
At Sojourn, we’re regularly asked by clients to help define roles and responsibilities within the Marketing Operations function - especially as the field continues to evolve and blur traditional boundaries.
One of the most requested areas? Guidance on the MarTech Manager role.
The MarTech Manager isn’t just a technologist. Nor are they “just” an ops lead, vendor wrangler, or part-time firefighter. The modern MarTech Manager sits at the center of marketing’s ability to perform - part strategist, part systems architect, part diplomat, and part fixer-in-chief.
It’s one of the most misunderstood - and most critical - roles in any B2B organization with a serious marketing function. So what exactly is the role today? What does it look like on the ground, what kind of mindset does it demand, and how should organizations onboard and support someone stepping into it?
The soul of the role: Value, not just velocity
The MarTech Manager is the custodian of marketing’s most powerful (and expensive) tools. That means their primary responsibility is not just to keep the lights on or make sure the latest platform is integrated - it’s to ensure MarTech is delivering tangible value to the business.
This is about enhancing performance, not just enabling it:
Is the tech stack contributing to pipeline or revenue?
Is it accelerating campaigns or clogging them up with process debt?
Is each platform used to its potential — or just a shiny checkbox?
It’s the MarTech Manager’s job to connect the dots between tool and outcome, investment and return. It’s where strategy meets accountability.
The day-to-day reality: No two days the same
Despite the high-level vision, the day job of a MarTech Manager often ranges from the deeply technical to the highly relational. It’s a role of constant translation - between IT and marketing, vendors and users, vision and feasibility.
Some of the day-to-day and near-term responsibilities include:
Auditing the ecosystem: Mapping tools, integrations, gaps, duplications, and risks.
Stakeholder interviews: Understanding needs and pain points across marketing, sales, data, IT, and leadership.
Vendor management: Handling renewals, roadmaps, and relationship health.
Documentation: Use cases, adoption data, product usage levels, success metrics.
Measurement: Defining KPIs across the stack - adoption, usage, ROI, contribution to business outcomes (e.g., leads, AQLs).
Roadmap development: Short-term wins and longer-term vision, aligned to business goals.
Enablement: Supporting users with training plans, onboarding guides, and practical tools.
Governance: Supporting change management, data quality standards, integration protocols.
It’s fast-paced, cross-functional, and at times chaotic. But it’s also high-impact - especially when managed proactively rather than reactively.
The mindset that makes it work
You can’t run this role on a checklist. The best MarTech Managers combine a rare mix of traits - strategic clarity, technical curiosity, and a diplomat’s finesse.
Here’s what that mindset looks like:
Strategic yet scrappy: They need a long-term plan - but they also know how to ship quick wins that move the needle now.
Challengers of the status quo: Not afraid to ask, “Why are we doing it this way?” - and then change it.
Data-minded and business-aware: They watch KPIs like a hawk but can translate numbers into business stories.
Relationship builders: Able to connect with stakeholders from junior marketers to exec sponsors to grumpy sysadmins.
Detail-oriented: Yes, the whole stack should be documented down to version number and integration flow.
Technically fluent: They don’t need to code - but they need to speak the language of platforms, APIs, and increasingly, AI.
Future-focused, but grounded: They stay on top of trends without chasing every shiny object.
This isn't just a “platform owner” role - it's someone who blends art and science, helping marketing become more effective and more efficient.
What good onboarding looks like
MarTech Managers aren’t plug-and-play. They need structured onboarding that sets them up for success - and helps them map a complicated landscape fast. Here’s what a smart 90-day onboarding plan can look like:
Days 0–30: Discovery and diagnosis
Conduct full audits (stack, stakeholders, vendors, documentation)
Prepare an initial roadmap with quick wins and longer-term ideas
Build a risks/issues log for the current state
Days 31–60: Alignment and planning
Socialize findings with stakeholders
Prioritize roadmap items and finalize the plan
Develop budget requests for the upcoming fiscal year
Deepen audits into key priority markets or teams
Days 61–90: Expansion and KPI definition
Complete full ecosystem audits
Define what “MarTech success” looks like - adoption, productivity, ROI
Set and socialize clear KPIs
Month 4 onwards: Execution and enablement
Create a training and enablement plan by audience
Establish governance standards with architecture/data leads
Start AI pilots or automation experiments
Create dashboards to track ROI and stack health
Develop and maintain:
Platform scorecards
Stakeholder maps
Vendor evaluations
Risk/issues log
Roadmaps with project timelines
Enablement materials (cheat sheets, videos, playbooks)
Final thoughts: Why this role matters more than ever
In 2025, marketing teams are under pressure like never before. Budgets are tight. AI is exploding. Tech stacks are bloated. And yet, the demand for impact hasn’t slowed.
That’s where the MarTech Manager proves their worth - not just keeping tools running, but transforming MarTech into a measurable driver of marketing performance.
It’s not an easy role. But with the right mindset, support, and onboarding, it’s one of the most rewarding - and business-critical - roles in the modern marketing org.