Digital Director/Head of Digital

BMC Appointments Ltd; Gateshead; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Hybrid working

Employee benefits: life insurance, car

Job summary

We are exclusively supporting a high-growth digital agency in search of an experienced Head of Organic Search/Digital Director to lead and develop a well-established organic performance function. This senior leadership role carries full responsibility for the commercial success, growth and operational performance of a multidisciplinary team in SEO strategy, technical SEO, content and digital PR.

Reporting to the executive team, you’ll own the function’s P&L and drive future growth.

Qualifications

• Experience owning a departmental P&L.
• Proven track record leading managers and specialist teams.
• Strong commercial understanding of forecasting, utilisation, pricing and profitability.
• Experience implementing scalable processes and operational best practices.
• Solid understanding of SEO and organic search, with senior client engagements.
• Awareness of evolving search landscape including AI-powered search.

Responsibilities

• Own the department's P&L, including revenue, profitability and utilisation targets.
• Forecast performance and identify opportunities and risks.
• Drive growth while maintaining high service standards.
• Lead and develop a management team across SEO, content and digital PR.
• Set objectives, performance measures and development plans.
• Foster a high-performance culture focused on collaboration and accountability.
• Manage performance and support career progression across the department.
• Plan recruitment to meet growth objectives and utilise freelancers when appropriate.
• Champion best practices and ensure consistent delivery across client accounts.
• Support strategic account growth and client retention initiatives.

Skills

P&L ownership

Leadership of managers

Forecasting & budgeting

Profitability management

SEO knowledge

Stakeholder management

Job description

We're exclusively supporting a high-growth digital agency in the search for an experienced Head of Organic Search/Digital Director to lead and develop a well established organic performance function.

This is a senior leadership role with full responsibility for the commercial success, growth and operational performance of a multidisciplinary team spanning SEO strategy, technical SEO, content and digital PR. Reporting directly to the executive leadership team, you'll take ownership of the function's P&L, team development, client success and future growth strategy.

This opportunity would suit an experienced agency leader who combines strong commercial acumen with a passion for developing people and building scalable services.

• Take full ownership of the department's P&L, including revenue, profitability and utilisation targets.
• Forecast performance accurately and proactively identify opportunities and risks.
• Drive sustainable growth while maintaining high service standards.
• Lead and develop a management team overseeing specialist areas including SEO, content and digital PR.
• Set clear objectives, performance measures and development plans.
• Foster a high-performance culture focused on collaboration, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Manage performance effectively and support career progression across the department.

Resource Planning & Operations

• Ensure the department is appropriately structured and resourced to meet client demand.
• Plan recruitment activity in line with business growth objectives.
• Utilise freelance and specialist support where appropriate.
• Drive operational efficiency and scalability across the team.

Service Delivery & Quality

• Champion best practices, processes and quality assurance standards.
• Ensure consistent delivery across all client accounts.
• Monitor performance and client outcomes to maintain exceptional service standards.
• Act as senior stakeholder across key client relationships.
• Support strategic account growth and client retention initiatives.
• Provide senior-level guidance on complex organic search challenges and opportunities.

Agency Growth

• Partner with commercial and client services teams to support new business activity.
• Contribute to proposal development, pitching, scoping and pricing.
• Identify opportunities to expand services within existing client relationships.

What Success Looks Like

• Delivery of agreed commercial and profitability targets.
• A highly engaged, well-developed and scalable team.
• Best-practice processes embedded throughout the department.
• Strong client retention and revenue growth.
• Continued evolution of the agency's organic search offering.

About You

We're looking for a commercially minded leader who has successfully managed a digital marketing function, service line or business unit within an agency or consultancy environment.

You'll bring:

• Experience owning a departmental or business-unit P&L.
• A proven track record of leading managers and specialist teams.
• Strong commercial understanding of forecasting, utilisation, pricing and profitability.
• Experience implementing scalable processes and operational best practices.
• A solid understanding of SEO and organic search, with the credibility to engage senior clients and support specialist teams.
• Awareness of the evolving search landscape, including the impact of AI-powered search and generative search experiences.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Why Apply?

This is a rare opportunity to take ownership of a significant organic search function within a successful, ambitious agency that continues to invest heavily in technology, innovation and people development. You'll have genuine influence over strategy, growth and the future direction of the service offering while working alongside a highly experienced leadership team.

Salary Range 65-75k DOE

• Benefits (i.e. WFM/Free Parking/Life Insurance/Company Car): 25 days' annual leave, with the option to buy more
• Public holidays plus your birthday off
• Hybrid working, with 3 days per week in the Gateshead office
• Regular social and office events
• Monthly breakfast buffets, which apparently have something of a reputation