Director, Digital Strategy

Padilla; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Restaurant/hospitality workspace

Job summary

Padilla in the United States is seeking a Director, Digital Strategy to shape digital and UX strategies, guiding websites, redesigns, and optimization, in collaboration with multidisciplinary teams.

You will translate research into actionable insights, develop measurement plans and dashboards, and mentor junior staff while expanding client relationships and staying ahead of digital trends.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of digital strategy, UX strategy, web strategy or related experience; agency experience preferred
• Strong experience leading website and UX strategy, including discovery, information architecture, user journeys, audience research, and content strategy
• Experience conducting qualitative and quantitative research and translating findings into strategic recommendations
• Experience with usability testing and translating findings into actionable recommendations
• Strong analytics and KPI development capabilities
• Ability to synthesize complex research into clear stories and recommendations
• Understanding of how digital experiences connect with paid media, social, search, email, CRM
• Experience partnering with designers, producers, developers, and content teams to translate strategy into experiences
• Strong client counseling, presentation, and time management skills

Responsibilities

• Leading digital and UX strategy, from discovery and research through ongoing optimization
• Conducting qualitative and quantitative research to uncover business, audience, and user needs
• Developing information architecture, site maps, user journeys, content frameworks and other strategic recommendations that inform UX design and development
• Translating research, analytics, and performance data into clear insights and actionable recommendations
• Developing measurement strategies, KPI frameworks, and tracking recommendations, while providing strategic oversight for reporting and dashboards
• Partnering with UX designers, producers, developers, and content teams to ensure execution aligns with strategy and user needs
• Collaborating across paid media, SEO/GEO, social, content and other disciplines to connect digital experiences to broader marketing objectives
• Leading client discovery sessions, workshops, and presentations, and providing ongoing strategic counsel
• Mentoring junior team members and providing guidance across digital strategy, research, and analytics work
• Identifying opportunities to expand client relationships while staying current on emerging digital trends, technologies, and audience behaviors

Skills

Digital strategy

UX strategy

Verbal & written communication

Presentation skills

Client counseling

Mentoring

Research and analytics

Information architecture

Education

Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, user experience, or a related field

Tools

GA4

Matomo

Hotjar

Figma

Miro

Optimal Workshop

HubSpot

Job description

Want to make a meaningful career move? Think: Padilla. We celebrate our people – and honor their potential. It starts with a warm, inclusive workplace. Ample opportunities to learn and to lead. Other pluses? Fulfilling mentorship opportunities and great celebrations. And caring workers who love creating award-winning work. Come build, grow, and connect with Padilla. We’ll help you be your best.

The Director, Digital Strategy is responsible for shaping digital and user experience strategies that help clients create stronger, more effective digital experiences. This role leads strategic thinking that informs new websites, redesigns, and ongoing optimization efforts, partnering with the digital producers, UX designers, developers, content strategists, and other specialists who bring those strategies to life.

As the Director, Digital Strategy, you will play a leading role in discovery, working to understand our clients, their industries, business goals, and target audiences. You will translate those learnings into actionable strategies that influence information architecture, user journeys, content strategy, measurement, and the evolution of clients’ digital experiences over time.

Beyond website strategy, this role requires an understanding of how digital experiences fit within a client’s broader marketing and communications ecosystem. You will use research, analytics, and audience insights to identify opportunities, evaluate performance, and inform integrated strategies across channels. You will collaborate closely with paid media, SEO/GEO, social, content, creative, and account teams to connect digital experiences with broader client objectives and measurable outcomes.

Responsibilities Include:

• Leading digital and UX strategy, from discovery and research through ongoing optimization
• Conducting qualitative and quantitative research to uncover business, audience, and user needs
• Developing information architecture, site maps, user journeys, content frameworks and other strategic recommendations that inform UX design and development
• Translating research, analytics, and performance data into clear insights and actionable recommendations
• Developing measurement strategies, KPI frameworks, and tracking recommendations, while providing strategic oversight for reporting and dashboards
• Partnering with UX designers, producers, developers, and content teams to ensure execution aligns with strategy and user needs
• Collaborating across paid media, SEO/GEO, social, content and other disciplines to connect digital experiences to broader marketing objectives
• Leading client discovery sessions, workshops, and presentations, and providing ongoing strategic counsel
• Mentoring junior team members and providing guidance across digital strategy, research, and analytics work
• Identifying opportunities to expand client relationships while staying current on emerging digital trends, technologies, and audience behaviors

Basic Skills & Qualifications

• 7+ years of digital strategy, UX strategy, web strategy or related experience; agency experience preferred
• Strong experience leading website and UX strategy, including discovery, information architecture, user journeys, audience research, and content strategy
• Experience conducting qualitative and quantitative research and translating findings into strategic recommendations
• Demonstrated experience planning and conducting user testing, including usability testing, and translating findings into actionable recommendations
• Strong understanding of digital analytics and measurement, including KPI development and performance analysis
• Ability to synthesize complex research and data into clear, compelling stories, and actionable recommendations
• Understanding of how digital experiences connect with paid media, social, search, email, CRM, and broader marketing efforts
• Experience partnering with UX designers, producers, developers, and other specialists to translate strategy into effective digital experiences
• Strong client counsel, presentation, facilitation, and written communication skills
• Excellent organization and time management skills, with the ability to independently lead multiple client engagements and mentor more junior team members
• Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, user experience, or a related field

Bonus if you have:

• Experience with digital analytics and research platforms such as GA4, Matomo, Hotjar, Figma, Miro, Optimal Workshop or similar tools
• Advanced knowledge of web analytics implementation and event tracking best practices
• Experience with HubSpot or other CRM and marketing automation platforms
• Experience developing or providing strategic oversight for integrated performance dashboards
• Experience with B2B and B2C email marketing strategy and measurement
• Familiarity with SEO/GEO and the evolving role of AI in digital discovery and user behavior
• Experience providing strategy for large-scale website redesigns, CMS migrations, or other complex digital initiatives

Padilla is a full-service agency that transforms brands and organizations through strategically creative communications. Our work across a range of industry sectors is consistently recognized by the PRWeek Awards, PRovoke IN2 SABRE Awards and PRSA Anvil Awards, among others. Padilla operates in seven cities in the U.S. through its family of brands, which includes SHIFT (performance communications), FoodMinds (food and nutrition affairs) and Joe Smith (brand strategy). As an AVENIR GLOBAL company and a founding member of the Worldcom Public Relations Group, the agency provides services to clients through 155 offices worldwide. Transform with purpose at PadillaCo.com .

As set forth in Padilla’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.