Senior Marketing Manager at Discovery Limited

Key Purpose

• Discovery Health is South Africa’s leading medical scheme administrator, providing administration and managed-care services to more than 3.3 million beneficiaries. We support Discovery Health Medical Scheme—the country’s largest open medical scheme. 

The Senior Marketing Manager role manages the team responsible for Sales & Acquisitions for Discovery Health Medical Scheme, we focus on building a strong, credible brand presence that supports growth across all schemes we administer. This portfolio leads strategic marketing initiatives that include:

• Building and strengthening the Discovery Health and Discovery Health Medical Scheme brand, ensuring consistent, compelling positioning in a competitive healthcare market.
• Maintaining an impactful and active presence across social media platforms, showcasing our value, capabilities, and insights in ways that reinforce trust and attract prospective members.
• Ensuring message consistency across all public‑facing channels, strengthening brand equity and supporting long‑term growth for DHMS.
• Developing marketing strategies that support acquisition and sales efforts, ensuring advisers, employers, and prospective members clearly understand the strength and relevance of the offering.
• Supporting sales, onboarding, and acquisition efforts by equipping channels with clear, impactful messaging and tools that communicate the unique value of DHMS.
• Strengthening adviser and employer relationships through marketing that enhances understanding of scheme benefits, boosts confidence in our offerings, and supports informed decision-making.
• This portfolio plays a pivotal role in shaping how current and future members perceive the Scheme - ensuring the brand remains visible, credible, and compelling in the market.

Areas of responsibility may include but not limited to

 Drives the strategic direction of the Brand & Sales Portfolio

• Provides strategic direction for marketing and communication initiatives that enable sales performance and acquisition.
• Delivers the marketing and communication operational plan to meet defined sales targets and business goals.
• Implements principles and workflows to ensure marketing strategy is aligned to Discovery marketing model and overall business strategy.
• Collates, compiles and reports on key business metrics.
• Proposes initiatives and identifies opportunities for growth, expansion or new direction.

Operationalises, aligns and optimises large strategic marketing projects

• Leads cross‑functional collaboration by liaising with business units to understand marketing needs, coordinating project teams, and guiding change‑management and communication requirements.
• Manages end‑to‑end delivery of multiple marketing and business campaigns, from planning and scoping through execution, ensuring alignment to budget, timelines, and quality standards.
• Optimises project and resource planning by overseeing short‑ to medium‑term planning, identifying risks and opportunities, implementing contingencies, and improving internal service‑delivery processes.
• Monitors performance and ensures strategic impact by measuring campaign success, driving corrective actions, and ensuring initiatives contribute to profitability or other key business objectives.

Manages people and ensures continuous improvement and professional development

• Builds a high‑performance, collaborative team environment by fostering cross‑functional skills transfer, integrating diverse talents, encouraging inclusivity, and valuing individual contributions to strengthen team cohesion.
• Cultivates creativity, innovation, and continuous development by providing coaching, guidance, and support; ensuring the team is motivated, challenged, and equipped with strong product, technical, and industry knowledge.
• Drives effective people management and accountability by clarifying roles, procedures, and practices; delegating appropriately; conducting regular performance reviews; and monitoring delivery against expectations.
• Implements and improves fit‑for‑purpose marketing systems and practices while staying current on professional, technical, and legislative developments to ensure the team delivers strategy effectively and builds the brand.

Builds and manages both internal & external stakeholders

• Builds strong senior‑level and cross‑functional relationships by interfacing with business leaders, engaging partners, resolving conflicts, and ensuring the company’s image is upheld in all interactions.
• Collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to plan and implement solutions, align strategies and goals, secure documentation and sign‑off, and maintain effective vendor and supplier partnerships.
• Drives effective communication and knowledge‑sharing by facilitating constructive meetings, participating in forums, and encouraging innovation while managing business complexities.
• Creates opportunities to enhance brand visibility and keeps the organisation and its offerings top‑of‑mind across public, trade, and stakeholder audiences.

Education and Experience

• Relevant Bachelor's Degree: Honours/ Masters in BA / B.Comm in Marketing / Communications or other relevant qualifications
• 8 years + marketing / industry experience
• Knowledge of insurance, healthcare and/or financial services advantageous but not a pre-requisite.