Digital marketing lead job description.

What does a digital marketing lead do?

 

A digital marketing lead plans, executes, and oversees digital campaigns across paid, organic, and owned channels. The role typically involves managing day-to-day delivery while shaping digital strategy and reporting on performance. It’s both hands-on and strategic.

 

Digital marketing leads are often responsible for driving traffic, leads, and customer engagement across platforms such as paid media, SEO, email, and content. In many teams, the role is the bridge between execution and leadership, whilst reporting into a head of marketing or working directly with founders or directors.

 

For employers, the role brings senior-level ownership of campaigns without the overhead of a full team. For candidates, it offers the chance to lead on planning, budgets, and results while staying close to channel activity.

 

 

Key responsibilities of a digital marketing lead.

 

Responsibilities vary by business size and structure, but digital marketing leads are usually responsible for:

• Leading performance-focused digital marketing campaigns across paid and organic channels
• Managing and allocating media budgets
• Overseeing platform performance across Google Ads, Meta Ads, LinkedIn, and CRM tools
• Supporting content planning for landing pages, blogs, and social media
• Managing SEO activity, including content strategy and technical improvements
• Coordinating email marketing, segmentation, and automation
• Tracking and reporting on performance using GA4, HubSpot, or Looker Studio
• Presenting insights and recommendations to stakeholders or leadership
• Working with internal designers, content writers, or external partners
• Contributing to wider marketing strategy and customer journey planning

The role often blends digital channel ownership with strategic oversight and cross-functional collaboration.

 

 

Skills and requirements for a digital marketing lead.

 

Employers typically look for candidates with strong channel knowledge, commercial awareness, and the ability to manage campaigns independently. Core requirements include:

• 3 to 6 years of experience in digital or performance marketing
• Proven experience running multi-channel campaigns and managing paid media budgets
• Confidence using Google Ads, Meta Ads, GA4, and email or CRM platforms
• Working knowledge of SEO and content performance
• Ability to lead CRO tests, optimise landing pages, and improve conversion rates
• Strong data analysis and reporting skills
• Confidence presenting insights and campaign results
• Organised and comfortable managing multiple deadlines or stakeholders
• A strategic mindset with hands-on experience across channels

While a degree can help, employers usually prioritise delivery track record and platform skills.

 

 

Average salary for a digital marketing lead.

 

In the UK, the average salary for a digital marketing lead typically ranges from £50,000 to £70,000, depending on experience, team size, and sector.

• Mid-level leads often earn £50,000 to £60,000
• More senior digital marketing leads, especially those with team or budget ownership, may earn £65,000 to £70,000 or more

Salaries are higher in London and in performance-driven sectors such as SaaS, fintech, ecommerce, and digital-first B2B companies.

 

 

Career progression for a digital marketing lead.

 

The digital marketing lead role is often a transitional step into marketing leadership. A typical career path includes:

 

Digital marketing executive

 

Supports delivery across campaigns and channels. Builds practical platform experience.

 

Digital marketing manager

 

Owns strategy across channels, manages budgets, and reports on performance.

 

Digital marketing lead

 

Leads campaigns, contributes to strategy, manages stakeholders, and often takes partial ownership of results.

 

Head of digital or head of growth

 

Sets digital marketing strategy and leads a team. Focuses on acquisition, revenue, and retention metrics.

 

Digital marketing director

 

Drives marketing performance at a leadership level. Aligns marketing with business goals and leads multi-channel teams.

 

Depending on the business, some professionals transition from this role into CRM leadership, performance marketing management, or commercial roles.