Head of Email & QA in Manchester

DEPT® is a Growth Invention company built to help the world’s most ambitious brands grow faster. Operating at the intersection of technology and marketing, our 4,000+ specialists deliver growth invention services across Brand & Media, Experience, Commerce, CRM, and Technology & Data. We’re 50|50 tech and marketing, partner‑led, and first to move. Clients include Google, Lufthansa, Meta, eBay, and OpenAI. We have been certified B Corp and Climate Neutral since 2021.

JOB PURPOSE

This role is part of our Global Studios team. We create emotive yet conversion‑focused ideas, products and campaigns at scale and speed. Our specialty is hyper‑personalised, digital communications that change perceptions, shape new behaviours, and shift market share for our clients. The Head of Email and QA is responsible for shaping the vision, standards, and future direction of DEPT® Studios’ Email and QA capability. The team has strong delivery foundations, but it now needs to modernise and evolve to support Studios’ content‑at‑scale offering and to regain its industry‑leading position.

You will lead how we build, test, and deliver email at scale by introducing new tools and automation, modernising workflows, and driving continuous improvement. Leading a multidisciplinary team, you will combine strategic direction with hands‑on leadership to ensure high standards, strong performance, and measurable progress as the team transforms.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Strategic Vision and Capability Leadership
  • Define the long‑term vision for Email and QA in alignment with the wider DEPT® Studios and Technology vision.
  • Set a clear strategic direction supported by structured roadmaps, priorities, and measurable progress.
  • Stay ahead of industry developments, emerging tools, and shifting email standards, and translate these into an actionable plan.
  • Ensure the capability is innovative, competitive, and recognised across DEPT® as a centre of excellence.
  • Assess the team’s skills on an ongoing basis, identifying strengths, gaps, and development needs.
  • Make business‑minded decisions to ensure the team is equipped to deliver against the vision, including addressing capability gaps when required.
  • Provide strong leadership and clarity, taking input from the team while owning the direction, priorities, and momentum of the capability.
• Operational Excellence and Process Improvement
  • Oversee delivery across development, QA, and technical project management to ensure work is planned, executed, and delivered to a consistently high standard.
  • Ensure workflows and processes support DEPT® Studios’ content‑at‑scale model by enabling efficiency, consistency, and repeatability across all work.
  • Support the Delivery team in accurate planning, efficient utilisation, and strong commercial performance for the team.
  • Identify opportunities to improve tools, workflows, and practices to enhance efficiency and reduce manual effort, including looking for ways to modernise how the team works through automation and relevant technologies.
  • Manage risks and challenges proactively with clear communication and timely decisions.
• Technical Excellence and Modernisation
  • Lead the adoption of modern email development practices, tools, and technologies.
  • Drive testing and experimentation across rendering, accessibility, compatibility, and performance.
  • Collaborate closely with Strategy, Design, and Copy to ensure testing insights shape future practices.
  • Share findings across all Studios and work with department leads to ensure learnings are adopted in workflows across teams.
  • Maintain high technical standards and ensure ongoing evolution of craft within the team.
• Commercial and Capability Growth
  • Work with Client Services to proactively identify opportunities to grow email capabilities for existing and new clients.
  • Shape future‑focussed service offerings and contribute to proposals and capability‑led conversations.
  • In collaboration with Delivery and Finance teams, ensure the Email and QA offering remains competitive, profitable, and aligned with client expectations and market direction.
  • Build visibility for Email and QA across DEPT® so teams know when and how to engage the capability.
• People Leadership
  • Lead, coach, and develop a high‑performing team.
  • Set clear expectations and foster a culture of high standards, ownership, and continuous improvement.
  • Support the team through transformation with clarity, structure, and empathy.
  • Encourage curiosity, experimentation, and collaborative problem solving.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Strong experience in email development, QA, or email‑related technical delivery.
• Proven ability to lead a capability or technical team through transformation or modernisation.
• Strong strategic thinking, able to set direction and lead teams through change.
• Solid understanding of email testing, accessibility, compatibility, and performance optimisation.
• Experience improving workflows and adopting modern tools, automation, or technologies.
• Leadership experience with high standards and the ability to build a strong, motivated, future‑focused team.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

• A clear, communicated vision for Email and QA with visible, ongoing progress.
• Email and QA recognised across DEPT® as a modern, innovative, reliable capability.
• Improvements in efficiency, speed, and reduced manual effort through modern practices and tooling.
• High‑quality, consistent output with strengthened technical standards.
• A lean, efficiently utilised team.
• Growth of the capability through new services, stronger offerings, and proactive client engagement.
• Strong partnerships with teams outside Studios that have email needs, leading to increased collaboration and a broader project base for the capability.
• Increased internal visibility as an expert in email through innovation and industry‑leading practices.
• Self‑initiated improvements and proactive updates on progress, challenges, and impact.

WE OFFER

• A flexible, hybrid working policy (2 days from the office, depending on location).
• An excellent salary based on experience and equal pay policies.
• Pension, free private healthcare, mental health support, and company sick pay scheme.
• 26 days paid holiday (plus UK Bank Holidays).
• Refreshments are provided in the office all week, as well as drinks at 4 pm on a Thursday.
• Help getting you to work with a season ticket loan and cycle‑to‑work scheme.
• Enhanced family‑friendly policies to support new parents.
• Social and cultural events, plenty of opportunities to connect with colleagues through organised activities and celebrations.
• Inspirational talks, bringing the outside in with regular guest speakers and events.
• Learning and development, supporting your growth with continuous opportunities to learn and advance.
• Buddy programme – you will be paired with a ‘Buddy’ to help you through your first weeks at DEPT®.
• A reputation for doing good. DEPT® has been a Certified B Corp® since 2021 and named ‘Agency of the Year’ at both The Lovies and The Webby Awards.

WHY DEPT®?

We are a Growth Invention company built to help the world’s most ambitious brands grow faster. Operating at the intersection of technology and marketing, we create what is next by pioneering ideas, acting fast, and moving further because standing still just is not in our DNA. We are drawn to people who stay curious, move with intent, and never stop inventing. Our culture runs on three values: better together, relentlessly curious, and get sh*t done. It is how we work, how we grow, and how we make things that matter. At DEPT®, you will find the freedom to explore, the space to collaborate, and the trust to make a real impact for our clients, for each other, and for the world we are helping to build.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

At DEPT®, we take pride in creating an inclusive workplace where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive. We actively seek to recruit, develop, nurture, and retain talented individuals from diverse backgrounds, with varying skills and perspectives. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Apply, and let us decide! Research shows that women and members of underrepresented groups tend not to apply for jobs when they think they may not meet every requirement, when in fact they do. We believe in giving everyone a fair chance to shine. We also encourage you to reach out to us and discuss any reasonable adjustments we can make to support you throughout the recruitment process and your time with us.