Innovation & Continuous Improvement

• Innovation Agenda: Drive the digital team’s contribution to the agency’s innovation objectives. Identify and pilot new digital opportunities (e.g., testing new ad platforms, data, targeting, dynamic creative approaches, AI-driven tools, and emerging formats), ensuring we test at least one new idea per quarter and scale successful initiatives.
• Process Improvement: Champion modern, efficient ways of working within the digital function. Implement process improvements and automation that free up senior talent for strategic work (reporting automation, improved use of collaboration tools, etc.).
• Quality & Best Practice: Ensure the digital function adheres to best practices (e.g., brand safety, data privacy, platform policies). Regularly review and refine our methods to deliver top-quality outputs efficiently.

Commercial & Business Growth Contribution

• Commercial Performance: Contribute to the overall Media department’s revenue and profit targets by maximising digital income and delivering campaigns efficiently. Manage digital budgets and resources to meet margin goals on client projects.
• New Business & Proposition: Support new business efforts by contributing digital expertise to pitches and proposals. Help articulate our digital proposition (including data/analytics strengths and innovative capabilities) to potential clients. Identify opportunities to expand digital services with existing clients where they can add value.

Skills & Experience

Essential

• Extensive Digital Marketing Experience: Significant experience (approximately 8+ years) in performance-focused digital marketing, ideally with an agency background. Proven expertise in Paid Search (PPC) and Paid Social, combined with broad experience across multiple digital channels. A track record of planning and optimising integrated campaigns to meet ROI/CPA targets is essential.
• Strong Programmatic Advertising Knowledge: Robust understanding of programmatic media buying and platforms (e.g. StackAdapt, Amazon). Able to lead programmatic strategy with confidence – challenging and guiding specialist traders, ensuring best practices in targeting, bidding, and brand safety are implemented. (Hands-on programmatic campaign management experience is valuable, but your focus will be on strategy and oversight rather than day-to-day trading duties.)
• Dynamic Creative Optimisation (DCO) Familiarity: Knowledge of DCO techniques and how to leverage dynamic creative to improve campaign performance. Experience planning or managing campaigns (or closely collaborating with creative teams to do so) is a major plus. You can coordinate testing and integration in programmatic or social campaigns, working with creative/tech colleagues to ensure dynamic ad variations are executed, without needing to personally develop creative content.
• Leadership & Team Management: Demonstrated ability to lead and develop a team of digital specialists. Able to set clear direction, mentor for growth, and foster an inclusive, high-performance team culture. Experience aligning a team’s structure and skills with evolving business needs is important.
• Analytical & Data-Driven: Highly numerate and analytical, with the skill to interpret performance data and translate it into actionable optimisations. Familiar with digital analytics and tracking (e.g. Google Analytics/GA4, Google Tag Manager) and comfortable using data visualisation/reporting tools to communicate results. Able to embed measure-and-optimize processes in the team’s workflows.
• Client & Stakeholder Management: Excellent communicator and collaborator. Confident in presenting to senior clients and internal stakeholders, simplifying complex digital concepts and performance metrics into clear insights and recommendations. Proven ability to build strong relationships, influence decision-making, and work cross-functionally to achieve common goals.
• Technical & Platform Proficiency: Comprehensive knowledge of major digital advertising platforms and tools, including Google Ads, Meta Ads Manager, and relevant analytics tools. Up-to-date with recent trends and policy changes across these platforms.

Desirable

• Industry Certifications: Certifications such as Google Ads Search/Display, Google Analytics, Meta Blueprint, or programmatic trading qualifications demonstrate your expertise and commitment to ongoing learning.
• Innovation & Thought Leadership: A track record of introducing new digital approaches or technologies (e.g. early adoption of new ad formats) and sharing knowledge (e.g. speaking at events or internal training) is beneficial.
• Commercial Acumen: Experience in contributing to new business pitches or developing client growth strategies, showcasing how digital solutions drive commercial outcomes.

Behaviours & Attributes

• Strategic & Results-Driven: Sees the big picture and connects digital tactics to wider goals, with a relentless focus on delivering results and client ROI.
• Innovative & Forward-Thinking: Embraces change and seeks out innovative opportunities, such as automation or dynamic creative, to keep the agency’s digital offering ahead of the curve.
• Collaborative & Influential: Builds trust through expertise and listening. Works effectively across teams, guiding colleagues and influencing stakeholders to drive digital excellence.
• Organised & Resilient: Capable of balancing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment, staying calm under pressure. Approaches challenges with a problem-solving mindset and adaptability.
• Inclusive Leader: Fosters a positive, supportive team environment. Committed to developing others, celebrating successes, and ensuring all voices are heard.