Senior Lead - Digital Analytics in London

Digital Analytics Senior Lead | Merkle | Manchester, London, Leeds, Edinburgh or Stafford | Permanent | Hybrid

Shape analytics strategy, lead complex client engagements and develop high-performing teams using GA4, GTM and enterprise measurement technologies.

Purpose of the Role

We are seeking an experienced and passionate Digital Analytics Senior Lead to join our industry-leading Analytics team, working with some of the largest and most innovative organisations in the UK. You will play a key role in shaping analytics strategy, leading complex client engagements and developing a high-performing team of analytics specialists. Combining strong technical expertise with excellent consulting and leadership skills, you will help clients maximise the value of their data and measurement capabilities. Working across a range of analytics technologies and platforms, you will lead the design and delivery of robust measurement solutions, ensuring work is aligned with client objectives and delivered to the highest standards. You will also act as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders, providing strategic guidance and helping clients navigate an evolving analytics landscape. You will join a collaborative Analytics team of approximately 30 people, working primarily across the UK with colleagues in Spain and India. The team supports more than 100 clients of different sizes, including multi-brand and multi-market accounts.

What you'll do

• Act as a senior strategic advisor for key client accounts, leading discovery sessions, workshops and strategic planning while building strong relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Translate business requirements into analytics, measurement and data strategies, presenting complex concepts clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Lead enterprise analytics implementations across Google Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager, BigQuery, Firebase and related technologies, defining measurement frameworks, data-layer architectures and governance standards.
• Drive best practice across tracking, reporting and data quality, providing technical oversight and ensuring solution designs and outputs meet agreed standards.
• Lead multiple concurrent client engagements, managing scope, risks, timelines, resources, delivery quality and commercial processes including forecasting, utilisation, statements of work, billing and purchase orders.
• Line manage, coach and develop analytics professionals while supporting recruitment, onboarding and performance reviews; identify growth opportunities and contribute to thought leadership, innovation and continuous improvement.

How you'll succeed

• Deliver strategic analytics engagements to a consistently high standard, aligned with client objectives, agreed scope and timelines.
• Build trusted senior client relationships and improve clients' adoption and maturity of analytics capabilities.
• Identify new opportunities that support account development and sustainable revenue growth.
• Provide effective technical oversight, ensuring solution designs, implementations and outputs meet agreed quality standards while improving delivery methodologies, governance and processes.
• Mentor and develop team members through clear feedback, coaching and meaningful development planning.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive and high-performance culture built on empathy, accountability and mutual trust, becoming a recognised technical and consulting expert within the business.

What you'll bring

Essential skills and experience

• Strong experience in digital analytics, measurement, data or a related discipline, including leading strategic projects, implementations or complex client engagements.
• Advanced knowledge of enterprise analytics platforms, particularly Google Analytics 4 and Google Tag Manager.
• Strong consulting, communication and presentation skills, with experience advising senior client stakeholders.
• The ability to manage multiple projects, stakeholders and priorities while maintaining close attention to quality and detail.
• Experience mentoring, coaching or managing team members, with a collaborative, humble and approachable leadership style.
• Commercial awareness, a client-first mindset and a passion for analytics, technology and solving complex challenges.

Desirable skills and experience

• Experience with several of the following: JavaScript, SQL, BigQuery, Python, Firebase, server-side tagging, consent management platforms, API integrations, cloud platforms, data visualisation tools, data warehousing solutions or mobile app analytics.
• Knowledge of Adobe Analytics and Adobe Launch.
• Experience with Google Cloud Platform and Tealium.

What we offer

This is a permanent role that can be based from our Manchester, London, Leeds, Edinburgh or Stafford office on a hybrid working basis, with approximately one day per week in the office and additional attendance for client meetings or quarterly business reviews when needed. At dentsu, we've built a benefits package that supports every chapter of your life. From company-funded Private Medical Insurance, a 24/7 Virtual GP and a generous sick-pay policy, to wellbeing days, volunteering time, flexible bank-holiday swaps and great everyday perks like retail discounts, gym access and tech schemes — we make it easier to live well, not just work well.

Our employee-led resource groups have helped shape policies that genuinely matter: enhanced maternity, paternity and carers leave, extended sick leave, menopause and baby-loss support, plus 10 fertility treatment days. Combined with life assurance, income protection, financial education tools and flexible savings options, you'll find a workplace that invests in you — your health, your family, your future. The team works flexibly around personal commitments and asks for the same flexibility when important client or team needs arise. Most work takes place within standard UK working hours, although occasional early-morning or evening calls may be needed for international clients.

About Dentsu

Dentsu is an integrated growth and transformation partner to the world's leading organisations. Founded in 1901 in Tokyo, Japan, and now operating in approximately 120 countries and regions, we bring together the power of a global network of leadership brands to deliver impactful, end-to-end growth solutions. Through our client promise, Innovating to Impact, we drive growth through integrated services across Media, Customer Experience Management (CXM), and Creative. Our business transformation (BX) mindset, combined with a focus on experience transformation (EX), drives sustainable growth for brands, people, and society. Our commitment to innovation, collaboration, and diversity enables us to continuously evolve, pushing boundaries while delivering measurable impact in a fast-changing world.

Inclusion and Diversity

At Dentsu, we embrace diversity and inclusion, valuing the unique perspectives and contributions of every individual. We believe that diversity fuels creativity and innovation, benefiting our employees, partners, and communities. We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected characteristic. Beyond recruitment, we strive to create an environment where everyone feels respected, supported, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work. We recognize the importance of work-life balance and are open to discussing flexible working arrangements for all roles. If you need reasonable adjustments due to a disability or medical condition during our recruitment process, please contact us, quoting the reference number of the role that you are applying for. Your needs will be handled with respect and confidentiality to ensure an inclusive and accessible experience.