The successful candidate will report to new Friends Reunited chief executive Michael Murphy, who has taken a stake in the company.
The appointment of Murphy, a former chief operating officer at the Financial Times, followed two months of negotiations by the web site's financial advisers BDO Stoy Hayward, on the best way to boost profits.
It held talks with a number of suitors, thought to have included internet portals Yahoo! and MSN, but shunned a sell-off in favour of a management buy-in by Murphy. The site's founders, Stephen and Julie Pankhurst, and Justin Porter, retain majority control of the venture, currently valued at £25m.
Friends Reunited has relied on PR, handled by Beatwax, and word-of-mouth in the past and is unlikely to want to appoint an above-the-line advertising agency. The marketing director's key role will be to bolster its online ad drive and create a customer relationship marketing strategy.
The company will also call on focus groups to gauge consumers' reactions to ideas. Areas under consideration to extend the brand include a 'Reunited Day', allowing former schoolmates and colleagues to get together at a music festival.
Friends Reunited has more than eight million registered users in the UK.
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