Fractional CMO

Company Description

Racehorse Business Consulting (RBC) supports startup founders by providing strategy expertise and resources enabling businesses to become stronger and easily scalable. RBC also connects startups with the right investors and offers fundraising support. Our mission is to Co-build & Co-deliver equipping startups with the leadership and support they need to unlock their true potential.

About the Role: 

Seeking a fractional CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) (18-20 hours/ month) to own positioning, pipeline growth and go‑to‑market for an industrial robotics startup building AI‑driven warehouse automation solutions.

This role is ideal for an expert who can align brand, product and revenue while building a repeatable demand engine in a complex B2B sales environment.

Role Description: 

1.     Strategy and Positioning

• Define ICPs, buyer personas, and value propositions for manufacturing, 3PL, and e‑commerce segments.

• Craft comprehensive marketing strategies aligned with startups growth objectives, including market analysis, customer segmentation and channel selection. Create category narratives and messaging framework that differentiates autonomy and ROI outcomes.

• Set a 12‑month GTM roadmap with priorities by use case and geography. 

• Align pricing/packaging and offers with sales motion and buyer willingness to pay.

2.     Demand Generation and Pipeline

• Build a full‑funnel demand engine (inbound, ABM, partner) tied to SQL/SQO and pipeline targets.

• Oversee channel mix and budgets across paid, content/SEO, PPC, events, social media and PR to hit CAC payback goals.

• Plan and supervise repeatable campaign playbooks with quarterly themes and lead‑to‑revenue goals.

• Establish lead qualification with Sales teams and optimize handoffs to improve conversion.

3.     Marketing Operations and Analytics

• Implement attribution, dashboards, and KPI cadences across traffic, MQL, SQL & Win stages.

• Run experiment design (A/B/MVT) to improve CTR, CPL, and stage conversion rates.

• Forecast pipeline coverage and report ROMI; reallocate spend to highest‑yield channels.

• Maintain clean data, tracking, and governance across CRM/MA tools.

4.     Product Marketing and Sales Enablement

• Create battlecards, talk tracks, and objection handling for competitive AMR/ASRS scenarios.

• Produce case studies, ROI calculators, and time‑motion proof assets from pilot sites.

• Lead launches for new SKUs/workflows with clear positioning and win‑loss feedback loops.

• Train field teams and partners; maintain a living content library mapped to buyer stages.

5.     Ecosystem, Brand, and Team Leadership

• Drive co‑marketing with channel/SI partners; source pipeline from events and alliances.

• Lead PR/analyst relations and social proof programs to build credibility fast.

• Orchestrate a hybrid bench (in‑house/ AI Agents/ agencies) with sprint goals and SLAs.

• Run a 90‑day operating rhythm with OKRs, monthly reviews, and board‑ready updates.

Must have Experience

• 10+ years in B2B growth roles with recent CMO/fractional CMO experience leading strategy‑to‑execution for complex sales cycles. 

• Proven track record scaling demand for industrial tech, robotics, or adjacent B2B deep tech with measurable pipeline and revenue outcomes. 

• Strong GTM fundamentals: positioning, pricing/packaging input, ABM, partner marketing, and sales enablement for multi‑stakeholder deals. 

• Data‑driven leadership with marketing ops fluency, attribution, and ability to diagnose funnel leakage and fix it quickly. 

• Comfortable operating fractionally: clear scopes, sprint plans, and stakeholder communication to drive outcomes with limited internal bandwidth. 

Nice to have

• Experience marketing AMRs/AGVs, WMS/MES integrations, or warehouse automation solutions to manufacturing and logistics buyers. 

• Ecosystem relationships with analysts, media, events, and channel partners to accelerate credibility and distribution. 

• Prior work turning pilot wins into PR‑ready case studies and scalable playbooks across regions. 

KPIs: 

• Qualified pipeline creation and coverage (e.g., 3–5X next‑quarter target), SQL volume/quality, and win‑rate lift. 

• CAC payback and cost per SQO by channel with consistent quarter‑over‑quarter improvement. 

• Content throughput tied to funnel stages and influenced revenue. 

• Partner‑sourced pipeline and velocity from events, alliances, and ABM plays. 

Engagement details: 

• Fractional: 18-20 hours/week for an initial 12-15 months engagement, with option to extend. 

• Hybrid/remote with periodic on‑site at key pilots and events. 

• Outcome‑based retainer with success incentives linked to pipeline and revenue milestones.