Senior Marketing Manager, The Game Collection Job at Swsea Full Time

With over 30 years’ experience in the video game industry, Curveball Leisure is a leading game publisher, distributor, and retailer operating three main lines of business: video games publishing; worldwide B2B distribution of video games & consumer electronics; and a leading UK online retail of video games, collectables, and consumer electronics.

Our online retail arm — The Game Collection (TGC) and its sister brand TGC Collectables (TGCC) — serves a passionate community of gaming enthusiasts across the UK with a broad catalogue of games, hardware, accessories, and collectables. We’re ambitious, growing fast, and looking for a senior marketer to help take us to the next level.

The Senior Marketing Manager leads all marketing and communications for TGC and TGCC, sitting within the Online Retail business line and supporting wider Curveball initiatives when required. Reporting to the Commercial Director, they are directly accountable for traffic and revenue growth, marketing budget ROI, and consumer-facing communications across all channels.

This is a commercially driven, hands-on leadership role. The ideal candidate is data-literate and creatively ambitious — someone who can define the vision, own the planning, direct agencies and internal resource, and roll up their sleeves to get things done.

• Social Media Executive (direct report): manages day-to-day social platforms. The SMM provides strategic direction and actively supports the Exec in platform management during key campaign periods.
• Creative Executive (in-house): delivers design and video content for Online Retail and Publishing. The SMM briefs and collaborates closely to produce assets across all channels.
• Paid Media Agency (external): manages paid digital channels. The SMM is the primary client-side lead, setting strategy and holding the agency accountable to performance.

1. Commercial Performance & Growth

This role is fundamentally about delivering numbers — traffic, revenue, CAC, LTV, and ROAS.

• Own marketing’s contribution to key KPIs: website traffic, conversion rate, revenue, CAC, LTV, and ROAS; manage the marketing budget to maximise ROI.
• Build reporting frameworks to monitor and communicate performance across all channels, with full transparency to senior leadership.
• Translate commercial goals and trading periods (game launches, Black Friday, Christmas) into effective, revenue-generating activity; align closely with the Commercial Director and trading team on priorities, pricing, and stock position.

2. Marketing Planning & Coordination

• Own and maintain the master Marketing & Content Calendar across all channels, campaigns, and content outputs.
• Develop seasonal and campaign-level plans anchored to commercial objectives and the gaming release calendar.
• Coordinate across the Social Media Exec, Creative Executive, Paid Media Agency, and wider Curveball teams to ensure campaigns are briefed, produced, and activated cohesively.

3. Content Strategy & Content Marketing

The SMM defines and elevates TGC’s content strategy — making it a genuine growth driver, not a reactive support function.

• Define the overarching Content Strategy for TGC and TGCC: tone of voice, content pillars, editorial direction, and channel-specific approach.
• Develop the content plan across formats: organic social, CRM, website editorial, SEO blog content, YouTube, short-form video (TikTok/Reels), and community platforms.
• Actively participate in content creation — from ideation and scripting to reviewing final assets — working with the Social Media Exec and Creative Exec, and continuously raising the bar on quality.
• Monitor content performance (engagement, reach, traffic, conversions) and iterate; stay ahead of trends across gaming, pop culture, and retail.

4. CRM & Customer Retention

The SMM directly owns TGC’s CRM programme — strategically and operationally. Hands-on platform experience is essential.

• Own the CRM strategy for TGC and TGCC, focused on repeat purchase, LTV growth, and churn reduction.
• Manage the email marketing programme end-to-end: segmentation, copywriting, A/B testing, scheduling, and performance analysis.
• Build and optimise automated flows: welcome series, post-purchase, basket abandonment, win-back, VIP/loyalty, and category-specific nurture journeys.
• Lead CRM reporting across open rates, CTR, conversion, revenue attribution, list health, and deliverability; ensure full GDPR compliance.

5. Paid Media — Agency Management & Strategy

• Act as primary client-side lead for the Paid Media agency across PPC/Google Search, Google Shopping, Paid Social, and other agreed channels.
• Define paid media strategy, KPIs, and budgets; hold regular performance reviews, challenge results, redirect spend where needed, and ensure maximum value from the relationship.

6. Social Media

The Social Media Exec manages day-to-day activity; the SMM sets direction and actively supports execution.

• Own the social media strategy across Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, YouTube, Discord, Reddit, and other relevant platforms.
• Provide content direction, calendar guidance, and creative feedback; support the Exec with content creation, scheduling, and community management.
• Identify, evaluate, and manage influencer and creator collaboration opportunities.

7. Other Areas of Activity & Influence

• Brand: custodian of TGC’s brand identity, tone of voice, and market positioning across all consumer-facing touchpoints.
• Affiliate: own and develop TGC’s affiliate programmes to drive incremental traffic and revenue.
• PR & Partnerships: manage PR activity for gaming press coverage and brand awareness; develop collaborations with publishers, hardware brands, and gaming platforms.
• SEO & GEO: work with the Ecommerce team to ensure organic visibility on search engines and generative engines through web content quality and editorial content.
• Website & CRO: coordinate web content with the Marketing Calendar; support on-site experience and conversion goals in collaboration with Ecommerce.
• Support broader Curveball marketing initiatives across Distribution and Publishing when required.

Essential

• Proven track record in a senior marketing role within ecommerce, online retail, or a DTC brand, with direct accountability for traffic and revenue.
• Deeply commercial mindset: fluent in ROI, CAC, LTV, and ROAS; comfortable in a P&L context and reporting to commercial leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute a multi-channel content strategy with creative ambition and measurable results.
• Excellent marketing planning and project management skills across a complex, multi-channel calendar.
• Outstanding written communication: compelling copy, creative briefs, and clear strategy presentations to senior stakeholders.
• Genuine, hands-on CRM expertise on an ESP platform (Klaviyo, Mailchimp, or equivalent).
• Experience managing external agencies — briefing, performance management, budget oversight, and accountability.
• Confident with GA4, Google Search Console, Meta Ads Manager, and equivalent analytics platforms.
• Genuine passion for gaming, collectables, or consumer electronics — a real affinity for TGC’s audience and culture.

Desirable

• Familiarity with affiliate marketing platforms and programme management.
• Experience with influencer and creator partnerships.
• Background in gaming retail, publishing, or consumer electronics.
• Experience in video content planning, scripting, or production.
• Degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or equivalent.

• A senior, high-impact role with genuine commercial ownership and visibility at the highest level of the business.
• The opportunity to shape the marketing function for one of the UK’s leading specialist online gaming retailers, with a path towards Head of Marketing as the business grows.
• A fast-paced, collaborative environment where good ideas are welcomed, initiative is valued, and strong performance is recognised.
• A passionate, expert team with over 30 years of deep roots in the gaming industry.