Demand Generation Manager

About the Position

The Demand Generation Manager owns WatchGuard’s global MQL number and is responsible for building and scaling a digital-first demand engine across paid search, paid social, display advertising, and third-party channels. This is a hands-on, channel-owning role: you will manage the annual advertising budget and be directly accountable for the volume and quality of MQLs generated across every paid digital channel.

You will drive WatchGuard’s account-based marketing (ABM) motion, using intent and engagement data to identify and prioritize target accounts, then orchestrating paid digital programs — PPC/SEM, paid social, display, and third-party syndication — to engage them. You’ll work closely with product marketing, field marketing, and channel marketing to ensure messaging and creative are aligned to active go-to-market plays, but your focus stays on the channels, spend, and optimization that move the MQL needle.

You will manage the relationships with paid media platforms and third-party vendors that power the digital demand engine, and you’ll partner with marketing operations to ensure MQL tracking, attribution, and reporting are accurate and timely.

This role will have three direct reports:

- Digital Marketing Specialist who executes and optimizes always-on paid search, paid social, and display advertising campaigns

- Webinar Manager who owns the strategy, promotion, and execution of WatchGuard’s webinar program as an MQL-generating channel

- Virtual Event Strategist who owns the strategy and execution of virtual events as a demand generation channel

This role reports to the Sr. Director, Revenue Marketing, who also oversees the organization’s sales enablement and marketing operations teams. You’ll be guaranteed to learn from these diverse perspectives, grow in your understanding of global business practices and needs, and have a lot of fun along the way.

A Day in the Life

No two days for the Demand Generation Manager will be the same, but most will center on one thing: driving the global MQL number through digital channels. You might start your morning reviewing PPC/SEM bid performance and budget pacing across Google, LinkedIn, and third-party syndication partners, then shift spend toward the channels and audiences generating the highest-quality MQLs.

You’ll regularly dig into account engagement and intent signals to sharpen the ABM motion, prioritizing target accounts for paid social and display targeting, and personalizing digital touches to move them toward a demo. You’ll have a 1:1 each week with your direct reports — your Digital Marketing Specialist, Webinar Manager, and Virtual Event Strategist — to review campaign, webinar, and event performance and how each is contributing to the global MQL number.

You’ll hold regular budget reviews to track pacing and ROI across the advertising budget, reallocating spend as needed and partnering with finance and procurement on vendor contracts. You’ll also meet weekly with the Director of Demand Generation to report on MQL performance, flag underperforming channels, and align on where to invest next.

You’ll partner with marketing operations to validate MQL tracking and attribution, and you’ll connect with product marketing and channel marketing to make sure your paid campaigns reflect current messaging and priorities — without losing focus on the channels and spend decisions that are yours to own.

Within one month, you will…

- Learn the current digital channel mix, ABM tooling, and how the advertising budget is allocated across paid search, paid social, display, and third-party syndication

- Get to know your direct reports — the Digital Marketing Specialist, Webinar Manager, and Virtual Event Strategist — and their current campaigns and programs

- Review current global MQL performance and establish a channel-by-channel baseline

Within three months, you will…

- Assume full ownership of the advertising budget and begin optimizing allocation across channels based on MQL volume, quality, and ROI

- Take ownership of the global MQL number and establish a regular reporting cadence with demand generation leadership

- Launch a refined ABM and digital channel strategy that integrates paid search, paid social, display, webinars, and virtual events

Within six months, you will…

- Deliver measurable improvement in MQL volume and quality across paid digital channels

- Lead a senior marketing leadership read-out on ABM and digital demand generation performance, including budget ROI

- Have an optimized digital and ABM channel mix in place that consistently hits global MQL targets

What You’ll Own

· Digital Demand Generation Strategy — Own the strategy and execution of paid search, paid social, display advertising, and third-party syndication to drive top-of-funnel MQLs.

· ABM Motion — Own WatchGuard’s account-based marketing motion, using intent and engagement data to prioritize target accounts and personalize digital targeting.

· Advertising Budget Management — Own and manage the $1M digital advertising budget, allocating spend to the highest-performing channels and tracking pacing and ROI.

· Global MQL Ownership — Own the all-up global MQL number and report regularly on MQL volume, quality, and channel-level performance to marketing and sales leadership.

· Team Leadership — Manage and develop the Digital Marketing Specialist, Webinar Manager, and Virtual Event Strategist, ensuring their channels and programs ladder up to the global MQL number.

· Webinar & Virtual Event Programs — Through your direct reports, ensure webinar and virtual event programs are optimized as demand generation channels that contribute meaningfully to the MQL number.

· Vendor & Platform Management — Manage relationships with paid media platforms and third-party vendors to optimize spend, negotiate terms, and drive performance.

· Cross-Functional Alignment — Partner with product marketing, field marketing, and channel marketing to ensure paid campaigns and messaging reflect current priorities and go-to-market plays.

Skills and Qualifications

- Deep expertise in PPC/SEM, paid social, and digital advertising platforms (Google Ads, LinkedIn, etc.)

- Experience with ABM/ABX tools such as 6sense, and using intent and engagement data to inform channel strategy

- Proven track record owning and managing a significant digital advertising budget with strong pacing and ROI discipline

- Experience managing a team, including direct reports across digital, webinar, and event functions

- Strong understanding of MQL and funnel metrics, with experience reporting performance to leadership

- Experience managing third-party media and syndication vendors

- Familiarity with Marketo and Salesforce or similar marketing automation and CRM platforms

Experience

- Minimum of 7 years of experience in digital marketing or demand generation, including experience managing a team

- Proven experience owning digital advertising budgets and driving measurable MQL and pipeline results

- Prior experience with technology or cybersecurity solutions is a plus

- Experience with ABM tools and account-based digital targeting

- Strong analytical skills — comfortable working with performance data across multiple channels

- Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Why Work for WatchGuard?

WatchGuard is a global leader in network security and intelligence, advanced endpoint protection, multi-factor authentication, and secure Wi-Fi. Our award-winning products and services are trusted worldwide by more than 18,000 security resellers and service providers to protect more than 250,000 customers. Our technology keeps our customers ahead of increasingly sophisticated hackers and has fueled record revenues at WatchGuard.

WatchGuard is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with team members working remotely and in offices worldwide.

Our company culture places an intense focus on our customers and employees. From the newest employee to our CEO, you'll find that each person at WatchGuard embodies our Core Values: Accountability, Community, Belonging, Action, Innovation, and Customer-Centric. Learn more about our company culture at www.watchguard.com/wgrd-careers.

Salary: $70,000 - $90,000€  annual , plus bonus and comprehensive benefits. 

Onsite in office 5 days a week in: Cork, Ireland