Stopgap - Marketing, Digital & Creative Recruitment

AI isn’t just changing how marketers create. It’s changing how marketing gets done. From research and strategy to analysis, automation and content creation, AI is already becoming part of the marketing workflow. And that means the skills marketers need are changing too. The interesting question isn’t whether AI will change marketing, it’s what happens to the marketer’s role when AI takes some of the execution off the table. Does it mean more time for strategy, creativity and commercial thinking? Does it make judgement more valuable? And how quickly do marketing teams need to adapt? In the latest episode of Stopgap Talks, Jennifer Kennedy shares her experience of experimenting with AI across her own marketing work and what she thinks it means for the future of the profession. What part of the marketing workflow do you think AI will transform first? #AIinMarketing #MarketingStrategy #DigitalMarketing #FutureOfWork #StopgapTalks

Will AI change your marketing career? Most likely. But perhaps not in the way you think. AI is already changing the tasks marketers spend time on, the skills employers are looking for and the way teams think about productivity. But what does that actually mean if you're: 👉 Just starting your marketing career? 👉 A few years in and wondering which skills to develop next? 👉 An experienced marketer reconsidering where you add the most value? 👉 A marketing leader thinking about what your team needs to learn? For the final episode of our Stopgap Talks AI Recruitment Series, we brought together two marketers at very different stages of their careers to explore exactly that. Jacinta Foreman, an early-career marketer, and Jennifer Kennedy, a senior marketing professional, share how they're approaching AI, what they're learning and how they think the role of the marketer is changing. And one thing becomes clear - you don't necessarily need to become an AI expert. But you do need to understand how AI can make you a better marketer. The opportunity isn't just to produce the same work faster. It's to think about what you could do with the time, capacity and capability AI gives you. We've also explored the conversation in our latest Stopgap Press article below. And you can listen to the full episode on your favourite podcast platform - 🎧Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/egNMvCd7 🎧Spotify: https://lnkd.in/e3G6u9M4 🎧Amazon Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/ersUWHcH This is the final episode in our three-part AI Recruitment Series, where we've looked at AI through the eyes of: The candidate. The hiring manager. The marketer. If you've listened to any of the series, we'd love to know: What has AI changed about the way you work? And if you're still figuring it out? ... you're definitely not alone! #StopgapTalks #AI #MarketingCareers #FutureOfWork #MarketingLeadership

September is well underway, and if you're thinking about a new challenge, this week's opportunities are worth a closer look. From brand and product marketing to creative and commercial roles, there's a mix of permanent and contract opportunities — including a fully remote role. Could one of these be the change you've been waiting for? ⭐Brand Manager Salary: £47,000 - £52,000 | Location: London | Job Type: Permanent An exciting opportunity to help bring restaurant locations back to life through high-impact, culturally relevant and digital-first marketing. Hybrid role, 2–3 days office-based. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/enck4iiP ⭐Marketing Manager Salary: £50,000 - £55,000 | Location: Central London | Job Type: Permanent A hands-on, standalone B2B marketing role for an established engineering and manufacturing company, with strong product marketing experience required. Based in Devon or London. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/eYV62JUx ⭐Bid Manager Salary: £291 per day | Location: Remote | Job Type: Freelance Join a global technology leader to lead high-stakes public-sector tender responses in a fast-paced, collaborative remote environment. Six-month contract starting October. UK-based, inside IR35. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/eKwcKBZX ⭐Midweight Motion Designer Salary: £38,000 - £42,000 | Location: Central London | Job Type: Freelance** Join a small creative team within an e-commerce agency, working across touchpoints and adding real value through excellent motion design. Fixed-term contract with temp-to-perm potential. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/eAARbHq9 Whether you're actively looking or simply curious about what's out there, take a look at the full range of opportunities on our new website. 👉 Search all live roles: www.stopgap.co.uk/jobs 👉 Register your CV: www.stopgap.co.uk/register 👉 Hiring? briefus@stopgap.co.uk Know someone who could be a great fit? Tag them below or share this post.!

According to Amira Y., our latest guest on Stopgap Talks, AI doesn’t need to start with the team - it needs to start with leadership. If you want generative AI to be a superpower, you have to build the structure first. Comment "AI" if your company is figuring this out right now. Because without the right guardrails: → people make faster mistakes → output gets generic → your business can get into trouble But when the workforce is AI-literate, the upside is real. It stops being a gimmick and starts creating better decisions, better ideas, and better work. That’s the part most people miss. Did you miss this amazing episode in our AI-Series? Head to the comments and listen on your favourite platform! #AIAwareness #GenAI #FutureOfWork #Leadership #AIStrategy

Before you hire an AI specialist, ask yourself one question: do you actually need one? AI is changing how businesses work and the skills and roles they're hiring for. But are we in danger of hiring for the AI trend before understanding the capability our businesses actually need? In the latest episode of Stopgap Talks, Claudine Farrell is joined by Amira Y. Founder of OMNAI Marketing, to explore what hiring managers should consider before creating their next AI role. ➜ Do you need an AI specialist, or AI capability across the business? ➜ What problem are you actually trying to solve? ➜ What skills already exist within your team? ➜ And when does an AI hire genuinely make commercial sense? We've turned the conversation into some deeper thinking for our Stopgap Press subscribers. Read the full article below, or listen to “AI Hiring: Do You Really Need to Hire an AI Specialist?” 🎧 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/e82GgfCD 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/e5qPftxC 🎧 Amazon Music: https://lnkd.in/ebJCTRrB 💬 If you were hiring your first AI specialist tomorrow, what problem would you want them to solve? #AI #AIHiring #Recruitment #FutureOfWork #MarketingLeadership

September has arrived, and with it comes that familiar feeling of a fresh start. The inbox is filling up, teams are back, and those conversations about “what’s next?” are starting to feel a little more urgent. If a new challenge is on your radar this autumn, we’ve got some exciting opportunities to get you started. Here are this week’s Stopgap Highlights . . . ⭐Social Media Manager Salary: £45,000 - £48,000, Location: Brighton, Job Type: Permanent This is an exciting strategic Social Media Manager role. You’ll need strong consumer events experience to work for this award-winning company. Full-time, based in either London or Brighton, paying up to £48,000. ➡️Apply here: https://lnkd.in/e5d7mXDA ⭐Events & Community Engagement Manager Salary: £45,000, Location: Reading, Berkshire, Job Type: Contract A dynamic, visible community builder is needed to bring a high-profile business hub to life. This hands-on placemaking role gives you the creative freedom to design impactful experiences, lead major events and drive real ESG engagement. 9-12 month maternity cover, starting mid-late October. ➡️Apply here: https://lnkd.in/enptpfDW ⭐Marketing Executive / Luxury Interiors Salary: £36,000, Location: Central London, Job Type: Permanent Join a premium interiors brand as their Marketing Executive, driving content, traditional marketing, PR, showroom campaigns and events. ➡️Apply here: https://lnkd.in/eQwAHs5v New month. Fresh opportunities. Could September be the month you make your next move? Explore these roles and more at Stopgap, and take a look at where your next opportunity could lead. #StopgapHighlights #MarketingJobs #MarketingCareers

The OOO is off. The inbox is full. And suddenly… it’s September. 👀 The summer slowdown is officially over! Teams are back. Budgets are being revisited. Projects are moving again. And those conversations about hiring that were “one for September” are now firmly here. And the recruitment market is giving us some interesting signs. The latest KPMG/REC data suggests the UK hiring market is beginning to stabilise, with permanent placements no longer falling and temporary vacancies rising for the first time in two years. For marketing teams, we're seeing an increasingly selective market too, with demand for people who can combine creativity with commercial thinking, data, digital, AI and genuine hands-on delivery. So perhaps September isn't about simply filling vacancies. Maybe it's about asking what does your team actually need to deliver the rest of 2026? We'd love to know in the poll below . . . what's your biggest marketing team priority for Q4? 👇 Maybe you need a permanent hire. Maybe it's an interim specialist. Maybe it's freelance support for a project. Maybe it's a senior person who can reshape the team. Or maybe you need a fresh perspective before deciding what comes next. That's where a good conversation with a specialist recruiter can be useful. And at Stopgap, we're coming into the autumn with plenty of fresh thinking of our own, including a new website on the horizon and a renewed focus on helping our clients navigate what comes next. So, what's on your September agenda? Vote in the poll, and tell us a little more about your Q4 priorities in the comments. We're all ears! #MarketingRecruitment #MarketingJobs #Hiring #Talent #Marketing

The last August bank holiday is here, and while summer might be winding down, there’s still plenty of opportunity out there. If you’ve been thinking about your next move, looking for a fresh challenge, or simply curious about what’s out there, these roles are worth a look before the long weekend begins. Here are this week’s Stopgap Highlights: ⭐Customer Proposition Lead Salary: £55,000 - £57,500 per annum. Location: Greater London, Central London. Job Type: Permanent A role with genuine ownership and influence, sitting at the intersection of customer insight, product and marketing. You’ll take ideas from insight through to market, understanding customer needs and behaviours and developing positioning and messaging. ➤Apply here: https://lnkd.in/eMiEvcDD ⭐Product Marketing Manager Salary: £55,000 - £60,000 per annum. Location: Greater London, Central London. Job Type: Hybrid 6-month FTC with a leading global data and analytics solutions provider for the energy and renewables sector. An exciting opportunity to help develop AI-enabled data analytics solutions. ➤Apply here: https://lnkd.in/ey5nqFpS ⭐Associate Director (Market Research) Salary: £225 - £250 per day. Location: Greater London, Central London Job Type: Freelance Established research agency looking for a well-rounded quantitative researcher at AD level for a 3-6 month contract. Hybrid, 2-3 days per week in the Central London office. ➤Apply here: https://lnkd.in/eFDheKwz ⭐Events & Community Engagement Manager Salary: £42,000 - £45,000 per annum. Location: South East England, Berkshire. Job Type: Freelance Looking for a dynamic, visible community builder to bring a high-profile business hub to life. A hands-on placemaking role with the creative freedom to design impactful experiences, lead major events and drive ESG engagement. ➤Apply here: https://lnkd.in/eHpYdHXz ⭐Marketing Executive / Luxury Interiors Salary: £36,000 per annum. Location: Greater London, Central London Job Type: Permanent Join a premium interiors brand driving content, traditional marketing, PR, showroom campaigns and events. A fantastic opportunity to join a small, close-knit marketing team at an exciting stage of growth. ➤Apply here: https://lnkd.in/enPavzj9 Whether you're actively job hunting or just keeping an eye on the market, your next opportunity could be closer than you think. We hope you enjoy the bank holiday weekend! #StopgapHighlights #MarketingJobs #MarketingCareers

The biggest challenge with AI might not be learning the technology. It might be learning to embrace the change. In this clip from Stopgap Talks, Sarah Pieters, Founder of HeyMinty!, shares her perspective on navigating change in a rapidly evolving digital world and why staying curious and open to learning could be one of the most valuable skills we can develop. AI is changing how we work, how we hire and the skills employers look for. But you don't necessarily need to have all the answers. You need to be willing to adapt, experiment and keep learning. 🎧 Listen to the full episode: AI & The Candidate Experience: What Do Candidates Really Want? 🎙️Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eUUTBjMg 🎙️Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/ePeXAySa 🎙️Amazon Music: https://lnkd.in/eivvNZaC 💬 How are you embracing change in the digital age, and what are you learning right now? #AI #FutureOfWork #DigitalTransformation #CareerDevelopment #StopgapTalks

AI can make recruitment faster. But can it make it better? And perhaps the bigger question: where does the human touch fit? In this clip from the latest episode of Stopgap Talks, Sarah Pieters, Founder of HeyMinty!, explores the challenge of balancing the efficiency of AI with the human connection candidates still need throughout the recruitment process. Because candidates don't just want a faster process. They want to feel seen, understood and fairly assessed. As AI becomes increasingly embedded in recruitment, the organisations that get it right may be those that use technology to remove friction, without removing the people. 🎧 Listen to the full episode: AI & The Candidate Experience: What Do Candidates Really Want? Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eUUTBjMg Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/ePeXAySa Amazon Music: https://lnkd.in/eivvNZaC 💬 Where do you think AI can improve recruitment, and where should the human always remain? We'd love to hear your thoughts! #AI #Recruitment #CandidateExperience #FutureOfWork #StopgapTalks