Fractional VP of Marketing

An early-stage, founder-backed online auction marketplace is hiring a Fractional VP of Marketing / CMO to lead marketing from zero-to-one. The platform (in beta) operates real-time auctions supporting concurrent listings and time-limited bids. This hands-on senior role will define strategy, rapidly build trust signals, and drive buyer and seller acquisition to prove marketplace economics.

Responsibilities

• Diagnose the business and prioritize opportunities before committing to channel investments
• Define and own full-funnel marketing strategy (brand, paid, organic, influencer, community)
• Drive user acquisition for both buyers and sellers with measurable growth experiments
• Rapidly build trust signals and early traction for a consumer-facing auction product
• Manage paid media strategy and budgets; set and optimize performance targets (e.g., ROAS/CPA)
• Work hands-on in execution as needed (campaign setup, creative direction, landing pages)
• Refine and sharpen target audience and category positioning
• Build and scale the marketing function: identify hires (content, paid media, etc.) and onboard/select vendors
• Directly manage a Social Media Manager and collaborate closely with the Technology and Operations lead
• Report consistently with structured, tool-driven updates and performance dashboards
• Establish operating cadence, KPIs, and testing/iteration rhythms

Qualifications

• Proven experience growing marketplace or two-sided platforms (supply + demand)
• Strong user acquisition background with hands-on paid media management and measurable results
• Track record as a first/early senior marketing hire or leading a marketing function from scratch
• Comfortable operating in a zero-to-one, founder-led startup with high autonomy
• Data-driven: experience with analytics, attribution, testing frameworks, and clean reporting
• Demonstrated ability to build trust signals and drive consumer adoption for new products
• Strong project discipline: structured reporting, use of PM tooling, and reliable communication
• Comfortable managing external agencies and hiring specialists where needed