Vice President, Growth Marketing

Remote (U.S.-based, PST or MST) | Hands-On Marketing Leadership

Search Overview

We are proud to be exclusively retained on this executive search for a highly respected, private equity–backed flight pilot training organization entering its next phase of growth. This search represents a critical leadership hire with direct visibility to executive leadership and PE investors.

About the Organization

Our client is a nationally recognized flight training and aviation education organization with more than 25 years of experience training 8,000+ pilots across domestic and international markets. Graduates are consistently hired by commercial airlines, and the organization’s highly structured training programs set a higher standard in commercial aviation and transportation training.

With training operations based in ideal Southwest flight environments, the company offers a wide variety of pilot training programs designed to build the foundation for long-term aviation careers—anchored in a deep commitment to safety, student success, and career outcomes.

Now private equity invested, the organization is focused on disciplined, marketing-led growth and brand expansion within the aviation ecosystem.

The Role

This is a hands-on Vice President–level Growth Marketing role, reporting directly to the CEO and working closely with PE stakeholders. The VP of Growth Marketing will own and execute the entire marketing growth engine, driving enrollment, brand strength, and strategic partnerships through multichannel digital marketing.

This is not a CMO search. The ideal candidate is a strong, execution-oriented digital marketer—creative, analytical, and performance-driven—who has successfully partnered with C-level leaders and delivered measurable results for private equity–backed businesses.

The role is fully remote, ideal for a marketing leader who is deeply passionate about the flight and aviation industry.

Key Responsibilities

Growth Marketing & Demand Generation

• Own and execute a marketing-led growth strategy focused on demand, enrollment, and brand lift (not sales-led growth)

• Drive measurable pipeline and enrollment growth through performance marketing, SEO/SEM, paid media, lifecycle marketing, and funnel optimization

• Establish KPIs and reporting aligned to PE value-creation goals

Digital & Performance Marketing

• Lead all digital marketing initiatives, including website optimization, analytics, and conversion rate optimization

• Manage and scale multichannel performance marketing campaigns across paid search, paid social, and programmatic channels

• Balance strong creative execution with marketing by the numbers

Brand, Content & Community

• Strengthen brand authority within the aviation, flight training, and pilot communities

• Lead messaging centered on safety, training excellence, student outcomes, and airline placement

• Oversee content, video, and social media strategies that resonate with both domestic and global audiences

Partnerships & Market Expansion

• Build and expand university and collegiate partnerships to support aviation career pipelines

• Support and strengthen commercial airline partnerships through co-marketing and talent-aligned initiatives

• Expand brand presence across both domestic and international pilot-training markets

Executive & PE Partnership

• Work closely with the CEO and executive leadership team on growth planning and execution

• Deliver clear, data-driven marketing outcomes aligned with private equity investor expectations

• Operate as a true player-coach within a high-impact, ~30-person organization

Ideal Candidate Profile

• 8–12+ years of experience in growth marketing, demand generation, or digital marketing leadership

• Proven success driving marketing-led growth in PE-backed, education, training, or services-based organizations

• Demonstrated experience working closely with C-level executives and delivering outcomes for PE investors

• Strong hands-on digital marketing expertise across performance marketing, SEO, paid media, content, and analytics

• Domestic and global marketing experience, with the ability to reach and convert international audiences

• Highly creative, deeply analytical, and relentlessly growth-focused

• Passion for aviation, flight training, or career-based education strongly preferred

Compensation

• Competitive base salary

• Performance-based bonus

• Equity participation, aligned with long-term value creation

Why This Opportunity

• Exclusive, retained executive search for a PE-backed aviation leader

• High-impact role working directly with the CEO and investors

• Opportunity to own and scale the entire growth marketing function

• Meaningful influence on pilot career outcomes and aviation education

• Remote flexibility with executive-level responsibility

SEO Keywords

Aviation marketing, flight training marketing, pilot training programs, commercial pilot training, aviation education, airline pilot careers, growth marketing leadership, private equity marketing, digital marketing aviation, demand generation education

Hashtags

#GrowthMarketing #AviationMarketing #FlightTraining #PilotTraining #PrivateEquityJobs #DigitalMarketingLeadership #PerformanceMarketing #AviationCareers #DemandGeneration #MarketingLeadership #RemoteExecutive #PEBacked