04/02/2026 Owned Channel Lead North Shields, United Kingdom in Newcastle upon Tyne

Do you want to be a valued part of the critical infrastructure that serves communities across Europe and beyond? Are you looking for a position in which you can set direction and help shape our company? If so, then you could be the newest addition to our team as an Owned Channel Lead.

Be part of the movement – and play your part.

About the role

As Owned Channels Lead, you will own and elevate DFDS’s direct relationship with our audiences across every stage of the customer lifecycle. You will combine strategic vision with hands‑on leadership to transform owned and earned channels into high‑performing growth engines – building loyalty, driving demand, and strengthening DFDS’s reputation across passenger and B2B markets. Working at the intersection of data, storytelling, and orchestration, you will ensure every touchpoint delivers consistent, measurable impact.

Responsibilities

• Leading and executing the owned channels and PR strategy, ensuring alignment with lifecycle marketing, ABM initiatives, and commercial objectives across passenger and B2B audiences
• Driving the ongoing modernisation of the CRM and lifecycle ecosystem, translating customer data into scalable, personalised journeys that improve engagement and conversion
• Orchestrating owned, earned, and paid channels in close collaboration with brand, performance, and media teams to maximise reach, synergy, and long‑term value
• Overseeing social, community, and reputation management, including social listening, moderation, ratings, and reviews, turning insights into actionable improvements
• Monitoring and optimise owned‑channel performance, owning KPIs and performance narratives while partnering with Analytics to demonstrate impact and continuous improvement

About you

You are a strategic and commercially minded marketing leader with deep expertise across CRM, email, social, and community channels. You bring a strong lifecycle and ABM orchestration mindset, understanding how to connect content, data, and channels to influence customers at every stage of their journey.

You are a confident leader in marketing automation, deliverability, and data stewardship, with the ability to turn complex datasets into meaningful, personalised experiences at scale. You have a proven track record of harmonising complex content calendars across owned and earned channels, ensuring consistent storytelling and measurable impact.

With experience shaping PR strategies and integrating earned media into wider channel plans, you excel at building alignment across teams and functions. You are an effective stakeholder manager who thrives in collaborative environments, and with 5+ years in a leadership role within owned, lifecycle, or engagement marketing, you consistently deliver results that drive engagement, conversion, and long‑term value.

We think the strongest teams are built on diversity and inclusivity. Contrasting opinions, varied skills and strong characters bring out the best in us all. And we cannot wait for you to join.

Working at DFDS

Join the movement and grow with us.

Benefits

• Life assurance cover
• Contributory company pension scheme
• Holiday Purchase Scheme
• Free ferry travel for up to 4 guests between Dover and Calais / Newcastle and Amsterdam with no limit on trips
• Full employee assistance programme including:
  • Proactive financial, emotional, mental, and physical health care support including face to face counselling, fast 24/7 access to a GP, a second medical opinion and legal support for colleagues and their family.
  • Huge range of retail discounts from high street and online retailers
  • Cashback on health care including dental, optical, physiotherapy, prescriptions, specialist consultations and much more.
  • Access to myStrength, our Wellbeing platform, which has plenty of content to support and improve your mental wellness needs.
  • Access to mental health first aid and opportunity to join support webinars with a focus on all areas of positive wellbeing.

While you’re with us, we want you to develop. At DFDS, we believe that development happens first and foremost through activities in the workplace. We will also offer training courses that can support you in your role, if needed.

Apply Now

If you think your personality, skills, experience, and desire match this role, we’d love to hear from you. Please send us your CV as soon as possible, as we’re keen to meet potential candidates on an ongoing basis.

We look forward to hearing from you.