Marketing
Demand Gen
You orchestrate revenue engines through data-driven campaigns and systematic growth experiments. This path builds CMOs who think like operators, turning marketing into a measurable profit center rather than a cost center.
The Career Arc
Rotational · L1–L3
Build the Demand Gen craft. Prove you can wield the tools of Marketing.
Transformational · L4–L7
Deliver Demand Gen outcomes — each Marketing tour at this altitude has a defined mission and success criteria.
- L4 : Lead demand gen programs and mentor others
- L5 : Drive demand gen strategy and innovation
- L6 : Define demand gen strategy and architect the company's most impactful campaigns
- L7 : Serve as the company's foremost demand generation strategist
Manage a Team?
Great Demand Gen managers are practitioners first. The Marketing IC responsibilities in L4–L7 are your foundation — your management responsibilities are additive:
- • Hire marketers who understand the customer—not just the channel
- • Coach strategic thinking—connect campaigns to business outcomes
- • Run 1:1s that develop both creative instincts and analytical rigor
- • Give feedback that challenges ideas while respecting creative risk-taking
- • Remove blockers—fight for budget, cross-functional alignment, and brand latitude
Foundational · L8–L9
Shape the Marketing organization from the Demand Gen chair — build institutions, not just products.
L1 — Associate Demand Gen Specialist Rotational
Mission
Learn demand generation fundamentals
This tour of duty
Execute your first demand gen campaign
Own the outcomes
- • Learn demand generation fundamentals and campaign execution
- • Support campaign setup and launch activities
- • Assist with ad copy and creative development
- • Build audience lists and targeting segments
- • Track campaign metrics and create reports
- • Participate in campaign planning meetings
Demand Gen at L1 — the competency bar
AI in this role
- • Creating ad copy variations
- • Analyzing campaign data
- • Building audience segments
L2 — Junior Demand Gen Specialist Rotational
Mission
Execute campaigns with guidance
This tour of duty
Run campaigns that hit MQL targets
Own the outcomes
- • Execute campaigns with guidance from leadership
- • Manage paid media and email campaigns
- • Optimize campaigns for conversion and efficiency
- • Build landing pages and nurture sequences
- • Analyze campaign performance and share insights
- • Coordinate with sales on lead handoff
Demand Gen at L2 — the competency bar
AI in this role
- • Developing campaign plans
- • Analyzing conversion funnels
- • Creating landing pages
L3 — Senior Demand Gen Specialist Rotational
Mission
Own campaign execution independently
This tour of duty
Optimize a channel to significantly improve ROI
Own the outcomes
- • Own campaign execution independently
- • Develop integrated campaign strategies
- • Test and optimize new channels and tactics
- • Handle campaign budgets and ROI optimization
- • Build attribution and measurement frameworks
- • Contribute to demand gen best practices
Demand Gen at L3 — the competency bar
AI in this role
- • Optimizing campaign performance
- • Analyzing channel effectiveness
- • Creating test strategies
L4 — Staff Demand Gen Manager / Manager, Demand Generation Transformational
Mission
Lead demand gen programs and mentor others
This tour of duty
Build a program that becomes a major pipeline source
Own the outcomes
- • Lead demand gen programs and mentor others
- • Develop demand gen playbooks and frameworks
- • Build relationships with sales leadership
- • Create innovative campaign approaches
- • Influence marketing technology and tools
- • Train others on campaign optimization
Demand Gen at L4 — the competency bar
AI in this role
- • Building demand gen playbooks
- • Analyzing pipeline patterns
- • Creating training content
L5 — Senior Staff Demand Gen Manager / Senior Manager, Demand Generation Transformational
Mission
Drive demand gen strategy and innovation
This tour of duty
Transform demand generation effectiveness
Own the outcomes
- • Drive demand gen strategy and innovation
- • Define best practices for demand gen excellence
- • Shape strategic initiatives for pipeline growth
- • Build scalable demand generation motions
- • Influence marketing strategy through insights
- • Create demand gen frameworks that scale
Demand Gen at L5 — the competency bar
AI in this role
- • Developing demand strategies
- • Analyzing market trends
- • Creating thought leadership
L6 — Director, Demand Generation Transformational
Mission
Define demand gen strategy and architect the company's most impactful campaigns
This tour of duty
Build a team that drives predictable pipeline
Own the outcomes
- • Define demand generation strategy and architect the company's most impactful campaigns
- • Pioneer innovative demand gen approaches that transform pipeline performance
- • Establish best practices and playbooks that elevate demand gen excellence
- • Serve as the expert on campaign optimization and marketing ROI
- • Drive initiatives that shape demand generation approach company-wide
- • Influence marketing strategy through deep performance insights
Demand Gen at L6 — the competency bar
AI in this role
- • Forecasting and planning
- • Building team playbooks
- • Creating programs
L7 — Senior Director, Demand Generation Transformational
Mission
Serve as the company's foremost demand generation strategist
This tour of duty
Scale demand gen across markets
Own the outcomes
- • Serve as the company's foremost expert in demand generation methodology
- • Define the strategic framework for predictable pipeline creation
- • Establish thought leadership in growth marketing and demand gen innovation
- • Architect innovative campaign approaches for market expansion
- • Drive cross-functional alignment on demand generation initiatives
- • Shape demand gen culture through expertise and best practices
Demand Gen at L7 — the competency bar
AI in this role
- • Market analysis
- • Building scale strategies
- • Creating regional plans
L8 — VP, Demand Generation Foundational
Mission
Own demand generation strategy
This tour of duty
Transform marketing's pipeline contribution
Own the outcomes
- • Own demand generation strategy and planning
- • Build organizational structure for demand gen
- • Define demand gen investment and priorities
- • Establish operational excellence metrics
- • Drive alignment with Sales on pipeline
- • Represent demand gen in executive forums
Demand Gen at L8 — the competency bar
AI in this role
- • Organizational modeling
- • Building marketing strategies
- • Creating executive content
L9 — SVP, Growth Marketing Foundational
Mission
Define the growth marketing strategy
This tour of duty
Define the growth strategy
Own the outcomes
- • Define the growth marketing strategy
- • Shape company approach to pipeline generation
- • Establish initiatives for demand gen leadership
- • Build programs that drive predictable pipeline
- • Drive demand gen culture and excellence
- • Influence board decisions on marketing investment
Demand Gen at L9 — the competency bar
AI in this role
- • Strategic planning
- • Building board content
- • Creating growth strategies
What Hiring Managers Look For
L1-L3: Hiring managers want to see measurable pipeline contribution — specific numbers on MQLs generated, conversion rates improved, or attribution models you've built and defended.
L4-L6: Leaders look for evidence you've orchestrated multi-channel campaigns that moved revenue needles, plus the scars from failed experiments that taught you what doesn't work.
L7+: Boards evaluate your track record of building demand generation engines that scale predictably — can you architect systems that generate $10M+ in pipeline without proportional headcount growth.
Common Career Transitions
Demand Gen → Product Marketing at L4-L5 for deeper customer insight and positioning expertise
Demand Gen → Revenue Operations at L5-L6 for systems-level pipeline optimization and forecasting
Demand Gen → Growth at L4-L6 for broader funnel ownership beyond top-of-funnel
Official Classifications
| System | Code | Official Title |
|---|---|---|
| O*NET-SOC (US) | 13-1161.00 | Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists |
| ISCO-08 (UN/ILO) | 2431 | Advertising and marketing professionals |
At L6 and above, the manager classification 1221 — Sales and marketing managers applies IN ADDITION to the professional code — a manager is a superset of the individual contributor, never a replacement.
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