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Industries
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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.
Not-for-profit
The most meaningful of all commercial functions, but an unequal landscape of support.
Recruitment for fundraising, partnerships, income generation, marketing and communications roles across charities, membership bodies, social enterprises and purpose-led organisations.
SALES & MARKETING RECRUITMENT IN
SALES & MARKETING RECRUITMENT
Not-for-profit
The most meaningful of all commercial functions, but an unequal landscape of support.
Recruitment for fundraising, partnerships, income generation, marketing and communications roles across charities, membership bodies, social enterprises and purpose-led organisations.
1 - BIG PICTURE STORY:
The Not-for-Profit Economy
THE UK PICTURE
The UK voluntary sector employed approximately 978,000 people in 2024, around 3% of the UK workforce. More than half worked for organisations employing fewer than 50 people. (NCVO) The scale of registered charitable activity is also substantial. At 31 March 2026, the Charity Commission register for England and Wales contained 171,112 charities, with registered charities reporting approximately £107 billion of annual income. (GOV.UK)
THE IRISH PICTURE
Ireland had 11,445 registered charities at the end of 2024. Research undertaken for the Charities Regulator has previously estimated that charities employ approximately 280,000 people in Ireland, excluding the HSE. (RTÉ) Within that economy, however, a charity dependent on individual donations operates very differently from a contracted service provider, membership organisation or organisation funded predominantly through trusts and foundations.
£18.3bn
UK civil-society GVA, 2024
11,516
Registered charities in Ireland, end-2023
996k
UK civil-society filled jobs, 2024
01 — THE SECTOR
Unique hiring considerations:
In Not-for-Profit, more income does not automatically mean a stronger organisation. A large grant, contract or corporate partnership can look like a commercial success while bringing restrictions, additional delivery costs or commitments that leave very little flexibility for the organisation itself.
People with deeper sector experience learn to look at what sits behind the headline amount. Where can the money be spent? Does it cover the real cost of delivery? What does the organisation have to promise in return? And does accepting it strengthen the mission or quietly pull resources away from it?
Fundraising and partnership professionals work within that tension.
Marketing does too. The organisation needs to create enough urgency for people to care, give or participate, while representing the work accurately and treating the people whose experiences make the story powerful with care.
Income generation, communication and public engagement all have to remain accountable to beneficiaries, funders and the wider public.
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 Fundraising Managers may both show income targets, donor relationships and successful campaigns.
One may specialise in individual giving, digital acquisition, supporter journeys and retention.
Another may build trusts, foundations or corporate partnerships through long decision cycles, evidence-led proposals and significant stewardship.
The income may look comparable while the source, restrictions, cost to secure it and relationship complexity are completely different.
CANDIDATE B — SHAPES THE BRIEF BEFORE IT EXISTS
Develops trusts and foundation relationships
Builds complex evidence-led applications
• Qualifies carefully for fit, margin and win probability
CANDIDATE A — STRONGEST ONCE THE BRIEF LANDS
Develops trusts and foundation relationships
Works with high volumes of individual donors
Focuses heavily on retention and lifetime supporter value
02 — HOW WE ASSESS
Same CV. Different capability.
02 — HOW WE ASSESS
Same CV. Different capability.
Two Fundraising Managers may both show income targets, donor relationships and successful campaigns.
One may specialise in individual giving, digital acquisition, supporter journeys and retention.
Another may build trusts, foundations or corporate partnerships through long decision cycles, evidence-led proposals and significant stewardship.
The income may look comparable while the source, restrictions, cost to secure it and relationship complexity are completely different.
SAME JOB TITLE - CANDIDATE A
Uses digital acquisition and supporter journeys
Works with high volumes of individual donors
Focuses heavily on retention and lifetime supporter value
SAME JOB TITLE - CANDIDATE B
Develops trusts and foundation relationships
Builds complex evidence-led applications
Works across long institutional decision cycles
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 how different income models actually work
Looks beyond gross income to restrictions and delivery cost
Builds relationships before asking for commitment
Protects organisational priorities when developing funding
Balances new income with retention and long-term resilience
MARKETING strength signals
Connects purpose with a specific audience action
Communicates impact rather than activity alone
Uses human stories responsibly
Understands the needs of very different stakeholder groups
Creates urgency without weakening trust or accuracy
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
Charity needed a sales and marketing hire in a difficult, non-traditional fundraising market.
We looked beyond conventional charity marketing profiles for someone combining digital capability with the persistence to build new commercial relationships. The successful candidate has since strengthened visibility, audience growth and sponsor engagement across the organisation.
1 hire delivered material growth in followers and sponsor engagement.
FOR EMPLOYERS
Discuss a Sales or Marketing Hire
For employers, we look beyond the obvious charity name and job title and spend time understanding the income model, audiences, organisational scale, governance, evidence requirements and real responsibility 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 →
£18.3bn
UK civil-society GVA, 2024
11,516
Registered charities in Ireland, end-2023
996k
UK civil-society filled jobs, 2024
06 — THE NUMBERS
The Not-for-Profit Economy
FOR EMPLOYERS
Discuss a Sales or Marketing Hire
For employers, we look beyond the obvious charity name and job title and spend time understanding the income model, audiences, organisational scale, governance, evidence requirements and real responsibility 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
In Not-for-Profit, more income does not automatically mean a stronger organisation. A large grant, contract or corporate partnership can look like a commercial success while bringing restrictions, additional delivery costs or commitments that leave very little flexibility for the organisation itself.
People with deeper sector experience learn to look at what sits behind the headline amount. Where can the money be spent? Does it cover the real cost of delivery? What does the organisation have to promise in return? And does accepting it strengthen the mission or quietly pull resources away from it?
Fundraising and partnership professionals work within that tension.
Marketing does too. The organisation needs to create enough urgency for people to care, give or participate, while representing the work accurately and treating the people whose experiences make the story powerful with care.
Income generation, communication and public engagement all have to remain accountable to beneficiaries, funders and the wider public.
01 — THE SECTOR
Unique Hiring Considerations
In Not-for-Profit, more income does not automatically mean a stronger organisation. A large grant, contract or corporate partnership can look like a commercial success while bringing restrictions, additional delivery costs or commitments that leave very little flexibility for the organisation itself.
People with deeper sector experience learn to look at what sits behind the headline amount. Where can the money be spent? Does it cover the real cost of delivery? What does the organisation have to promise in return? And does accepting it strengthen the mission or quietly pull resources away from it?
Fundraising and partnership professionals work within that tension.
Marketing does too. The organisation needs to create enough urgency for people to care, give or participate, while representing the work accurately and treating the people whose experiences make the story powerful with care.
Income generation, communication and public engagement all have to remain accountable to beneficiaries, funders and the wider public.
01 — THE SECTOR