We were recently engaged by a client to conduct a search for a Marketing Director. Our client is a privately held cyber security SaaS vendor with approximately 150 full time-employees, located in downtown Toronto. When they approached us for the search, they had been trying to fill the role on their own for about 6 months, and engaged us at a point when time was of the essence—they needed someone in this newly created position as soon as possible.
This organization needed an experienced Marketing Director who could effectively lead a team of 10 senior marketers. They were looking for a candidate who had experience running all aspects of marketing, with a mix of experience working with enterprise and small/medium sized businesses. It was critical to the client to bring someone in who was a strong and successful leader, who could mentor and grow the team.
We presented a range of candidates to our client:
The Heavy Hitter: Base salary of $155K, with a variable bonus component.
- Was the Canadian Marketing Manager for the software division of one of the largest companies in the world.
- Effectively marketed the portfolio of software, which included security, automation software and storage management products.
- Delivered 12% year over year growth, and began hitting targets after just 2 quarters.
- Managed a team of 3 people.
The Customer Retention Champion: Base salary of $150K, with a 30% bonus.
- Ran North American marketing for a global B2B SaaS company, responsible for creating the go-to market strategy, and it’s execution across events, trade shows, sales enablement, digital, email marketing campaigns, and content.
- Built a successful customer retention initiative, which reduced churn from 30% down to 17%.
- Leads a team of 7 marketers.
The Messaging Maven: Base salary of $137K, with $30K bonus.
- Experienced Director of Marketing, brought into their most recent role to manage a major business pivot.
- Developed account based marketing and implemented sales enablement tools.
- Raised the bar on thought leadership through content marketing, and collaborated on overall branding and message alignment.
- Leads a team of 11 marketers.
The Matrixed Manager: Base salary of $177K, with a variable component.
- An experienced VP of Marketing at a B2B SaaS vendor, selling to large enterprise.
- Responsible for everything in the demand funnel, as well as driving efficiencies to turn leads to sales.
- Directly manages a team of 10 direct reports, and influences the work of 45 matrixed employees.
The Hire: Base salary of $135K, with a variable bonus.
- Was the first marketing hire at a B2B SaaS startup, responsible for developing the go-to market strategy and messaging, while driving demand and product marketing.
- Background in product marketing, with extensive experience running all aspects of marketing for SaaS companies, including sales enablement.
- Experienced running all aspects of marketing while leading a team.
To attract the candidate they hired, our client offered a base salary of $150K, with a 15% variable bonus based on company-wide and individual metrics. The package also included unlimited vacation time, benefits available from day one, and stock options.
As you can see, compensation for these candidates varies significantly based on the length and scope of experience, and leadership capability.
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For organizations and job seekers alike, it can be challenging to understand what a particular position should pay. Often, it’s a calculation between salary surveys that lack all context, what a person has earned in the past, and ad hoc conversations with others in the field.
We’re sharing market insights into current compensation packages for key roles in the tech industry. Our recruiters conduct targeted searches on behalf of our clients, seeking out candidates who fit the requirements of the role, and diligently qualifying them to present only the very best talent. These posts are meant to highlight the contextual elements that make up compensation, and to help our clients and candidates better understand the current market forces that affect earning potential.
Is your organization hiring key talent that will drive your growth? Book a consultation with our friendly and knowledgeable team of marketing recruiters in Toronto today—we live and breathe the tech talent ecosystem every day, and can help you understand the market for the talent you need.