Discovery Manager in Chelmsford, Essex

One of our Influencer Marketing Agency clients are looking for an Influencer Discovery Manager to join their expanding team.

Role Overview

We're hiring an Influencer Discovery Manager to own and lead one of the most important pillars of the agency. You'll manage a team of 4–5 freelance discovery specialists and be accountable for ensuring we consistently deliver exceptional, on-brand influencer profiles at speed and at scale - without ever compromising on quality. This role combines execution, people leadership, judgment, and backbone. You'll work closely with Campaign Managers, push back when standards slip, and ensure discovery remains a strategic advantage as the agency grows.

A Note on Intensity, Ownership & Mindset

There is no rigid 9–5. Some weeks are calm. Some weeks involve early mornings, weekends, or pushing harder during crunch periods. Because discovery is such a critical function, they're looking for someone with the hunger and ownership to be "always on" when it matters. They can teach the technical skills. They cannot teach pace, hunger, resilience, or ambition. This role is for someone who wants to get stuck in, take responsibility early, learn fast, and grow alongside the agency - with the ambition to still be here in five years when the company is the world's best influencer agency.

Key Responsibilities

• Influencer Discovery Quality & Final Sign-Off: Own the quality bar for influencer discovery across all campaigns. Have final say on influencer quality and suitability. Define what "great" looks like: brand alignment, values fit, authenticity, engagement quality, audience sentiment, content style, and credibility. Review and approve influencer shortlists before handoff. Say no to poor-fit influencers, even under time pressure.
• Discovery Team Leadership & Output: Manage and support a team of 4–5 freelance discovery specialists. Allocate workload across 20–25 concurrent campaigns. Set clear expectations around pace, quality, and communication. Coach and develop the team - this may be your first management role, and we'll support you, but you must be hungry to learn. Drive maximum output without compromising standards.
• Communication: Collaboration & Pushback: Communicate clearly and closely with Campaign Managers to understand briefs and priorities. Translate strategy into clear discovery instructions. Push back when timelines, briefs, or requests would compromise quality. Communicate clearly, confidently, and early - no surprises. Be comfortable having difficult conversations when standards are at risk.
• Organisation, Systems & Scale: Manage discovery workflows across high campaign volume. Keep discovery trackers, shortlists, and documentation clean and structured. Ensure influencer rationale is clearly documented and easy to understand. Continuously improve discovery processes, SOPs, and templates. Help turn discovery into a scalable engine, not a bottleneck.
• Speed, Adaptability & Problem Solving: Move fast without being sloppy. Adapt quickly to changing briefs and priorities. Take ownership of problems and solve them proactively. Operate calmly and decisively under pressure.

What they're looking For

• Relentless hunger and a builder mindset.
• Fast pace - you move quickly and expect the same of others.
• Exceptional written communication and clarity of thought.
• Confidence to speak up, challenge decisions, and protect standards.
• Willingness to work flexibly and step up during high-pressure periods.
• Humility to learn, especially if this is your first management role.
• Long-term ambition to grow into senior leadership.
• Experience in influencer discovery is helpful but not essential. If you have the drive, judgment, and ambition, we'll teach you the rest.

Growth Path

If you excel in this role:

• Within 12 months: Head of Influencer Discovery
• Longer term: senior leadership responsibility across influencer operations, quality, and scale

This is a genuine growth role, not a dead end.

What Success Looks Like

• Discovery quality is consistently exceptional
• Campaign Managers trust and respect discovery decisions
• The discovery team moves fast with excellent communication and minimal rework
• Quality is protected even as volume increases
• Discovery becomes a core competitive advantage

Non-Negotiables (Read This Carefully)

This role is not for:

• Clock-watchers
• Slow movers
• People who avoid hard conversations
• Poor written communicators
• Anyone looking for "just a job"

It is for someone who wants responsibility, pressure, growth, and a front-row seat to building something special.