At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic creative team and drive operational excellence in a fast-paced environment.
- Company: Join the UK's #1 independent Meta agency group, known for innovation and creativity.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive pay, 28 days holiday, private health insurance, and flexible working.
- Other info: Work in a vibrant culture that values ownership, curiosity, and continuous improvement.
- Why this job: Shape the future of creative strategy while developing the next generation of leaders.
- Qualifications: Proven experience leading large teams and strong commercial acumen required.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 € per year.
Department: Creative Strategy | Performance Creative
Reports to: Chief Creative Officer
Location: Hybrid, Central London (Camden Roundhouse) Monday & Wednesday.
Compensation: Competitive Base + up to 10% Quarterly Bonus + Benefits Scheme + 28 Days Paid Holiday + Private Health
About Soar Group
The Soar Group is a UK performance agency group comprising three specialist agencies. With over £100M+ in yearly ad spend under management and a team of 130+, we work with 7-9 figure DTC and e-commerce brands across Meta, TikTok, and Google.
Our values: Extreme Ownership. Radical Curiosity. Kind Candour. Outcome Obsessed.
KPIs You'll Own
- Department P&L - Dept EBITDA is the headline KPI
- Department utilisation rate - sustained at target across all roles
- Department Engagement Score - team health, with a future talent density target of >40%
- Creative Lead leadership development trajectory - objective uplift across all four direct reports over 12 months
The Opportunity:
We're looking for an experienced leader to join the senior management team of the UK's largest performance creative department. Hambi Media (ECD) is the creative engine of the Soar Group - the UK's #1 independent Meta agency group. The Creative Strategy department is the group's biggest revenue driver, producing performance creative across High Production video, UGC, and Static design for 7-9 figure DTC and e-commerce brands. We manage over £100M+ in ad spend yearly and operate 13 creative pods.
This isn't a role for someone who wants to be deep in execution or write scripts. This is a senior leadership hire - and the most senior people-and-operations role inside the department.
You will own the operational backbone of a 20+ person creative team: leading four Creative Leads, scaling process, building culture, driving commercial performance, and developing the next generation of department leaders.
What You'll Own:
- Department Leadership & Team Development
- Line-manage four direct reports: 3-4 Creative Leads
- Cascade development through the layered structure: Creative Leads → Senior Creative Strategists → Creative Strategists → CS Executives
- Own the people strategy for the department: performance management, progression frameworks, capacity planning, utilisation mapping and succession
- Coach Creative Leads into confident, autonomous leaders - through difficult conversations, client escalations, strategic thinking, team management and coaching
- Build and maintain a department culture of ownership, curiosity, and relentless improvement - one where the team is motivated, and proud to work
- Be a true empowering voice and leader of the department
If the Creative Leads are the strikers, you are the manager of the football team.
Operational Excellence & Process
- Own department structure, org development, operations, hiring, and team retention
- Champion process improvement and identify bottlenecks before they become blockers - from briefing workflows to reporting cadences to production handoffs
- Drive accountability through clear KPIs and a rhythm of performance conversations that keep the department sharp
- Lead the operational delivery and quality control of the Creative Lead leverage model (framework set by the CCO, scaled and protected by you)
- Develop the organisational structure in the department to allow for exponential revenue growth in the next 12-24 months
Strategic & Commercial Impact
- Own the department P&L - EBITDA is your number
- Own department utilisation, capacity planning, and FTE strategy
- Own the Department Engagement Score (with a future target of >40% talent density)
- Support the commercial growth of the department - working with the CCO and wider C-suite to evolve the service offering, identify revenue opportunities, and contribute to business strategy
- Bring strategic and commercial rigour to SMT discussions - you're a voice on group strategy, not just departmental updates
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner closely with Account Management, Production / Post / Design, Growth Strategy, and People department heads to ensure seamless delivery and aligned priorities across the group
- Feed macro learnings, risks, and opportunities up to the CCO and C-suite
- Be a visible, trusted leader across the wider group - not just within the Creative Strategy team
- Contribute to department-wide rituals (Monthly Momentum, Friday shoutouts, quarterly reviews) and drive cross-pod knowledge sharing.
What You Won't Own
This is the leadership and people‐operator role that makes the department compound. It is explicitly NOT a strategy or creative‐direction role.
How You'll Spend Your Time
- People Management + Leadership Development 50% of scope: CS leadership huddles, management and coaching of 4 DRs, hiring, succession planning.
- Process + Operational Excellence 30% of scope: Department cadence, utilisation tracking, workflow design, cross‐functional ops, hiring and FTE ownership.
- Commercial + Strategic 20% of scope: SMT contribution, department P&L, budget ownership, retention conversations, OKR design.
- Domain delivery / striking 0% - Explicitly not the job.
What You'll Bring:
Must‐Have
- Proven experience leading large teams (20+ people minimum) - you've built, scaled, or led a department or function of this size, ideally within an agency or marketing services environment
- Track record building leadership benches - you've coached senior individual contributors into leaders, set progression frameworks, and built the kind of leadership bench that lets a department run without you in every room
- Strong commercial acumen - you've owned department P&Ls and are confident with budget, utilisation, and capacity modelling
- Process‐led mindset - you know how to design and scale complex operating systems, and protect them from drift
- Cultural leader - you naturally set the tone for the teams around you. People want to work for you because you make them better
- Excellent communicator - you can present in an empowering and inspiring way, lead team meetings, deliver tough feedback with care, and write clearly
- Experience leading through significant change - you've operated in organisations going through transformation (restructure, scaling, M&A, model shift) and brought your team through it with momentum, not friction
- AI‐literate and tech‐enabled - you understand the trajectory of AI in creative and marketing, are comfortable using AI tools yourself, and can lead a team through AI‐augmented workflow adoption
Strongly Preferred (Adjacent Industry Experience)
- DTC brand‐side at scale (Head of Creative / Marketing / Growth at a 7‐9 figure DTC brand)
- Performance or growth agency leadership
- Creative agency with similar org complexity (production + creative + AM under one roof)
- Marketing services or large agency department leadership
- Games companies (deep operational experience managing large creative teams)
- Ex‐management consultancy who scaled creative or marketing operations
Outside the Bubble
This is deliberately NOT a hire for another deep creative strategist. The CCO and Domain Creative Lead hold the craft. We're hiring you for organisation‐running ability, not domain mastery.
You don't need prior creative strategy, paid social, or production‐resourcing experience. Domain literacy enough to engage credibly with the team is the bar - leading the craft is not the job.
Nice‐to‐Have (Not Required)
- Performance creative or paid social domain experience
- DTC / e‐commerce business model literacy
- Familiarity with Meta / TikTok / wider paid social ecosystems
- Experience with AI‐augmented creative workflows or production innovation
Enjoy 28 days of annual leave, giving you the time to recharge and maintain a healthy work‐life balance.
Benefit from our long‐service reward scheme, with 1 additional day of annual leave awarded each year after 2 years of service.
Work in a flexible hybrid model, with 2 days in our Central London office at the Roundhouse in Camden and the remainder from home.
Access private health and life insurance, providing additional peace of mind and support for you and your family.
Participate in our company pension scheme to help you plan and save for the future.
Take advantage of a one‐month annual work‐abroad allowance, giving you the flexibility to work remotely from another location each year.
Head of Creative Strategy in London employer: Soar-With-U
Soar Group is an exceptional employer that fosters a vibrant and inclusive work culture, prioritising employee growth and development within the dynamic environment of Central London. With a competitive compensation package, generous benefits including 28 days of paid holiday, and a unique opportunity to work in a hybrid model, employees are empowered to thrive both personally and professionally. The company's commitment to radical curiosity and extreme ownership ensures that every team member can contribute meaningfully to the success of high-performing creative teams, making it a truly rewarding place to work.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Creative Strategy in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join online forums, and don’t be shy about reaching out to folks on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Understand their values, like Extreme Ownership and Radical Curiosity, and think about how you can demonstrate these in your responses. Show them you’re not just a fit for the role, but for the team!
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Do mock interviews with friends or use online platforms to get comfortable with common questions. The more you practice, the more confident you’ll feel when it’s time to shine in front of the hiring team.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after your interview! A quick thank-you email can go a long way in showing your enthusiasm for the role. Plus, it keeps you on their radar as they make their decision.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Creative Strategy in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Leadership Skills:When writing your application, make sure to highlight your experience in leading large teams. We want to see how you've built and scaled departments, so share specific examples that showcase your leadership style and the impact you've had.
Be Clear and Concise:We appreciate clarity! Keep your application straightforward and to the point. Use bullet points where necessary to make it easy for us to read through your achievements and qualifications without getting lost in lengthy paragraphs.
Align with Our Values:Take a moment to reflect on our values: Extreme Ownership, Radical Curiosity, Kind Candour, and Outcome Obsessed. We love seeing candidates who resonate with these principles, so weave them into your application to show us you’re a great fit for our culture.
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to keep track of your application and ensure it gets the attention it deserves. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Soar-With-U
✨Know Your Numbers
As a candidate for the Head of Creative Strategy, you need to be well-versed in P&L management and commercial KPIs. Brush up on your financial acumen and be ready to discuss how you've driven revenue growth and managed budgets in previous roles.
✨Showcase Leadership Experience
This role is all about leading a large team, so come prepared with specific examples of how you've built and developed high-performing teams. Highlight your experience in coaching senior talent and creating a culture of ownership and improvement.
✨Understand the Creative Landscape
While you won't be deep in execution, having a solid grasp of creative strategy and performance marketing is crucial. Familiarise yourself with current trends in DTC and e-commerce, especially within platforms like Meta and TikTok, to engage credibly with the team.
✨Be Ready for Change
The Soar Group is looking for someone who can lead through transformation. Prepare to discuss your experience with organisational change and how you've successfully navigated teams through significant shifts without losing momentum.
