & MARKETING RECRUITMENT
Agency & Media. Winning the client is half the job.
Fast briefs. Big ideas. Tight turnarounds. Plenty of opinions.
We find new-business, client-services and agency-marketing people who understand scope, margin and what the client is actually buying — not just how to pitch.
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Education & Training
Reaching learners starts with reaching the people who decide what gets funded.
Recruitment for commercial roles across schools, colleges, universities, training providers, professional education, edtech and learning services.
SALES & MARKETING RECRUITMENT IN
SALES & MARKETING RECRUITMENT
Education & Training
Reaching learners starts with reaching the people who decide what gets funded.
Recruitment for commercial roles across schools, colleges, universities, training providers, professional education, edtech and learning services.
1 - BIG PICTURE STORY:
The Education & Training Economy
THE UK PICTURE:
Education & Training covers schools, colleges, universities, private and professional training providers, apprenticeships, workforce development, online learning and commercial learning businesses. Education accounted for approximately 3.1 million UK workforce jobs in September 2025, while UK education-related exports and transnational education activity were worth an estimated £36.7 billion in 2024. International higher-education students alone generated almost £24 billion in export revenue. (Office for National Statistics; Department for Education) Explore Education Statistics
THE IRISH PICTURE:
Ireland has also seen substantial growth. Employment in Education increased by around 66,000 people, or 34.3%, between Q4 2019 and Q4 2025, taking employment in the sector to roughly 258,000 people. (Central Statistics Office) CSO Cloud
Within that economy, the commercial conditions vary considerably. Recruiting an international university student, selling employer-funded professional training and developing an apprenticeship partnership may all sit within Education & Training while involving very different budgets, decision-makers and buying processes.
3.098m
UK education jobs, Dec 2025
185.1k
Ireland education employees, Jul 2026
+1.3%
Ireland education employment growth, year-on-year Jul 2026
01 — THE SECTOR
Unique hiring considerations:
Sales & Marketing in Education & Training often involves communicating value long before the outcome can be proven.
Someone can enquire, apply or even start a programme without it ultimately being the right choice for them, their employer or the provider.
The value of education is usually proven later. Attendance, engagement, completion, progression and what the learner can actually do afterwards all affect whether that initial recruitment was worthwhile.
Experienced Sales and Business Development professionals become better at understanding who is really making the decision, what support the learner will need and whether the programme genuinely fits the requirement.
Marketing has a similar job. It needs to make outcomes, commitment and value clear enough for people to make a confident decision without promising something the programme cannot reliably deliver.
Two New Business Directors may both show major pitch wins and well-known clients. The same result can start at very different points in the buying journey.
The title tells us surprisingly little unless we know what the client was buying and how the agency made money from it.
CANDIDATE A
Strongest once the brief lands
• Builds strong credentials and pitch processes
• Coordinates senior agency involvement
• Converts briefs once the opportunity is defined
CANDIDATE B
Shapes the brief before it exists
• Builds senior relationships before formal briefs
• Creates preference while needs are still forming
• Qualifies carefully for fit, margin and win probability
02 — HOW WE ASSESS
Same CV. Different capability.
Two Business Development Managers may both show learner numbers, employer relationships and revenue targets.
One may mainly sell open-enrolment or funded programmes through comparatively short decisions; another may build long-term employer partnerships, diagnose workforce needs, shape provision with delivery teams and develop repeat cohorts over time.
The title does not show how consultative, strategic or delivery-connected the work has been.
CANDIDATE B — SHAPES THE BRIEF BEFORE IT EXISTS
Builds long-term employer partnerships
Diagnoses broader workforce development needs
• Qualifies carefully for fit, margin and win probability
CANDIDATE A — STRONGEST ONCE THE BRIEF LANDS
Builds long-term employer partnerships
Manages shorter individual or employer decisions
Delivers clear recruitment and revenue targets
02 — HOW WE ASSESS
Same CV. Different capability.
02 — HOW WE ASSESS
Same CV. Different capability.
Two Business Development Managers may both show learner numbers, employer relationships and revenue targets.
One may mainly sell open-enrolment or funded programmes through comparatively short decisions; another may build long-term employer partnerships, diagnose workforce needs, shape provision with delivery teams and develop repeat cohorts over time.
The title does not show how consultative, strategic or delivery-connected the work has been.
SAME JOB TITLE - CANDIDATE A
Works across open-enrolment programmes
Manages shorter individual or employer decisions
Delivers clear recruitment and revenue targets
SAME JOB TITLE - CANDIDATE B
Builds long-term employer partnerships
Diagnoses broader workforce development needs
Helps shape provision with delivery teams
SALES, NEW BUSINESS & CLIENT GROWTH
01
New Business Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
Which pitches deserve the agency's time — not just winning them.
HOW IT VARIES
RFP-led in some agencies; relationship-led long before a brief in others.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"Tell us about a pitch you walked away from."
02
Client Services Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
The gap between what the client expects and what the fee covers.
HOW IT VARIES
Full P&L and renewal authority, or delivery lead with pricing held elsewhere.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"When did you last renegotiate scope mid-year?"
03
Account Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
Growth that doesn't turn into unpaid over-servicing.
HOW IT VARIES
Performance agencies build media economics; creative agencies build judgement on ambiguous briefs.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"How did the account's margin move under you?"
MARKETING
04
Agency Marketing Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
Attracting the kind of brief New Business actually wants.
HOW IT VARIES
Visibility and awards in some agencies; proposition and pipeline in others.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"Which piece of thinking brought a client in?"
05
Communications Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
The agency's reputation, and sometimes its clients' too.
HOW IT VARIES
Corporate narrative in-house, or crisis and media work on behalf of clients.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"What didn't you say, and why?"
06
Content Strategy Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
Connecting audience insight to measurable commercial outcomes.
HOW IT VARIES
Client-facing strategy lead, or the agency's own thought-leadership engine.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"How did you prove it worked?"
We also recruit across media sales, partnerships, PR, performance and digital marketing, and sales & marketing leadership.
Discuss a role in this sector →
03 — ROLES
What the title doesn't tell you
We also recruit across media sales, partnerships, PR, performance and digital marketing, and sales & marketing leadership.
Discuss a role in this sector
→
MARKETING
04
Agency Marketing Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
Attracting the kind of brief New Business actually wants.
HOW IT VARIES
Visibility and awards in some agencies; proposition and pipeline in others.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"Which piece of thinking brought a client in?"
05
Communications Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
The agency's reputation, and sometimes its clients' too.
HOW IT VARIES
Corporate narrative in-house, or crisis and media work on behalf of clients.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"What didn't you say, and why?"
06
Content Strategy Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
Connecting audience insight to measurable commercial outcomes.
HOW IT VARIES
Client-facing strategy lead, or the agency's own thought-leadership engine.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"How did you prove it worked?"
SALES, NEW BUSINESS & CLIENT GROWTH
01
New Business Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
Which pitches deserve the agency's time — not just winning them.
HOW IT VARIES
RFP-led in some agencies; relationship-led long before a brief in others.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"Tell us about a pitch you walked away from."
02
Client Services Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
The gap between what the client expects and what the fee covers.
HOW IT VARIES
Full P&L and renewal authority, or delivery lead with pricing held elsewhere.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"When did you last renegotiate scope mid-year?"
03
Account Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
Growth that doesn't turn into unpaid over-servicing.
HOW IT VARIES
Performance agencies build media economics; creative agencies build judgement on ambiguous briefs.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"How did the account's margin move under you?"
03 — ROLES
What the title doesn't tell you
MARKETING
Makes the agency's thinking visible before a brief appears
Uses case studies to demonstrate decisions and outcomes
Builds reputation that helps the agency enter consideration early
Communicates a clear proposition rather than a capability list
Aligns agency marketing with the work New Business actually wants
SALES
Qualifies opportunities before consuming pitch resource
Understands what is really driving the client's decision
Sells the agency that will actually deliver the work
Understands how the pricing model affects account economics
Protects scope, margin and relationship quality as accounts grow
04 — WHAT EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR
Strength signals
SALES
01
Qualifies opportunities before consuming pitch resource
02
Understands what is really driving the client's decision
03
Sells the agency that will actually deliver the work
04
Understands how the pricing model affects account economics
05
Protects scope, margin and relationship quality as accounts grow
MARKETING
01
Makes the agency's thinking visible before a brief appears
02
Uses case studies to demonstrate decisions and outcomes
03
Builds reputation that helps the agency enter consideration early
04
Communicates a clear proposition rather than a capability list
05
Aligns agency marketing with the work New Business actually wants
04 — WHAT EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR
Strength signals we listen for
04 — WHAT EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR
Strength signals we listen for
SALES STRENGTH SIGNALS
Understands who is actually making or influencing the decision
Qualifies genuine fit rather than eligibility alone
Understands how the funding model changes buying behaviour
Builds employer relationships beyond the first cohort
Sells the outcome while remaining realistic about delivery
MARKETING strength signals
Communicates outcomes without overpromising them
Understands the journey from awareness to enrolment
Reduces uncertainty around commitment, support and cost
Adapts propositions to learners, employers and other influencers
Differentiates programmes through relevance, delivery and outcomes
40-person Belfast brand agency needed a Commercial Director during a major repositioning.
Result: 3-person shortlist. Successful hire remains in post today.
The brief required an unusual combination of strategic leadership, people management and new business ability. We mapped the relevant market thoroughly and narrowed a broad potential field to three candidates capable of operating across all three areas.
05 — A RECENT SEARCH
In practice
05 — A RECENT SEARCH
In practice
Applied research centre needed a Business Development Lead to commercialise highly technical capability.
The role required someone who could understand a specialist technical offering and translate its value for established businesses and technology start-ups. We focused on commercially strong candidates able to bridge research, industry and new product development.
The successful hire delivered 3× the anticipated level of new engagement.
FOR EMPLOYERS
Discuss a Sales or Marketing Hire
For employers, we look beyond the obvious CV match and spend time understanding the learners, buyers, funding models and outcomes behind someone's experience.
We look beyond the agency name and title to the proposition, pricing model, account economics and real commercial ownership behind someone's experience.
DISCUSS A HIRE
FOR PROFESSIONALS
Considering your next move?
We help make sense of the experience you've built, what you're genuinely good at and where it might take you next.
REGISTER YOUR INTEREST
CALL TO ACTION
Hiring in Agency & Media?
A NOTE FROM THE FOUNDER
[Sarah to write — one sentence]
Sarah, Founder
About MRKTSEARCH →
A NOTE FROM THE FOUNDER
[Sarah to write — one sentence]
Sarah, Founder
About MRKTSEARCH →
A NOTE FROM THE FOUNDER
[Sarah to write — one sentence]
Sarah, Founder · About MRKTSEARCH →
3.098m
UK education jobs, Dec 2025
185.1k
Ireland education employees, Jul 2026
+1.3%
Ireland education employment growth, year-on-year Jul 2026
06 — THE NUMBERS
The Education & Training Economy
FOR EMPLOYERS
Discuss a Sales or Marketing Hire
For employers, we look beyond the obvious CV match and spend time understanding the learners, buyers, funding models and outcomes behind someone's experience.
SOURCES
Advertising Association; Creative Communications Ireland.
£35.2bn
UK creative & media agency GVA, 2024
£46.7bn
UK advertising investment, 2025
€1.7bn
Irish advertising market, 2025
06 — THE NUMBERS
The agency & media economy
Sales & Marketing in Education & Training often involves communicating value long before the outcome can be proven.
Someone can enquire, apply or even start a programme without it ultimately being the right choice for them, their employer or the provider.
The value of education is usually proven later. Attendance, engagement, completion, progression and what the learner can actually do afterwards all affect whether that initial recruitment was worthwhile.
Experienced Sales and Business Development professionals become better at understanding who is really making the decision, what support the learner will need and whether the programme genuinely fits the requirement.
Marketing has a similar job. It needs to make outcomes, commitment and value clear enough for people to make a confident decision without promising something the programme cannot reliably deliver.
01 — THE SECTOR
Unique Hiring Considerations
Sales & Marketing in Education & Training often involves communicating value long before the outcome can be proven.
Someone can enquire, apply or even start a programme without it ultimately being the right choice for them, their employer or the provider.
The value of education is usually proven later. Attendance, engagement, completion, progression and what the learner can actually do afterwards all affect whether that initial recruitment was worthwhile.
Experienced Sales and Business Development professionals become better at understanding who is really making the decision, what support the learner will need and whether the programme genuinely fits the requirement.
Marketing has a similar job. It needs to make outcomes, commitment and value clear enough for people to make a confident decision without promising something the programme cannot reliably deliver.
01 — THE SECTOR