Managing director designate

You Platforms (Leeds) Ltd; Leeds; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary, based on experience

Flexibility by agreement

28 days holiday plus bank holidays and your birthday

Job summary

A leading content marketing agency in Leeds is seeking a Managing Director Designate to oversee daily operations and drive performance. This senior role requires significant experience in operational leadership, with a focus on improving business performance and accountability. You’ll work closely with the founder, leading teams and implementing strategies for growth. Ideal candidates will possess an entrepreneurial mindset and a strong track record in management. This unique opportunity offers leadership autonomy and the potential for long-term growth within the company.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in operational, commercial, or general management leadership.
• Strong track record of improving business performance through accountability.
• Experience leading teams and raising standards across revenue and execution.
• Commercial credibility working closely with a founder or owner.
• Ability to create structure, clarity and momentum in a growing business.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with ownership mentality.
• Experience in media, agency, or content businesses is valuable.

Responsibilities

• Run the business day to day alongside the founder.
• Drive accountability for KPIs, targets, and delivery standards.
• Improve business rhythm, reporting, and management visibility.
• Improving business rhythm, reporting and management visibility.
• Supporting and challenging team members to raise performance.
• Creating structure, pace and consistency across the organisation.
• Working closely with leadership on revenue, resourcing and growth priorities.
• Identifying operational issues quickly and solving them effectively.
• Helping shape a high‑performance culture built around ownership and results.
• Taking increasing responsibility for the wider success of the business over time.

Skills

Operational Leadership

Commercial Acumen

Team Leadership

Performance Management

Entrepreneurial Mindset

Job description

Managing Director Designate

Key information

• Salary: Competitive, based on experience
• Work model: Office based, with flexibility by agreement
• Holiday: 28 days, plus bank holidays and your birthday

We’re looking for a Managing Director Designate to join our team in Leeds.

This is a senior leadership role for someone who can run the business day to day, drive operational performance, lead people to higher standards, and take real responsibility for revenue, accountability and execution.

You Platforms is the content marketing group behind Leeds‑List, Yorkshire‑List and Manchester‑List — trusted regional publishing brands with engaged audiences across the North.

We create content‑led campaigns, partnerships and commercial opportunities that help brands reach high‑intent audiences in more effective ways than traditional media.

This role is for someone with strong commercial and operational instincts who wants more than a standard management position. You’ll be expected to bring structure, pace, accountability and leadership across the business, ensuring people perform well, KPIs are owned properly, and the company runs at a consistently higher level.

It’s a strong fit for someone with an entrepreneurial mindset who wants to help shape the next stage of growth. For the right person, there is scope over time for this role to develop into a broader leadership position with long‑term upside, including the opportunity to earn a meaningful stake in the business.

What we’re looking for in a Managing Director Designate

• Significant experience in operational, commercial or general management leadership
• A strong track record of improving business performance through people, process and accountability
• Experience leading teams and raising standards across delivery, revenue and execution
• Commercial credibility and confidence working closely with a founder or owner
• The ability to create structure, clarity and momentum in a growing business
• Strong judgement, resilience and a bias toward action
• Confidence using KPIs, reporting and management rhythm to drive performance
• A proactive, entrepreneurial mindset with real ownership mentality
• The ability to balance strategic thinking with hands‑on leadership
• This role is for an experienced leader, not someone stepping into management for the first time. You should be able to show clear evidence of running teams, improving operational performance and driving accountability for commercial results
• Experience in media, agency, content, digital or other fast‑paced service‑led businesses would be especially valuable
• This role is best suited to someone ambitious, commercially minded and genuinely motivated by the opportunity to help build a business over the long term

Why this role is different

This is not a standard operations manager role and it is not a back‑office process position. It’s to become the founder’s right hand.

It is a chance to step into a genuine business leadership role inside a growing media and content company where your decisions, standards and leadership will directly influence performance.

If you’ve got the drive to build, lead and improve — and want more autonomy, more responsibility and more long‑term upside than a conventional employed role offers — this is designed to be that kind of opportunity.

What you’ll be doing as Managing Director Designate

• Running the business day to day alongside the founder
• Leading operational performance across teams, functions and workflows
• Driving accountability for KPIs, targets and delivery standards
• Improving business rhythm, reporting and management visibility
• Supporting and challenging team members to raise performance
• Creating structure, pace and consistency across the organisation
• Working closely with leadership on revenue, resourcing and growth priorities
• Identifying operational issues quickly and solving them effectively
• Helping shape a high‑performance culture built around ownership and results
• Taking increasing responsibility for the wider success of the business over time

What to expect in the application process

We want to see evidence that you can lead a business, improve performance and raise accountability in practice — not just talk about leadership in broad terms.

As part of the application process, shortlisted candidates will be expected to demonstrate how they approach team performance, operational discipline, KPI ownership and commercial decision‑making.

That may include sharing examples of businesses, teams or functions you’ve improved, explaining how you introduced accountability and performance management, and completing a short practical task or discussion exercise focused on how you would run and strengthen a business like ours.

Apply now

Send your CV and a short note outlining your relevant leadership experience to: [e-mail]

Additional information

Generative AI notice: you may use AI, but be mindful that your application might end up exactly the same as everyone else that uses AI. We believe in original content and talent, and that’s what we’re looking for here.

Speculative applications from representatives, recruiters or other third parties that aren’t direct applicants aren’t accepted.

You Platforms does not enter into contract with any party not on our preferred supplier list.