Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)

Storm4 has a portfolio of experienced Chief Marketing Officers who articulate the creative vision and executable strategy of the company’s marketing plan

Storm4 works with experienced Chief Marketing Officers who know how to turn strategy into revenue. These are CMOs who define creative vision, build high-performing teams, and execute marketing strategies that stand up to board-level scrutiny.

If you’re hiring a Chief Marketing Officer to build or scale your marketing function, or you’re a CMO looking to make your mark in Clean Energy, Infrastructure, or Mobility, Storm4 connects ambitious leaders with category-defining CleanTech companies.

What Is A Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)?

The Chief Marketing Officer is the executive responsible for shaping brand strategy, driving customer acquisition, and defining the company’s presence across its markets. While the CMO traditionally oversees marketing, in CleanTech, this role is increasingly integrated into commercial strategy, product alignment, and long-term organizational planning.

As climate solutions continue to evolve and adoption accelerates, the CMO plays a pivotal role in educating the market, building trust with customers and partners, and positioning the company as a leader within a competitive and sustainability-driven landscape.

Working closely with the CEO, CRO, and executive leadership, the CMO supports company-wide objectives, translating the mission and impact of the business into effective campaigns, market strategies, and revenue-driving initiatives.
A successful CMO balances creativity with analytical discipline, transforming data insights into compelling brand narratives that resonate with customers, investors, and partners alike.

Key CMO Responsibilities Include:

Working with Marketing Directors and Managers to formulate a marketing strategy that achieves profit and growth goals
Manages and oversees all marketing activities throughout the company
Ensuring all activities serve to create brand loyalty and providing an enjoyable and successful user experience
Nurtures the creativity side of the company, encapsulating the brand story to attract and retain customers
Liaising with other departments to guide a unified approach that meets market demands
Build a highly efficient team of marketing professionals
Create a solid network of strategic partnerships

Chief Marketing Officer Skills Requirements

To thrive as a CMO in CleanTech, marketing leaders must combine creative expertise, commercial thinking, and deep sector understanding – While also having a solid understanding of the space they’re operating in.

Marketing & Technical Skills

Expertise in brand strategy, customer segmentation, and market positioning.
Strong grasp of digital marketing, demand generation, and growth channels.
Proficiency in marketing analytics, KPIs, attribution models, and automation tools.
Experience with PR, media relations, and investor-facing storytelling.
Understanding of CleanTech, sustainability, and impact-driven messaging.

Leadership & Strategic Skills

Exceptional communication skills and the ability to influence at an executive level.
Visionary leadership to align teams behind a unified brand and growth strategy.
Strong commercial acumen with ability to collaborate closely with sales and product.
Experience building and scaling marketing organizations from early to growth stages.
Ability to make data-backed decisions while fostering creative thinking.

Chief Marketing Officer Experience Requirements

CleanTech organizations typically seek CTO candidates with:

10+ years of experience across marketing leadership roles, with at least 5 years at a senior or executive level.
Proven track record of scaling marketing organizations and leading high-impact campaigns.
Experience within CleanTech, EnergyTech, Mobility, Sustainability, or Infrastructure environments preferred.
Demonstrated success in brand building, revenue generation, and global market expansion.
Strong familiarity with digital acquisition funnels, data analytics, and ROI-driven marketing.
Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or related field (MBA advantageous).

The Chief Marketing Officer is a senior executive responsible for defining how the company communicates, positions its value, and grows its customer base. As a C-suite leader, the CMO plays a critical role not just in marketing execution but in shaping commercial strategy and long-term business performance.

This role requires extensive experience across marketing disciplines, strong leadership capabilities, and a deep understanding of the CleanTech market’s unique challenges and opportunities.

Chief Marketing Officer Salary Expectations

As a senior member of the executive team, the CMO typically receives a competitive compensation package including base salary, performance incentives, and equity options, reflective of their influence on commercial growth and brand value.

Salaries vary depending on company size, stage, and location, with CMOs in CleanTech typically falling within the upper bracket of executive compensation ranges, with an average base salary for a Chief Marketing Officer being around $210,000 – $260,000.

Download Storm4’s CleanTech Salary Guide for detailed regional and sector-specific benchmarks.

Download US CleanTech Salary Guides

CTO Organization Hierarchy

The CMO is the highest Marketing focused position in an organization, effectively overseeing all marketing and advertising teams within a company, often reporting direct to only the CEO & Board of a company.

CMOs work cross-functionally with the Sales, Product, Customer Success, Operations, and Strategy teams to ensure alignment between market needs, customer experience, and company goals.

CTO Reports To:

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

CTO Direct Reports:

VP / Head of Marketing
Brand Director / Creative Director
Growth / Performance Marketing Lead
Communications & PR Lead
Product Marketing Manager
Content, Social, & Digital Marketing Specialists

Example CMO Job Description

When hiring a Chief Marketing Officer, the job description should highlight both the creative vision and strategic leadership required to grow brand presence and drive commercial success.

Below is an example of a CMO job description tailored for a CleanTech brand:

⚡ Role: Chief Marketing Officer

💼 Industry: Pay-Per-Use SaaS

🌎 Location: Austin, Tx

💰 Salary: competitive base + bonus / equity

This is an amazing opportunity for an experienced CMO / Marketing Director to join the executive team of the most exciting and promising company in the pay-per-use digital industry and to work on a revolutionary product. Aiming to better the environment we live in.

In your role, you will develop, design and implement internal and external communication strategies as well as the company’s marketing strategies. Requires a dual approach, on one hand, B2B regarding their multiple partners and key account prospects, and on the other hand B2C on behalf of their partners but also their own market place.

Responsibilities:

Develop and execute the company’s long-term marketing and brand strategy.
Own customer acquisition, retention, and engagement across all channels.
Lead PR efforts, industry communications, and thought leadership.
Build, scale, and mentor a world-class marketing team.
Partner with Product and Sales to align messaging with customer needs.

Requirements:

10+ years in marketing leadership roles; CleanTech or B2B experience preferred.
Demonstrated ability to scale demand generation and brand awareness.
Strong analytical mindset with deep expertise in digital marketing KPIs.
Excellent storytelling, communications, and leadership abilities.

Why Apply?

Full health benefits, including dental and vision, 401k, share options, bonuses
Join an industry-leading team of passionate CleanTech Marketers
A company with long term outlook – come grow and develop professionally
Lead your colleagues to solving this generation’s biggest questions
The Climate Crisis is real – come be a part of the solution

📧 Sounds like you? Please click on the ‘Apply’ button. You can also send your resume directly to recruiter@cleantech-org.com

CMO Hiring Process

Hiring a CMO requires evaluating both their creative leadership and commercial impact, ensuring they can scale the brand and support revenue growth.

A typical CMO hiring process includes:

Initial Consultation: Align on brand goals, growth needs, and ideal candidate profile.
Profile Sourcing: Identify proven CMOs or senior marketing leaders with sector alignment.
Preliminary Screening: Assess strategic thinking, leadership capabilities, and marketing expertise.
Panel Interviews: Evaluate brand strategy, creative approach, commercial impact, and cross-functional collaboration.
Executive Interviews: Final discussions with CEO/Board focusing on long-term vision and cultural alignment.
Offer & Negotiation: Offering the position and agreeing a compensation package including salary, bonus, and any equity considerations.

Speak To A Recruitment Consultant

CMO Interview Questions

Interviewing a Chief Marketing Officer requires assessing creativity, strategic thinking, leadership, and commercial impact. Below are categorized questions for a full evaluation:

Marketing & Strategic Questions

How do you balance brand-building efforts with performance-driven marketing?
Describe a campaign you led that significantly increased demand or market share.
How do you approach entering new markets or launching new products?
What is your methodology for developing an integrated marketing strategy?

Industry-Specific Questions

How do you adapt messaging for a CleanTech audience with varying technical literacy?
What role do you believe marketing plays in accelerating the energy transition?
How should CleanTech companies approach regulatory, policy, or environmental messaging?
What do you see as the biggest opportunity for brand differentiation in CleanTech?

Leadership & Culture Questions

How do you build a marketing organization from the ground up?
What steps do you take to align marketing with sales, product, and leadership?
How do you maintain creativity within a data-driven environment?
Describe your approach to hiring and developing top marketing talent.

Experience & Background Questions

What’s the most impactful marketing strategy you’ve executed and why?
Tell us about a time you rebranded or repositioned a company – what was the outcome?
How have you managed marketing during rapid scaling or funding rounds?
What motivates your work within sustainability or CleanTech sectors?