Job description

Some careers shine brighter than others. If you're looking for a career that will help you stand out, join HSBC and fulfil your potential. Whether you want a career that could take you to the top, or simply take you in an exciting new direction, HSBC offers opportunities, support and rewards that will take you further.

When it comes to telling a media story, you're at the top of the game. Not only do you have big brand experience, but you have an enviable reputation for expertise in digital channels that surprises and delights audiences and converts them into customers. Now, you're looking to use your talent by leading both an internal team and agencies to ensure brand, sales and innovation are maximised via digital channels.

Our UK Customer, Propositions & Marketing team supports the growth of HSBC in the UK by delivering outstanding creative and media campaigns that drives business growth and exceeds business targets. As Head of Paid Media, you will drive strategic oversight of digital media buying across all UK brands (including HSBC, First Direct, M&S Bank, Commercial Banking, and, for paid search, Innovation Banking), with responsibility for ensuring brand impact, sales growth, and innovative excellence in digital channels. You will lead a team of digital specialists across paid search, social, programmatic display/video/audio, overseeing an in-housed paid search team and managing agency relationships to deliver exceptional results.

As an HSBC employee in the UK, you will have access to tailored professional development opportunities and a competitive pay and benefits package. This includes private healthcare for all UK-based employees, enhanced maternity and adoption pay and support when you return to work, and a contributory pension scheme with a generous employer contribution.

In this role you will:

• Own and lead the digital media strategy across all brands, ensuring alignment with high-level business objectives and growth targets.
• Set the strategic vision for digital media investments, fostering an innovation-driven culture that positions brands at the forefront of digital advancements.
• Identify opportunities to drive digital sales and elevate brand impact through proactive trendspotting and emerging media innovations.
• Architect a progressive channel innovation roadmap, with an emphasis on scaling effectiveness in paid search, social, programmatic, and affiliate networks.
• Partner with internal and external stakeholders to adopt new channels and optimize existing ones, integrating cutting-edge technologies that align with audience engagement strategies.
• Champion a data-centric culture within the paid media team, using sophisticated insights to inform brand strategy, campaign targeting, and content decisions.
• Define and elevate the measurement framework in partnership with the marketing effectiveness team, ensuring advanced measurement techniques and transparency
• Lead partnerships with martech and data analytics teams to enhance tracking, reporting, and the overall martech infrastructure.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to identify technology gaps, refine martech ecosystems, and drive improvements in reporting and insights.
• Oversee and optimize agency performance, fostering high accountability and ensuring strategic ROI from agency partnerships.
• Lead a team of subject matter experts in paid search (in-housed), paid social, programmatic/martech, aggregators, and affiliates, fostering a high-performance and continuous improvement culture.

To be successful in this role you should meet the following requirements:

• Extensive digital marketing experience, paid media, or media buying with a focus on strategic leadership.
• Demonstrated background in scaling digital media functions, with deep experience across paid channels, martech, and digital transformation.
• It would be great if you have experience gained in a regulated industry; but more important is the ability to navigate a large matrix organisation
• Proven ability to embed data-driven decision-making within media strategy, including advanced analytics and data privacy knowledge.
• Skilled in managing complex stakeholder relationships with cross-functional teams and executive leadership to drive aligned results.
• Extensive experience in managing an internal team, balanced with building high-value agency relationships, setting strategic KPIs, and conducting executive-level performance evaluations.
• Advanced knowledge in campaign measurement frameworks, marketing effectiveness, and martech capabilities that enhance insights and accountability.

This role is ideal for a senior leader and strategic thinker with a passion for digital innovation and a proven track record in building high-impact media functions. You should excel in a collaborative, fast-paced environment and have a clear vision for driving growth through digital excellence.

This is a hybrid role is based in Birmingham, Leeds or Chester.

Opening up a world of opportunity