At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead digital transformation projects and guide clients through strategy and delivery.
- Company: Dynamic agency focused on innovative digital solutions and client success.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by solving complex business challenges with cutting-edge technology.
- Qualifications: 10+ years in digital strategy or consultancy, strong communication skills, and agile experience.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with a focus on continuous improvement and emerging tech.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 ÂŁ per year.
As a Strategist, you’re equally comfortable operating at the strategic altitude and in the weeds of day-to-day delivery. You have a background in digital agencies and a track record of owning complex transformation programmes. You’ve likely worn hats such as Product Manager, Digital Strategist, Project Manager or Client Partner—and you understand what it means to guide a client while getting work over the line.
You thrive on solving real business problems, building trust with senior stakeholders, and collaborating closely with creative and technical teams. You bring a rare combination of strategic acumen, delivery discipline and commercial instinct—alongside a curiosity for AI and emerging tech. And you’re energised by face‑to‑face interaction: spending time on‑site with the client, helping steer them through complexity.
The role blends four things:
- Product Ownership: represent the product vision, shape roadmaps, and connect delivery to outcomes
- Strategic Growth: identify new needs, shape upcoming work, and ensure commercial alignment
- Client Relationship Leadership: act as the strategic counterpart to our clients, ensuring executive alignment and engagement
- Pre‑Sales & New Business Leadership: lead strategic pre‑sales engagements, shape early‑stage delivery, and help win the right type of work by aligning our product and partnership vision with client ambition
What you’ll do:
- Act as the primary digital engagement lead across one or more strategic accounts—guiding clients through Discovery, Strategy, Design, Development and Delivery
- Proactively identify improvement opportunities on live platforms, ensuring our work evolves through a Continuous Improvement (CI) mindset
- Translate complex business needs into phased outcome‑led roadmaps that guide both near‑term delivery and long‑term transformation
- Act as the internal voice of the client and the external voice of the product - ensuring everything we deliver is connected to a clearly defined product vision, prioritised roadmap, and measurable business value
- Provide clear strategic direction to delivery teams - partnering with Design, Tech, and Delivery Leads to ensure alignment on capacity, velocity, and value, while stepping back from day‑to‑day delivery management
- Support clients in shaping go‑to‑market (GTM) strategies, service propositions, or business design initiatives - particularly during Discovery or early‑phase engagements
- Help shape commercial models and prioritisation trade‑offs in partnership with clients - aligning budgets, ambition and investment phasing across multi‑stage programmes
- Build credibility with senior stakeholders—offering a clear, structured point of view while flexing between corporate polish and startup hustle
- Operate as a connector across disciplines: delivery, strategy, design, content, data and technology
- Shape and steer multi‑disciplinary teams to deliver experience‑led digital transformation programmes
- Lead workshops, stakeholder interviews and discovery engagements to uncover goals, pain points and opportunities
- Work with technologists and platform specialists to determine the best in class technical solutions to business problems
- Support proposal writing, scoping and pre‑sales activities
- Maintain an informed POV on AI, emerging tech, composable platforms and customer experience best practices
Who you are:
You are a hybrid thinker and doer—someone with one foot in strategy, one in delivery. You’re confident navigating complex client relationships, and you bring a sharp commercial lens to digital transformation programmes. You have an agency background with a history of time spent on‑site with clients and you know how to build trust in the room.
You thrive when working across disciplines—creative, technical, strategic—and are equally comfortable whiteboarding ideas or writing a scope. You’re curious about what’s next in technology, passionate about customer experience, and collaborative by nature. You can pivot between the structure of large programmes and the pace of startup‑style initiatives. You have excellent communication, organisation and presentation skills—and enjoy managing complexity with clarity. You thrive on collaboration but know how to take ownership and drive outcomes.
What you bring:
- ~10+ years of experience in digital strategy, product, delivery, or consultancy roles in an agency setting
- Proven ability to lead complex transformation programmes and Continuous Improvement (CI) programmes.
- Strong understanding of agile‑based and waterfall delivery models and are comfortable flexing between traditional and adaptive methodologies
- Hands‑on knowledge of DXP & MarTech ecosystems and extensive experience working with at least one enterprise CMS (e.g. Sitecore, Adobe, Optimizely, Acquia, LifeRay) preferably with at least one relevant platform certification or qualification
- Confidence in managing senior stakeholders and leading difficult, high‑stakes conversations
- Experience spending meaningful time working on‑site with clients and are comfortable committing to a hybrid working week of client‑side office days, agency office days and working from home.
- Strong collaboration and communication skills—able to guide and inspire cross‑functional teams
- Experience with service blueprints, customer journey mapping and organisational change facilitation
- Curiosity for AI, emerging technologies and evolving customer experience trends
- Preferred experience in industries such as hospitality, tourism, logistics or transport
- Two recent case studies you can share in interview to demonstrate your impact
If this sounds like you, we’d love to meet. We’re looking for smart, grounded, pragmatic strategists who want to make a difference.
Strategist employer: Horizontal Digital
Contact Detail:
Horizontal Digital Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Strategist
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join online forums, or even hit up LinkedIn. The more you engage, the better your chances of landing that Strategist role.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills in real-time! Consider setting up a portfolio or case studies that highlight your past successes. When you get the chance to chat with potential employers, share these stories to demonstrate your strategic acumen and delivery discipline.
✨Tip Number 3
Be proactive! If you see a company you love, don’t wait for them to post a job. Reach out directly and express your interest. Tailor your message to show how your experience aligns with their needs—especially in digital strategy and transformation.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! We’re always on the lookout for talented strategists who can thrive in complex environments. Make sure to highlight your hybrid thinking and doer mentality when you apply—it’s what we love to see!
We think you need these skills to ace Strategist
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Strategic Side: When writing your application, make sure to highlight your strategic thinking skills. We want to see how you've tackled complex problems in the past and how you can bring that experience to our team.
Tailor Your Experience: Don’t just list your previous roles—connect them to the job description! We’re looking for specific examples of how your background in digital agencies has prepared you for this role as a Strategist.
Be Clear and Concise: We appreciate clarity! Make sure your application is well-structured and easy to read. Use bullet points where necessary to break down your achievements and skills, so we can quickly see what you bring to the table.
Apply Through Our Website: Finally, don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to keep track of your application and ensure it gets the attention it deserves. We can’t wait to hear from you!
How to prepare for a job interview at Horizontal Digital
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you’re well-versed in the latest trends in digital strategy and transformation. Brush up on your knowledge of DXP & MarTech ecosystems, and be ready to discuss how you've successfully led complex programmes in the past.
✨Showcase Your Experience
Prepare two recent case studies that highlight your impact in previous roles. Focus on how you navigated client relationships and delivered results, especially in high-stakes situations. This will demonstrate your ability to manage complexity and drive outcomes.
✨Engage with Curiosity
Express your curiosity about AI and emerging technologies during the interview. Share insights on how these innovations can enhance customer experience and digital transformation. This shows you're not just a strategist but also a forward-thinker.
✨Build Rapport
Since this role involves a lot of face-to-face interaction, practice building rapport with your interviewers. Be personable and show your collaborative nature. Remember, they want someone who can connect with clients and inspire cross-functional teams.