Growth Marketer - First Marketing Hire

Propeller is an AI-powered Marketing Intelligence platform built to help small businesses compete for government contracts. From finding the right opportunities to submitting proposals, Propeller removes the complexity that keeps operators out of the federal market.

The product is fully funded and launches in May 2026. Before launch, you will work directly with the founder. This is a two-person marketing operation. As channels and results take shape, you will help define the roles needed and grow the team over the next six months. From day one, the goal is to recruit test users, conduct customer interviews, build early waitlist demand, and develop the targeting and messaging that drives day-one revenue.

Location: Washington, DC

Ideal Candidate:

• Who this is for: This role is for someone who has built demand generation from scratch before and wants to do it again. You move fast, talk to customers, and have no problem owning the full stack of work that comes with being the first marketing hire.

You will:

Acquisition

1. Build and run paid campaigns on Google and LinkedIn targeting small businesses in the government contracting space

2. Create and test landing pages that turn ad clicks into booked demos

3. Develop email nurture sequences that move leads from curious to ready to buy

Content and Events

1. Manage freelancers, creators, and contractors to produce short-form video content and educational material that shows the product in action

2. Build a presence on social media around government contracting

3. Research and identify government contracting events and conferences worth sponsoring or attending

Strategy and Reporting

1. Report weekly on what's converting

2. Work directly with the founder to connect marketing spend to closed revenue

3. Continuously test messaging, channels, and audiences to lower cost per customer acquired

You have:

1. 4-7 years of running paid campaigns with measurable ROI

2. A data-first mindset that tests everything and lets results make the decisions

3. Daily working fluency with AI tools like Claude as part of your current workflow

Bonus: Prior experience in government contracting, particularly at a small business. Firsthand knowledge of the proposal process and the challenges small contractors face will sharpen both messaging and outreach. A personal network in the space is a strong advantage.

Familiarity with any of the following tools is also a plus: Segment, BigQuery, Motion, Hotjar, Gong, Mention, Looker, Zapier, or Claude.

First 90 days:

• 30 days: Launch initial Google and LinkedIn tests, ship landing pages, stand up a basic email nurture sequence, and run customer interviews with the founder to sharpen messaging
• 60 days: Identify the best performing audience and offer angle, iterate creative and landing pages weekly, and establish repeatable reporting tied to pipeline
• 90 days: Scale the highest ROI channels, improve conversion rates from click to demo to qualified opportunity, and build a repeatable content and events motion that supports paid and outbound

Compensation: $80K base + performance bonus tied to pipeline generated + equity

This is the first marketing hire at a funded startup. The right person won't just run ads. They'll build the engine that drives Propeller's growth.

Pay: From $80,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Happy hour
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Experience:

• Marketing: 4 years (Required)

Work Location: In person