Chief Growth and Engagement Officer

Lead growth. Build engagement. Shape the future.

Scotland’s largest independent school, ESM brings together the heritage and strengths of The Mary Erskine School, Stewart’s Melville College and ESMS Junior School under one shared identity.

Building on more than 330 years of educational excellence, ESM combines a sector-leading reputation with significant recent investment, outstanding facilities and a clear ambition for continued growth and innovation.

As ESM embarks on an exciting new chapter, we are seeking an exceptional Chief Growth & Engagement Officer to join our Executive Leadership Team. With ambitious plans for the future, this newly created role offers a rare opportunity to drive growth, strengthen market leadership, enhance brand engagement and develop sustainable income streams.

You will have the opportunity to create a high-performing growth and engagement function that drives enrolment, strengthens brand leadership, deepens community engagement and supports long-term sustainability.

Reporting to the Principal, you will:

• Develop and deliver ESM’s long-term growth strategy, driving enrolment growth, increasing market share and enhancing competitive positioning.
• Lead strategic oversight of admissions, marketing, communications, development of alumni engagement, alumni relations and commercial operations.
• Strengthen awareness, reputation and advocacy for the ESM brand, ensuring the School remains the first-choice destination for families seeking an exceptional independent education.
• Drive demand generation and pupil recruitment performance through data-driven customer acquisition and engagement strategies.
• Identify and develop new revenue opportunities through partnerships, philanthropy, fundraising, sponsorship and commercial ventures.
• Harness insights, market intelligence and analytics to optimise decision-making, conversion and long-term growth.
• Advise the Principal and Governing Council on enrolment trends, pricing strategy, market dynamics, brand positioning and growth opportunities.
• Build meaningful relationships with prospective families, alumni, supporters, partners and the wider ESM community.

We are looking for someone who can demonstrate:

• A proven track record of delivering measurable growth, market expansion, revenue generation or customer acquisition.
• Experience leading commercial, growth, marketing, business development or customer-focused functions.
• Strong strategic and commercial acumen, with an ability to translate ambition into results.
• Experience building highly engaged brands and developing compelling customer propositions.
• A strong understanding of relationship-led income generation, including fundraising, development, partnerships or stakeholder engagement.
• Exceptional influencing and stakeholder management skills.
• A data-led and insight-driven approach to decision making.