ECD Business Unit 2 | Performance Creative | Strategy & Operations
Reports to: Chief Creative Officer
Function: External Creative Division (ECD), Business Unit 2
Location: Hybrid, Central London (Camden)
Compensation: Competitive Salary + Benefit Scheme + 28 days Paid Holiday + Private Health
The Opportunity
We're looking for an experienced operator and 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. Our Creative Strategy department is the group's single biggest revenue driver, producing performance creative across high‑production video, UGC, and static for high‑value DTC and e‑commerce brands. We manage over £100M in ad spend and operate 13 creative pods.
This is not a role for someone who wants to write scripts or build decks. It is a senior leadership role focused on how the department runs, scales, and performs.
You will partner with the Head of Creative Strategy (who owns the creative methodology) while you take ownership of operational excellence, leadership structure, and department performance. Your role is to turn a high‑performing department into a world‑class one through systems, standards, and people.
Department Leadership & Team Development
* Lead and line‑manage a team of Creative Leads, Senior Creative Strategists, and Creative Strategists, setting the bar for performance, accountability, and professional standards across the department
* Develop senior strategists and creative leads into confident, autonomous leaders – coaching them through difficult conversations, client escalations, strategic thinking, and team management
* Partner with the Head of Creative Strategy on department direction: you bring leadership and operational excellence; they bring creative strategy domain expertise
* Own the people strategy for the department: performance management, progression frameworks, capacity planning, and succession
* Build and maintain a department culture of ownership, curiosity, and relentless improvement – a team that is motivated, stretched, and proud to work
Operational Excellence & Standards
* Set and enforce quality standards across all creative output – high‑production, UGC, and static – ensuring consistency across every pod
* Champion process improvement and identify bottlenecks before they become blockers – from briefing workflows to reporting cadences to production handoffs
* Act as the feedback loop between the Creative Strategy team and senior leadership – surfacing patterns, risks, and opportunities that the CCO needs to see
* Drive accountability through clear KPIs, and a rhythm of performance conversations that keep the department sharp
Strategic & Commercial Impact
* Ensure the department's creative output is commercially impactful – work that drives measurable results for clients across Meta while remaining profitable
* 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
* Think beyond delivery: you help shape what the department becomes, not just keep it running
Cross‑Functional Collaboration
* Work closely with Account Management, Production, Post‑Production, and Media Buying teams to ensure seamless delivery and aligned priorities
* Contribute to department‑wide rituals (Monthly Momentum, Friday shoutouts, quarterly reviews) and drive cross‑pod knowledge sharing
* Be a visible, trusted leader across the wider group – not just within the Creative Strategy team
Requirements
Must‑Have
* Proven experience leading large teams (20+ people minimum) – built, scaled, or led a department or function of this size, ideally within an agency or marketing services environment
* Experience developing senior executors into leaders – coached managers, set progression frameworks, and built a leadership bench that lets a department run independently
* Strong commercial acumen – owned department P&Ls and are experienced in spreadsheets
* Agency or marketing services background – familiar with the pace, client dynamics, and operational complexity of agency life
* Excellent communicator – presents empoweringly, leads team meetings, delivers tough feedback with care, and writes clearly
* Cultural leader – sets the tone for teams; people want to work for you because you make them better
Nice‑to‑Have
* Experience within creative strategy, performance creative, or paid social – valuable but not essential
* Understanding of DTC/e‑commerce business models and the brands we serve
* Familiarity with the Meta and TikTok advertising ecosystems
* Experience with AI‑augmented creative workflows or production innovation
What Success Looks Like
In Your First 3 Months
* Built trust with every Creative Lead and Senior Strategist – they see you as someone who makes them better
* Established a clear operating rhythm: regular 1:1s, performance check‑ins, and a visible presence across the department
* Identified the top 3 operational or cultural improvements the department needs and started executing on them
* Katy and the senior team are operating with more confidence and autonomy because you created the leadership structure that supports them
By Month 6
* The department is running at a higher standard – creative quality, team satisfaction, and delivery consistency have all improved
* Developed at least 2 senior team members into demonstrably stronger leaders
* Trusted voice at the senior management table – contributing to business strategy, not just department updates
* CCO’s time has shifted: less firefighting, more innovation – because you own the department's operational performance
Benefits
* 28 days paid holiday including birthday leave, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Eve
* Long‑service holiday scheme: after 2 years of service you receive 1 extra day of annual leave for every year of service
* Flexible and hybrid working (2 days in office)
* Regular team socials
* Company private health and life insurance scheme
* Company pension scheme
* Work abroad for 1 month a year
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