Fractional CMO

Engagement Type: Fractional  |  Days: 2–3 days per week  |  Location: Sydney (on-site preferred)

Budget: $8,500–$12,500 per month  |  Start: July 2026 (preferred)

This is a fast-scaling, founder-led fitness business with eight locations across Sydney. Starting as a small bootcamp over a decade ago, the business has grown into what it describes as a 'super boutique' — delivering boutique-quality fitness experiences at commercial scale.

In the past year alone, the business doubled its member base and workforce, opening three new locations. It is now preparing to open a further three to five locations over the next 12 months. Alongside this physical expansion, the organisation is launching several new sub-brands, creating a genuine multi-brand marketing challenge.

The Head of Marketing is departing at the end of June, creating a need for experienced senior marketing leadership on a fractional basis. The co-founders — one of whom has been deeply embedded in marketing strategy for many years — are now focused on location acquisition and broader business growth, creating a genuine gap in day-to-day strategic marketing leadership.

This role is not a seat-filler. The organisation is at an inflection point: multi-brand, multi-location, high growth, and in need of someone who can architect strategy, lead a capable in-house team, and lay the foundations for a permanent CMO hire over the next 12–18 months.

You will step into an established and well-resourced in-house team, including:

• Digital Growth Manager (with a direct report Content Creator focused on TikTok)

• Senior Graphic Designer

• PR & Communications Manager

• Campaign Marketing Lead

• In-house Videographer

Additional agencies and specialist talent are engaged on a project basis. This is a team that has been built for growth — your role is to align, elevate, and direct it.

The organisation currently operates one primary fitness brand across multiple locations. Over the next 12 months, the brand portfolio will expand significantly:

• Existing fitness brand (3 legacy locations, expanding)

• One Coach — newly launched

• One Coach Academy — launching soon

• Two further potential brands in development

The successful candidate will need to think across all of these simultaneously — building frameworks that scale, not just campaigns that fire.

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and own the 12–18 month marketing strategy across all brands and locations

• Advise the co-founders and senior leadership on brand positioning, competitive landscape, and growth opportunities

• Set the strategic direction for customer acquisition, retention, and lifetime value across the member base

Team Leadership & Mentoring

• Lead and mentor the existing in-house marketing team, driving performance and cohesion

• Establish clear KPIs and performance frameworks across the department

• Actively support the recruitment brief for a permanent Head of Marketing / CMO

Brand & Multi-Brand Management

• Oversee the launch and ongoing positioning of new sub-brands

• Ensure brand integrity and consistency across an expanding portfolio

• Develop scalable brand systems that can support rapid location rollout

Growth & Acquisition

• Drive membership growth strategy across existing and new locations

• Oversee digital acquisition channels, including paid and organic search, social media, and email

• Identify and leverage non-traditional channels suited to the 'super boutique' positioning

Systems & Operations

• Implement or refine marketing systems, processes, and reporting infrastructure

• Ensure the team has the tools, dashboards, and accountability structures to operate at scale

We are not looking for a big-agency CMO or a corporate-background marketer. We want someone who thrives in founder-led, fast-moving small businesses — someone who has been there before and knows how to build marketing that works under resource pressure.

• Proven senior marketing leadership in a small business, startup, or founder-led environment

• Comfortable operating as a generalist strategist who can also direct specialists

• Experience managing or building multi-brand or multi-product marketing strategies

• Strong commercial acumen — you connect marketing activity to business outcomes

• Excellent communicator who can hold their own in the room with co-founders

• Experience setting up marketing systems, KPIs, and performance frameworks

• Sydney-based, with the ability to work on-site 2–3 days per week (Surrey Hills area)

Experience in fitness, health, or membership-based businesses is a bonus, not a requirement. We actively welcome candidates who bring fresh thinking from adjacent industries — luxury hospitality, retail, lifestyle, wellness, or premium consumer brands.

This is a business that was built from the gym floor up. Culture is taken seriously here — the Head of People & Culture is leading this process, and culture fit is weighted heavily alongside technical capability. The ideal candidate is someone who can match the energy and pace of a business that is genuinely moving fast, while bringing the strategic calm that an experienced senior marketer provides.

• 2–3 days per week on a monthly retainer basis

• Budget range: $8,500–$12,500 per month, depending on experience and scope

• Minimum 3-month engagement, with the expectation of extending through to permanent CMO placement

• Sydney-based and available to work on-site (Surrey Hills)