Senior Digital Marketing Lead

twentysix; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading digital marketing agency is looking for a Senior Digital Marketing Lead to oversee the digital strategy for a high-profile retail/eCommerce brand in Manchester. You will manage performance across various digital channels, ensure alignment with client goals, and supervise a skilled internal team. This is an engaging hybrid role that offers the best of agency and in-house work, with clear growth opportunities.

Qualifications

• 5+ years’ experience in digital marketing, ideally with retail or eCommerce accounts.
• Deep expertise in paid media, especially PPC and Affiliate Marketing.
• Strong understanding of SEO for aligned strategies.

Responsibilities

• Manage performance across key KPIs, ensuring campaigns are data-led.
• Act as the strategic contact between agency and client for campaign performance.
• Own budgeting process and revenue forecasting for paid marketing activities.

Skills

Digital Marketing

Paid Media

PPC (Google Ads)

Meta

Affiliate Marketing

SEO

Commercial Awareness

Client Engagement

Project Management

Job description

• Be the client’s go-to digital lead: translating their goals, priorities and internal insights into actionable plans for the agency team
• Manage performance across key KPIs (ROAS, CPA, spend & revenue growth), ensuring campaigns are data-led and constantly optimised
• Act as the strategic point of contact between agency and client: overseeing campaign performance, reporting insights, and driving alignment
• Demonstrate strong commercial awareness of key trading periods (e.g. sales, seasonal peaks), adapting activity, budgets, and strategy in response to performance challenges to maintain profitability and growth
• Actively participate in trade meetings and key commercial discussions, ensuring full engagement with trading plans and marketing campaigns for the CDS group.
• Ensure marketing budgets align with cost-to-serve and profitability targets by working closely with CDS Finance and Performance Managers to maintain financial governance.
• Collaborate with internal Email Marketing and Social Media teams to optimise the effectiveness of key campaigns and promotions across all relevant channels.
• Own and manage the budgeting process and in-year forecasting for revenue and expenditure related to all paid marketing activities. Liaise with CDS suppliers to maximise return on investment from advertising income, ensuring value for both suppliers and CDS.
• You will be expected to travel to the client’s headquarters and spend a minimum of 1 working week on site in Plymouth per month. The remaining time will be spent hybrid in our Manchester office.

We’re looking for someone who

• Has 5+ years’ experience in digital marketing, ideally client-side, or agency-side with time spent on a major retail or eCommerce account (essential)
• Brings deep expertise in paid media — particularly PPC (Google Ads), Meta, and Affiliate Marketing
• Has a strong understanding of other digital channels like SEO to ensure cross-channel strategies are aligned and commercially sound
• Understands the fast-moving nature of retail and can pivot quickly based on trading performance, stock, or commercial shifts
• Is confident directing strategy but also happy getting into the detail when needed
• Can lead conversations with client stakeholders at all levels — from marketing to commercial and tech
• Is proactive, structured, and great at managing multiple inputs and moving parts
• Thrives in hybrid/remote working environments and is comfortable being “client-side” as their embedded digital expert

Why this role?

• Lead the digital strategy for a high-profile retail/eCommerce brand with strong growth ambitions
• Play a critical role in balancing strategy, budget, and performance across peak trading periods and campaign launches
• Enjoy the best of both worlds: the energy and pace of agency life, with the strategic depth of an in-house role
• Get support from a highly skilled internal agency team across SEO, paid media, content, and more
• Clear opportunity to grow into a broader leadership position as the account and relationship evolve