Title:  Senior Marketing Manager - Passenger

Senior Marketing Manager - Passenger 

• Shape how Interislander and Great Journeys New Zealand are marketed to customers here and around the world

• Drive how brand and commercial strategy delivers impactful campaigns and creates demand

• Permanent full-time role Wellington or Christchurch based

Position Description

He kōrero mō mātou | About us

At KiwiRail, we're proud to connect people, goods and communities across Aotearoa. Through Interislander and Great Journeys New Zealand, we deliver some of the country's most memorable travel experiences while supporting tourism, regional economies and sustainable transport.  As KiwiRail continues to invest in the future of Passenger, including exciting developments such as the future Interislander fleet programme, we're looking for a talented marketing leader to help drive awareness, customer demand and growth across our Passenger business.

He whakamārama mō te tūranga mahi | About the role

This is a rare opportunity to lead the marketing of two distinctly New Zealand travel brands at an exciting point in their evolution.  Reporting to the Head of Customer, Product & Brand, you'll lead marketing across Interislander and Great Journeys New Zealand, turning brand strategy, customer insight and commercial priorities into marketing that builds demand and strengthens our brands.  You'll set the direction for an experienced marketing and creative team, lead integrated planning and campaigns, and ensure our brands come to life brilliantly and consistently across every channel.  Just as importantly, you'll work across Passenger with Revenue & Growth, Product, Customer Experience, Digital and operational teams. You'll connect the dots, bring strong commercial judgement to marketing decisions and help turn good ideas into joined-up customer activity that delivers results.  And with change ahead for Passenger, including the future Interislander ferries, you'll have the opportunity to influence how some of New Zealand's best-known travel experiences are taken to market in the years ahead.

What you'll be doing

• Setting the marketing strategy and annual plan across Interislander and Great Journeys New Zealand.

• Turning brand strategy into action, ensuring each brand is expressed distinctively and consistently across campaigns, content, channels and customer touchpoints.

• Leading integrated campaigns and marketing activity that build consideration, demand and long-term brand value.

• Connecting marketing with commercial priorities, using customer, market and performance insight to guide where we focus and invest.

• Working shoulder-to-shoulder with Revenue & Growth, Product, Customer Experience, Digital and Operations to deliver joined-up plans, outcomes.

• Measuring campaign effectiveness and using data and insights to optimise future performance.

• Setting a high creative and marketing standard, challenging briefs and work when needed and helping teams and partners understand what great looks like.

• Leading, coaching and developing a talented team and creating the environment for people to do their best work.

• Getting the best from agencies, creative partners, suppliers and marketing investment.

Ngā pūkenga e rapu nei mātou | What you'll bring

You're a senior marketer who can zoom out and zoom in. You can think strategically about brand, customers and commercial opportunity, then empower a team turn that thinking into excellent work.

You'll bring:

• Significant senior marketing experience in a customer-led organisation such as tourism, travel, transport, retail, hospitality, services or another strong consumer brand.

• Strong commercial judgement and confidence connecting marketing choices and investment to customer demand and business outcomes.

• Proven experience translating brand and commercial strategy into distinctive, consistent execution across multiple channels.

• Strong integrated marketing capability and an understanding of how brand, content, media, PR, digital and performance channels work together.

• Experience working successfully across functions, particularly alongside commercial, digital, product, customer and operational teams.

• A track record of leading and coaching talented teams, setting clear expectations and lifting the quality of the work.

• Strong creative judgement. You know what great marketing looks like and can explain why.

• Confidence using customer, market and campaign insight to make better decisions.

• The ability to influence senior stakeholders, agencies and partners without needing to own everything yourself.

• A relevant tertiary qualification in Marketing, Communications, Business or a related discipline, or equivalent experience.

You don't need to be a specialist in every marketing discipline. What matters is that you understand how the pieces fit together, ask the right questions and can bring specialist teams together around a strong brand and commercial outcome.

Nōu te rourou | What's in it for you?

At KiwiRail you'll have the opportunity to make a real impact across nationally recognised brands while helping shape the future of passenger travel in New Zealand.

In return, we offer:

• A key leadership role within a growing and evolving Passenger business.

• The opportunity to work on major tourism, transport and customer experience initiatives.

• Competitive remuneration and a 4% employer KiwiSaver contribution.

• Discounted Southern Cross medical insurance.

• Staff travel benefits and retail partner discounts.

• Ongoing professional development opportunities.

• Access to the NZ Rail Staff Welfare Trust and a range of employee benefits.

Kua rite, kia rite | Ready to make a difference?

If you're a commercially savvy marketing leader with a passion for creating exceptional brand experiences and delivering campaigns that drive results, we'd love to hear from you.

Join KiwiRail and help tell the stories, build the brands and create the customer demand that will power the future of Passenger travel across Aotearoa.

Applications close:  Thursday 5th of November 2026