At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead creative strategy and coach senior strategists in a dynamic performance creative environment.
- Company: Join Hambi Media, the UK's largest performance creative department.
- Benefits: Enjoy 28 days holiday, private health insurance, and flexible hybrid working.
- Other info: Opportunity for continuous learning and career growth in a supportive team.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on high-profile DTC brands and e-commerce projects.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in creative strategy with strong coaching and performance expertise.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Department: Creative Strategy | Performance Creative
Reports to: Head of Creative Strategy (with dotted line to the Chief Creative Officer on domain alignment)
Location: Hybrid, Central London (Camden Roundhouse)
Compensation: Competitive Base + Benefits Scheme + 28 Days Paid Holiday + Private Health
KPIs You’ll Own
- Blended Dept hit-rate - average creative hit-rate across all pods. Your headline KPI.
- Percentage of spend through ECD-produced ads - share of total Meta client spend flowing through creative we produced.
- Senior CS development trajectory - measurable craft uplift across all four Seniors over 12 months.
- New CS onboarding quality - time‑to‑billable and first‑90‑day output quality for every new joiner.
The Opportunity
We’re hiring a Creative Lead to join the Creative Strategy leadership team at 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. Our Creative Strategy department is the group’s single biggest revenue driver, producing performance creative across high‑production video, UGC, and static for 7‑9 figure DTC and e‑commerce brands. We manage over £100M in ad spend yearly and operate 13 creative pods. In this role you won’t own a pod or run an account directly; 40% of your time is billable. You will coach senior creative strategists, support risk mitigation, deliver departmental training, and oversee new‑joiner onboarding.
What You’ll Own
- Senior CS Strategic Coaching (Billable, 40%): Embedded coaching and management of 4‑5 Senior Creative Strategists on the strategic work of their biggest accounts. Help every Senior CS find the next layer of their craft: research depth, strategic synthesis and creative authority. Coach intentionally – reverse‑engineer your approach from knowing each individual.
- Risk Mitigation, Audits & Bottleneck Identification: Cross‑pod craft authority on Gold and Silver tier accounts – audit creative and support reset strategy alongside the Pod Creative Lead when performance dips. Identify performance bottlenecks before they hit monthly review – if a KPI is off track, it should never be a surprise. Run regular creative audits across the department, surface what’s working and what isn’t, and feed insight into the wider Creative Strategy leadership team.
- Departmental Creative Quality Bar: Set and uphold the quality bar for creative strategy output across the team. Drive the rollout of new craft skills in‑line with market shifts, including AI adoption.
- Team Domain Trainings & Frameworks: Translate frameworks, methodologies, and AI workflows set by the CCO into team‑wide up‑skilling sessions. Identify domain skill gaps across the department and design training to close them. Replace one‑to‑one with one‑to‑many. Run regular macro reports to identify creative insights, trends and gaps that can be funnelled into the team.
- New CS Onboarding: Own the craft component of every new Creative Strategist’s onboarding across their first 30‑60 days. Build and maintain the onboarding playbook (skills, frameworks, AI workflows, departmental gold‑standard examples).
How You’ll Spend Your Time
- Indicative time allocation:
- Senior CS coaching on their biggest accounts (billable) 40% of scope: Embedded strategic coaching, research and reporting support, persona development, reporting QC.
- Risk mitigation audits, bottleneck identification 25% of scope: Cross‑pod risk‑mitigation on high‑risk Gold and Silver accounts, performance audits, strategic resets.
- Departmental training + framework rollout 20% of scope: Designing and delivering training, AI‑assisted skill rollout, gold‑standard documentation.
- New CS onboarding ownership 10% of scope: First‑30‑day craft onboarding for every new joiner.
- Self training + market scanning 5% of scope: AI / Meta / TikTok shifts, competitor strategy, continuous research.
What You’ll Bring
Must‑Have
- 5+ years in Creative Strategy in a performance creative agency, growth team, or DTC brand‑side environment.
- Deep performance creative expertise – you can dissect a winning Meta ad in 30 seconds and explain exactly why it works.
- Strong growth and paid social fluency – testing structures, scaling logic, persona development, funnel positions, attribution, post‑click.
- Coaching mindset – you’ve coached strategists or junior creatives into better work and get real energy from doing it.
- Risk mitigation instinct – you can reverse‑engineer a performance bottleneck.
- Continuous research mindset – constantly scanning trends, competitor work, Reddit, customer behaviour, creative patterns.
- Outcome Obsessed – every task, framework, and training tied to a measurable outcome.
- Kind Candour – confident in giving direct, honest feedback regularly in a way that empowers.
- Extreme Ownership – you demonstrate strong accountability in everything you do.
- 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.
Nice‑to‑Have (Not Required)
- DTC / e‑commerce business model literacy at 7‑9 figure scale.
- Track record running training sessions or workshops with creative teams.
- Familiarity with our internal frameworks: macro / micro personas, Growth Compass, CSOS.
Who You Are
- Outcome Obsessed: every task, meeting, idea attached to a measurable outcome.
- Leverage‑aware: rejects low‑leverage work with discipline.
- Intentional coach: reverse‑engineers coaching from knowing each individual.
- Curious by nature: continuous research mindset, not quarterly.
- Calm under pressure: leads through ambiguity, performance dips, tight deadlines without spreading panic.
- Structured thinker: breaks down problems and strategies clearly and logically.
- Mentorship mindset: driven to help others grow. Leads by example.
- Owner mentality: takes full accountability for craft outcomes. No excuses.
Benefits
- 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.
Creative Strategy Lead employer: Soar With Us
Hambi Media is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment in the heart of Central London, where creativity thrives. With a strong focus on employee growth, our hybrid model allows for flexibility while providing comprehensive benefits, including 28 days of paid holiday and private health insurance. Join us to be part of a leading performance creative team that values mentorship, innovation, and continuous learning, ensuring you can make a meaningful impact in your role as a Creative Strategy Lead.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Creative Strategy Lead
✨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 to reach out on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can refer you directly.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio that highlights your best work in creative strategy. Use case studies to demonstrate how you've tackled challenges and achieved results. This will give potential employers a taste of what you can bring to the table.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its recent projects. Be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their goals. Tailor your answers to show that you understand their needs and can contribute to their success.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining our team at StudySmarter.
We think you need these skills to ace Creative Strategy Lead
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Creative Side:When you're writing your application, let your creativity shine through! Use engaging language and examples that reflect your unique style. Remember, we’re looking for someone who can think outside the box, so don’t be afraid to showcase your innovative ideas.
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your application for the Creative Strategy Lead role. Highlight your relevant experience and skills that align with the job description. We want to see how you fit into our team and what you can bring to the table!
Be Outcome Obsessed:In your application, emphasise your results-driven mindset. Share specific examples of how you've achieved measurable outcomes in previous roles. We love candidates who are outcome obsessed, so make sure to highlight your successes!
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our awesome team at StudySmarter!
How to prepare for a job interview at Soar With Us
✨Know Your Creative Stuff
Make sure you can dissect a winning Meta ad in seconds. Brush up on your performance creative expertise and be ready to explain why certain ads work. This shows you’re not just familiar with the industry but that you live and breathe it.
✨Show Off Your Coaching Skills
Prepare examples of how you've coached others in the past. Think about specific instances where your guidance led to measurable improvements. This role is all about empowering others, so demonstrate your coaching mindset and how you can help strategists elevate their craft.
✨Be Ready for Risk Mitigation Talk
Familiarise yourself with common performance bottlenecks and how to identify them before they become issues. Have a few strategies in mind for risk mitigation and be prepared to discuss how you would approach audits and resets for high-risk accounts.
✨Embrace Continuous Learning
Show your curiosity by discussing recent trends or insights you've gathered from your research. Whether it's about AI in creative or shifts in social media, being able to talk about what’s happening in the market will set you apart as someone who’s always looking to improve.
