Growth Strategy Director 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.

As a Growth Strategy Director at DEPT®, you are the senior strategic lead and media figurehead for one of our most complex and high-profile accounts. You own the media agenda for the client and act as the primary point of contact for growth strategy, including paid owned and earned media, content, product and cross-disciplinary collaboration. You balance long-term strategic direction with hands-on leadership in execution, ensuring that ambition translates into impact. You connect media, content, creative, influencer, and performance disciplines into a cohesive full-funnel approach that challenges competitors and drives tangible business outcomes. In this role, you operate comfortably within a complex, corporate environment and are trusted by senior client stakeholders as a strategic partner. Internally, you are a connector, motivator, and decision-maker who brings clarity, urgency, and focus to teams, especially during high-pressure, large-scale campaigns such as international sports or brand moments.

What You’ll Do

• Act as the senior media lead and content figurehead for the client, owning the growth narrative and strategic direction;
• Steer the overall growth strategy agenda, ensuring consistency, quality, and ambition across brand and performance activities;
• Serve as the primary senior point of contact for growth and media strategy towards the client's senior stakeholders;
• Be the voice of authority on the methods to drive growth for clients - with the ability to look at client’s business challenges and numbers and navigate a path to growth. Owning areas such as business casing and forecasts;
• Navigate a complex, client environment with sensitivity, authority, and confidence;
• Present clear, compelling, and persuasive strategies to senior client management, translating complexity into actionable direction;
• Balance long-term strategic vision with day-to-day urgency, knowing when to zoom out and when to step in;
• Take hands-on leadership of large, high-impact campaigns (e.g. international brand moments, sponsorships, World Cup-scale activations);
• Ensure strategies are executable, prioritised correctly, and delivered with pace and quality;
• Act as the link between disciplines, connecting media, creative, influencer, content, brand, and performance teams - both internally and externally;
• Challenge teams and clients to push beyond conventional media thinking;
• Proactively spot opportunities to expand the scope of work into broader strategic territories;
• Contribute to new business opportunities, organic growth, and competitive positioning;
• Help shape DEPT®’s media propositions, best practices, and strategic thought leadership.

What You Bring

• Senior media strategist/media director-level professional with extensive agency experience;
• Proven track record leading large, complex, and demanding corporate accounts;
• Strong understanding of how to operate within multi-stakeholder organisations;
• Full-funnel media expertise with a solid foundation in both digital and traditional media (e.g. digital TV, influencer, creative, brand & performance);
• Ability to bridge brand and performance, strategy and execution;
• Knowledge of crafts beyond media and is capable of briefing and guiding a team of data, creative or tech experts;
• Excellent stakeholder management skills with strong organisational sensitivity;
• Persuasive, energetic, and inspiring communicator;
• Confident presenter to senior client leadership, able to simplify complex strategies;
• Strong process insight and prioritisation skills;
• Ability to distinguish between theoretical strategy and what requires immediate action;
• Comfortable getting hands-on and leading from the front when needed;
• Natural connector who brings together people, disciplines, and ideas;
• Located and are available to start working from our London or Manchester offices.

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;
• Awesome clients. Whether big or small, local or global — at DEPT® you’ll get.

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.