CNS Media Ltd
Head of Paid Digital
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Head of Paid Digital
To support continued growth, we are looking for a Head of Paid Digital to join our expanding Digital team.
The role offers clear progression opportunities as the Paid Digital function grows in scale, revenue, and leadership depth.
- Location: Ideally commutable 3 days/week to Chesterfield or Manchester
- Job type: Full-time, permanent (35 hours/week)
- Salary: £50k–£55k (depending on experience)
- Working model: In-office/hybrid-remote
Benefits include:
- Employment Ownership Trust (tax-free company bonus scheme)
- Flexible working
- Gym membership
- Regular team-building events and socials
- Access to Electric Vehicle salary sacrifice scheme
Career & Personal Development:
- Clear leadership progression opportunities
- Tailored learning and development programme
- Comprehensive well-being programme
About CNS Media
As one of the fastest-growing regional agencies in the UK, CNS Media thrives on dynamism. We continually expand teams across all departments, bringing in senior leadership to support growth for clients and the agency.
Our mission is to become the best place to work in media, offering:
- A generous benefits package
- A collaborative, high-performance environment
- Queues to learn, lead, and make an impact
With offices in Chesterfield, Manchester, and Birmingham, we’re ambitious to expand further. We work with national brands and regional clients, delivering results as a performance-led agency.
Awards highlight our excellence: 🏆 Campaign Best Places to Work 2024 Winner 🏆 Highly Commended at The Drum Awards Marketing EMEA 🏆 Best Media Planning & Buying Agency (Large) – 2023 UK Agency Awards 🏆 Best Media Buying Agency (Global) – 2024 Global Agency Awards
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About the Role
The Head of Paid Digital will lead CNS Media’s Paid Media function strategically, operationally, and commercially.
- Reporting to the Digital Commercial Director, you’ll own:
- Vision, direction, and performance
- Client relationships and growth
- Talent development and innovation
- Commercial sustainability
You’ll:
- Lead a high-performing team specialising in platforms like Google, Meta, Bing, YouTube, TikTok, and emerging channels.
- Shape paid media strategies aligned with client objectives while driving scalable ROI.
- Deliver profitability in collaboration with the Digital Commercial Director.
This role requires: ✔️ Strategic leadership for paid digital advertising ✔️ Commercial acumen at senior levels ✔️ Effective stakeholder influence across departments
Key Responsibilities
- Define & steer the Paid Digital vision to align with CNS’s commercial goals.
- Lead, mentor, and develop the Paid Media team, including performance reviews and career progression.
- Direct senior paid media strategy across platforms: Google, Meta, Bing, TikTok, YouTube, and beyond.
- Translate client business objectives into insight-driven, growth-focused strategies.
- Ensure departmental profitability alongside the Digital Commercial Director.
- Report on forecasting, utilisation, and team resourcing.
- Play an active role in new business pitches, audits, and client upsells.
- Establish and refine best-practice processes for planning, optimisation, and reporting.
- Champion innovation, experimenting with new platforms, automation, and partnerships.
- Collaborate closely with Senior Digital, Client Servicing, and Commercial teams.
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What Does Success Look Like?
✅ A high-performing, confident Paid Digital team with clear leadership depth. ✅ Outstanding client performance, aligned with key KPIs and commercial goals. ✅ Strong senior relationships, driven by trust and proven results. ✅ Commercial control that balances innovation, efficiency, and profitability. ✅ Paid Digital recognised as a market-leading capability within CNS, both internally and externally.
The Ideal Candidate Will Have
- 7+ years’ experience in Paid Digital/Performance Marketing, with leadership responsibility.
- Proven experience leading senior paid media teams and developing future leaders in an agency environment.
- Deep expertise across Google Ads, Meta, Bing, YouTube, TikTok, plus trends in emerging platforms.
- Strong commercial acumen with accountability for budget management, high-value stakeholders, and departmental profitability.
- Excellent strategic thinking, execution skills, and senior stakeholder management.
- Collaborative leadership style with the ability to influence at agency-wide levels.
- Essential: Confirmed track record in an agency setting.
Diversity & Inclusion Statement CNS Media is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace, where creativity and collaboration give us an edge. We empower our teams to thrive, be unique, and drive meaningful work.
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