Digital Strategy Director

Spencer Recruitment is partnering with a leading communications consultancy to appoint a Head of Digital Strategy & AI.

This is a senior role sitting at the intersection of communications, digital strategy, content, data and artificial intelligence.

The successful candidate will lead the development of the organisation's digital offering, advise senior clients on the changing communications landscape and help build practical, commercially valuable applications of AI across the business.

This is not a purely technical AI role. We are looking for someone who understands how digital platforms, audience behaviour, search, content and AI are changing the way organisations communicate and manage their reputations.

The role

You will take ownership of an important growth area for the business, combining senior client advisory work with digital innovation, commercial development and internal capability building.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Leading integrated digital communications strategies across corporate, consumer, public affairs and purpose-led client work.
• Acting as a senior digital adviser to clients on digital reputation, audience behaviour, emerging platforms and communications trends.
• Translating business and communications objectives into effective digital strategies and campaigns.
• Developing the organisation's approach to AI within communications and consultancy.
• Advising clients on how AI is changing reputation management, search, content, stakeholder engagement and audience behaviour.
• Identifying practical applications of generative AI, automation, social listening, research and data analysis.
• Developing new AI-enabled services and propositions that can be offered commercially to clients.
• Providing senior oversight across social media, paid digital, content and integrated campaigns.
• Developing channel strategies across LinkedIn, Meta, TikTok, YouTube, search and emerging platforms.
• Strengthening digital measurement, analytics and reporting across client accounts.
• Using data and audience insight to inform strategy and demonstrate communications impact.
• Leading the digital elements of major pitches and new business opportunities.
• Identifying opportunities to grow existing client relationships through new digital and AI services.
• Building digital and AI capability across the wider organisation through tools, processes, training and coaching.
• Helping establish appropriate standards for the responsible use of AI in client work.

What we are looking for

We are interested in speaking with senior digital communications professionals coming from communications, PR, digital, marketing, creative or integrated agency environments, as well as sophisticated in-house communications teams.

You should bring:

• Significant experience in digital communications, digital marketing, social strategy or integrated communications.
• Strong experience developing and delivering digital communications strategies.
• Excellent knowledge of social platforms, digital content, paid media and audience behaviour.
• A practical understanding of AI and how it can be applied within communications, marketing or professional services.
• Experience advising senior clients or stakeholders.
• Strong commercial instincts and an ability to identify opportunities for new services and revenue.
• Experience leading integrated campaigns across multiple channels.
• Strong understanding of analytics, measurement and digital performance.
• Excellent communication, presentation and client advisory skills.
• The ability to move comfortably between senior-level strategy and hands on problem solving.

Experience in areas including generative AI, social listening, digital reputation, marketing automation, SEO, AI search, paid social, digital analytics, content strategy or communications technology would be particularly valuable.

The person

This role will suit someone who is curious, commercially minded and genuinely interested in how technology is changing communications.

You will be comfortable challenging established ways of working, experimenting with new technology and advising senior clients, while remaining practical about where AI can genuinely improve communications outcomes.

Above all, we are looking for someone capable of taking ownership of a major growth area and turning digital and AI capability into a genuine competitive advantage.