Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Director of Digital Marketing

🎯 Role Definition

As the Director of Digital Marketing, you will set the strategic direction for your organisation’s digital ecosystem—including SEO/SEM, content marketing, social media, email, display advertising, CRM, marketing automation and analytics. You will lead the digital marketing department, align digital initiatives with overall business goals, manage budgets and resources, oversee cross‑functional teams and external agencies, and champion innovation to keep the brand competitive in a dynamic online environment.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Digital Marketing Manager
Head of Performance Marketing
Marketing Technology Lead

Advancement To:

Vice President of Marketing
Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)
Head of Global Digital Strategy

Lateral Moves:

Director of Growth & Demand Generation
Director of eCommerce & Digital Channels
Director of Customer Experience & Digital Engagement

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, implement and optimise a comprehensive digital marketing strategy that spans SEO, SEM, content marketing, social media, email, display advertising and affiliate channels to increase brand visibility and drive customer acquisition.
Lead, manage and develop a high‑performance digital marketing team including hiring, training, performance reviews and fostering a culture of innovation, accountability and continuous improvement.
Oversee and optimise the digital media budget, allocate resources effectively, monitor campaign ROI and ensure cost‑efficient use of marketing spend.
Set and track key performance indicators (KPIs) for all digital marketing activities, create dashboards and deliver actionable insights to senior leadership and stakeholders.
Collaborate closely with sales, product, IT and offline marketing teams to ensure digital initiatives are aligned with commercial goals, product launches and customer experience.
Lead user experience (UX), conversion rate optimisation (CRO), personalisation and journey mapping efforts across web, mobile and other digital touchpoints to maximise engagement and revenue.
Monitor emerging digital technologies, platforms and best practices—identify opportunities and drive innovation in digital product, channel or data strategy.
Own the organisation’s web presence including website strategy, performance optimisation, mobile, e‑commerce and digital infrastructure in conjunction with IT and development teams.
Oversee CRM, marketing automation and digital data platforms—ensure seamless integration, quality of data, segmentation, automation and lead management.
Manage agency, vendor and partner relationships for digital media, technology, creative and analytics—negotiate contracts, monitor performance and ensure alignment with business objectives.
Develop and implement content strategy and storytelling across digital channels—ensure brand consistency, engagement, SEO optimisation and channel relevance.
Lead paid and organic search strategy—oversee SEM/SEO campaigns, keyword strategy, bidding, ad creative and optimisation to drive traffic and conversions.
Oversee social media strategy and execution—identify target audiences, optimise channel mix, monitor performance, manage community engagement and influencer partnerships.
Conduct regular competitive and market analysis to understand digital trends, competitor campaigns, customer behaviour and use insights to refine strategy.
Ensure digital campaigns, assets and platforms adhere to brand guidelines, regulatory compliance, data privacy laws, and accessibility standards.
Lead measurement and analytics culture—utilise tools like Google Analytics, tag management, data visualization to assess performance, generate insights and inform decisions.
Drive Omnichannel integration—align digital, physical, in‑store and mobile experiences to deliver a seamless brand experience and optimise sales conversion.
Oversee growth and retention marketing programmes—develop lifecycle marketing, loyalty initiatives, retargeting and cross‑sell/up‑sell digital campaigns.
Use data‑driven decision‑making to build models for attribution, customer segmentation and predictive analytics across digital marketing channels.
Present digital strategy, performance reports and business implications to executive leadership and board—translate metrics into strategic recommendations.

Secondary Functions

Support ad‑hoc digital or marketing analytics projects, data exploration and insight generation across departments.
Contribute to the overall marketing and business strategy roadmap by providing digital channel insights and strategic input.
Collaborate with business units to translate customer behaviour insights into product development, service design and digital experience enhancements.
Participate in continuous improvement initiatives and agile marketing processes to refine workflows, tools and digital operations.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Profound expertise in digital marketing channels including SEO, SEM/PPC, paid social, programmatic display and retargeting.
Proficiency with analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics), tag management systems and marketing attribution models.
Strong background in marketing automation, CRM systems and digital data infrastructure (e.g., HubSpot, Salesforce Marketing Cloud).
Experience in digital budget management, media planning, cost optimisation and ROI measurement.
Skill in user experience design, conversion rate optimisation, A/B testing and customer journey mapping across digital touchpoints.
Excellent capability in content strategy, editorial planning, social media management and inbound marketing.
Solid knowledge of web technologies, e‑commerce platforms, mobile apps and digital infrastructure/architecture.
Skilled in project management, cross‑functional collaboration and managing digital agencies or external partners.
Commercial acumen to link digital marketing outcomes to revenue, sales pipelines, customer acquisition cost and lifetime value.
Ability to interpret complex data, generate actionable insights and create executive‑level presentations and reports.

Soft Skills

Strategic leadership: able to think long‑term, create vision, set direction and drive organisational buy‑in.
Strong communication and influencing skills: able to engage with C‑suite, stakeholders, teams and external partners.
Analytical mindset and curiosity: able to interpret insights, challenge assumptions and steer optimisation.
Team builder and mentor: develops talent, fosters collaboration and builds high‑performing teams.
Change‑agent mindset: thrives in fast‑paced, dynamic and digitally evolving environments.
Customer‑centric orientation: understands end‑user journeys, behaviours and tailors digital experiences accordingly.
Adaptability and resilience: able to pivot strategies, manage ambiguity and lead through change.
Creative thinking: able to generate original ideas, experiment with new channels and differentiate the brand.
Results‑driven and accountable: sets clear goals, tracks progress, drives execution and delivers measurable outcomes.
Collaborative mindset: works effectively across marketing, sales, product, IT and other functions to deliver seamless digital experiences.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Digital Media or a related field.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree (MBA) or advanced qualification in Digital Marketing, Marketing Technology or Strategy.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Digital Marketing & Analytics
Marketing Technology & Automation
Business Strategy & Innovation
E‑Commerce & User Experience

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

8 to 12 years of progressive digital marketing experience, with at least 3‑5 years in a leadership or director‑level role.

Preferred:

Proven track record of leading multi‑channel digital campaigns, managing budgets, building teams and delivering business‑critical results.
Experience working in high‑growth or fast‑paced digital environments, global or multi‑market digital operations, and driving transformation or growth initiatives.