Strategy & Creative Service Lead

DC Thomson; Glasgow; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Competitive salary

Generous holiday allowance

Learning and development opportunities

Wellbeing support

Collaborative and inclusive culture

Opportunity to shape growing agency

Job summary

Fifth Ring, a DC Thomson agency, is seeking a Strategy & Creative Service Lead in Scotland, with hybrid working from Aberdeen, Glasgow or Edinburgh. You’ll unite strategic thinking, creative delivery and leadership to drive measurable client outcomes.

You’ll mentor teams, shape propositions, pitches and new business, and partner with client service and content teams to translate business goals into compelling marketing strategies.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in strategic marketing, brand strategy or agency leadership.
• Strong creative thinking combined with commercial awareness.
• Experience advising senior stakeholders and influencing client decisions.
• A track record of developing successful B2B marketing strategies and campaigns.
• The ability to lead and inspire multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• A collaborative approach and genuine passion for helping clients succeed.

Responsibilities

• Leading the development of strategic marketing and brand recommendations for clients.
• Driving creative excellence across campaigns, content and integrated marketing programmes.
• Building trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders.
• Coaching and supporting colleagues across strategy and creative disciplines.
• Helping shape propositions, pitches and new business opportunities.
• Using market insight, audience understanding and commercial awareness to influence decision‑making.
• Ensuring projects align with client objectives and deliver measurable outcomes.
• Contributing to the ongoing growth and reputation of Fifth Ring.

Skills

Strategic marketing

Brand strategy

Agency leadership

Creative thinking

Commercial awareness

Stakeholder management

Team leadership

Communication skills

Collaboration

Job description

Strategy & Creative Service Lead

Fifth Ring | Aberdeen, Glasgow or Edinburgh | Hybrid

Great marketing does more than create campaigns. It creates commercial impact.

At Fifth Ring, we help ambitious B2B brands solve complex business challenges through strategy, creativity and execution. We're looking for a Strategy & Creative Service Lead to bring together strategic thinking, creative excellence and leadership, helping clients stand out in competitive markets while supporting and developing a talented team.

This is an opportunity to influence major client relationships, shape agency thinking and play a key role in the continued growth of one of Scotland's leading B2B marketing agencies.

The Role

As Strategy & Creative Service Lead, you'll provide leadership across strategy and creative delivery, ensuring our work is insight-led, commercially focused and delivers measurable results for clients.

You'll work closely with client service, content, campaign, digital and leadership teams to translate complex business objectives into compelling marketing strategies and creative solutions. Equally important, you'll mentor and develop colleagues, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration and continuous improvement.

This role suits an experienced agency or client-side marketing leader who enjoys balancing big-picture thinking with hands‑on leadership.

What You'll Be Doing

• Leading the development of strategic marketing and brand recommendations for clients.
• Driving creative excellence across campaigns, content and integrated marketing programmes.
• Building trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders.
• Coaching and supporting colleagues across strategy and creative disciplines.
• Helping shape propositions, pitches and new business opportunities.
• Using market insight, audience understanding and commercial awareness to influence decision‑making.
• Ensuring projects align with client objectives and deliver measurable outcomes.
• Contributing to the ongoing growth and reputation of Fifth Ring.

Requirements

What We're Looking For

We're interested in people who can demonstrate:

• Significant experience in strategic marketing, brand strategy or agency leadership.
• Strong creative thinking combined with commercial awareness.
• Experience advising senior stakeholders and influencing client decisions.
• A track record of developing successful B2B marketing strategies and campaigns.
• The ability to lead and inspire multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• A collaborative approach and genuine passion for helping clients succeed.

Why Join Fifth Ring?

Fifth Ring is part of the DC Thomson group, an organisation with a long history of innovation, creativity and growth.

You'll join a business where ideas are valued, collaboration is encouraged and talented people are empowered to make an impact. Alongside challenging and rewarding work, you'll have the opportunity to develop your career within a supportive and ambitious environment.

What We Offer

• Hybrid and flexible working options
• Competitive salary
• Generous holiday allowance
• Learning and development opportunities
• Wellbeing support
• A collaborative and inclusive culture
• The opportunity to shape the future of a growing agency

Closing date for applications: Monday 12th October at 12 noon