Strategic Digital Media Partnerships Lead

JD Sports Fashion PLC; Bury; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

JD Sports is seeking a Digital Media Agency Lead to drive accountability and governance across the company’s digital media agency ecosystem. You will own supplier governance, optimise partner performance and maximise value from media investments across markets.

The role focuses on strategic agency governance, performance leadership and cross-functional collaboration with Finance, Procurement, Brand and Analytics to deliver measurable commercial impact.

Qualifications

• 5+ years' experience in digital media, media operations, supplier management, agency partnerships or commercial marketing roles.
• Experience managing strategic relationships with media agencies.
• Strong understanding of digital media channels including Paid Search, Paid Social, Programmatic, Affiliates and SEO.
• Demonstrable experience developing agency performance frameworks and governance processes.
• Experience leading commercial reviews, contract negotiations and agency performance discussions.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to evaluate investment performance, media efficiency and supplier value.
• Experience analysing digital marketing performance metrics, including ROAS, CAC, media efficiency and incrementality.
• Comfortable working with performance dashboards, financial reporting and supplier scorecards.

Responsibilities

• Own the performance management framework for JD Sports' media agencies and drive accountability.”
• Develop and maintain supplier scorecards measuring business impact, media effectiveness, service quality and commercial value.
• Lead Monthly Business Reviews (MBRs) and Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs), ensuring KPIs and objectives are met.
• Identify performance gaps and drive corrective action plans to improve agency effectiveness.
• Establish governance frameworks to support consistent delivery and transparency across relationships.
• Negotiate and optimise agency agreements and KPIs with Procurement, Finance and Legal.
• Support remuneration reviews, performance-based commercial models and contract renewals.
• Oversee governance of significant digital media investment across paid search, paid social, programmatic and other channels.
• Monitor supplier performance across measurement platforms and analytics tools.
• Ensure governance, data privacy and compliance are maintained.

Skills

Digital media

Media operations

Supplier management

Agency partnerships

Commercial marketing

Job description

Digital Media Agency Lead

Job Role

Reporting to the Associate Director of Digital Media, the Digital Media Agency Lead is responsible for driving accountability, governance and commercial value across JD Sports' digital media agency ecosystem.

The role will own the strategic management of key agency relationships, ensuring partners deliver against JD's commercial objectives, growth targets and customer acquisition goals. Working across Digital Media and Performance, alongside Brand, Analytics, Finance, Procurement and Technology, the role will develop best-in-class supplier governance frameworks, optimise media partner performance, and maximise value from JD Sports' media and agency investments across multiple markets.

As JD continues to scale globally, this role will be instrumental in ensuring agency partners support the business with innovation, operational excellence and measurable commercial impact.

Key Responsibilities

Agency Performance Leadership

• Own the performance management framework for JD Sports' media agencies.
• Develop and maintain supplier scorecards that measure business impact, media effectiveness, service quality, innovation, operational delivery and commercial value.
• Lead Monthly Business Reviews (MBRs) and Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs), ensuring agency are accountable for agreed KPIs and business objectives.
• Identify performance gaps and drive corrective action plans to improve agency effectiveness.

Strategic Agency Governance

• Act as the primary relationship lead for key agency partner.
• Establish governance frameworks that support consistent delivery, transparency and accountability across all relationships.
• Challenge agency recommendations through data, performance trends and market benchmarking.
• Ensure agency contributes proactively to JD Sports' growth plans through innovation, audience insights and media best practice.

Commercial Management & Value Creation

• Partner with Procurement, Finance and Legal teams to negotiate and optimise agency, agreements and key KPIs.
• Support agency remuneration reviews, performance-based commercial models and contract renewals.
• Identify opportunities for cost efficiencies, investment optimisation and incremental value creation.
• Ensure agency delivers contractual obligations and agreed service levels.

Media Investment & Technology Oversight

• Support governance of significant digital media investment across paid search, paid social, programmatic, affiliate, retail media and emerging channels in relation to the agency.
• Oversee and input into supplier performance across the marketing technology ecosystem, including measurement platforms, audience solutions, attribution tools and media advertising technology partners.
• Collaborate with Digital Media, Measurement and Analytics teams to improve measurement standards and media effectiveness reporting.

Financial & Operational Governance

• Work closely with Finance teams to ensure accurate agency invoicing, financial transparency and budget governance.
• Monitor agency initiatives and identify risks, inefficiencies or opportunities for improved return on investment.
• Ensure compliance with internal governance, auditing requirements and data privacy regulations.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Build strong relationships across Digital Media, Ecommerce, Brand Marketing, Analytics, Procurement, Finance, Customer Insight, Measurement and Data Privacy teams.
• Translate agency performance and commercial insights into clear recommendations for senior stakeholders.
• Support the Associate Director of Digital Media in agency strategy, business planning and agency evaluations.

Innovation & Market Intelligence

• Maintain an expert understanding of the digital media, sports fashion and retail landscape.
• Benchmark agency performance against industry standards and competitors.

Skills & Experience

Essential

• 5+ years' experience in digital media, media operations, supplier management, agency partnerships or commercial marketing roles.
• Experience managing strategic relationships with media agencies.
• Strong understanding of digital media channels including Paid Search, Paid Social, Programmatic, Affiliates and SEO.
• Demonstrable experience developing agency performance frameworks and governance processes.
• Experience leading commercial reviews, contract negotiations and agency performance discussions.

Commercial & Analytical Expertise

• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to evaluate investment performance, media efficiency and supplier value.
• Experience analysing digital marketing performance metrics, including ROAS, CAC, media efficiency and incrementality.
• Comfortable working with performance dashboards, financial reporting and supplier scorecards.

Leadership & Influence

• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Able to engage confidently with senior agency leaders and internal stakeholders.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills.
• Proven ability to drive accountability without direct line management responsibility.

Compliance & Governance

• Understanding of GDPR, data governance and digital marketing compliance requirements.
• Experience operating within structured governance, procurement and supplier management frameworks.

Success Measures

• Supplier and agency performance against agreed KPIs and scorecards.
• Improvements in media efficiency and investment effectiveness.
• Commercial value delivered through agency and vendor optimisation.
• Quality of agency governance and stakeholder satisfaction.
• Adoption of innovation and best practices from strategic partners.
• Delivery of cost savings, operational efficiencies and measurable business impact.