Location: Hybrid - minimum of 2 days per week in our Bradford office
Level: Director-level role, leading innovation across a flagship retail partnership with broad cross-team and stakeholder influence

About the Role

We are looking for an Innovation Director to join our SMG Axis team. In this role, you will lead the end-to-end development of digital and physical media innovation, shaping and delivering a forward-thinking media roadmap for one of our most influential retail partnerships. You will drive new capabilities from ideation through to deployment, working across teams and partners to unlock commercial value and keep our offering at the cutting edge of connected commerce.

If you love variety, thrive in a fast-paced environment, and embrace change with energy, this could be your right role.

Why SMG?

At SMG, we hire for the future, which is fast-moving and changing shape. Do you have the potential to help shape our business? We’re looking for brilliant, diverse talent who want to grow with us—people who are curious, ambitious, and eager to learn, whether as specialists or across teams.

Our culture is everything. If you’re someone who stays honest, stays hungry, stays foolish, and has fun, you’ll feel right at home here.

We value those who take ownership of their growth and bring fresh perspectives. That’s why we’re committed to equity, inclusion, and building a place where everyone feels empowered to grow. At SMG, it’s not just about filling a role but building the future together.

• 10% discretionary bonus

• £1,800 yearly wellbeing fund (on top of your salary!)

• Free Headspace subscription

• £500 yearly “Learning Fund” for learning

• 4 extra Wellbeing Days off per year

• 4pm finishes every Friday

• Flexible and hybrid working

Explore all our benefits here

Are We What You’re Looking For?

We move fast, adapt quickly, and like to challenge each other. We're looking for people who enjoy the buzz of change, the satisfaction of building something better, and the joy of working with a close-knit, values-driven team.

This isn’t for everyone, but if you thrive in this environment, we’d love to meet you!

A Little Bit About You

You’ll bring:

• Strong experience in digital media innovation, ideally from an agency or media background

• Deep understanding of first-party data and its application across media, adtech, and martech ecosystems

• A proven track record of developing and delivering new media capabilities

• Confidence driving innovation agendas across a business and influencing senior stakeholders

• Experience leading, coaching, and developing high-performing teams

• Strong client-facing experience with excellent stakeholder management skills

• Commercial acumen with the ability to deliver viable, scalable solutions

• The ability to manage complex projects across multiple partners and disciplines

• A proactive mindset with a strong drive to succeed

Don’t meet every single requirement? We still want to hear from you. If you believe you’d thrive in this role, your unique perspective might be just what we’re looking for.

What You’ll Be Doing

Your days will be dynamic. You might find yourself:

• Developing and leading the innovation roadmap across digital and physical media channels

• Identifying and delivering new media capabilities that leverage first-party data and emerging technologies

• Managing the end-to-end innovation pipeline from ideation through to commercial delivery

• Collaborating with retailers, adtech partners, publishers, and internal teams to bring new solutions to life

• Establishing governance for new media development and keeping stakeholders aligned and informed

• Acting as the bridge across Media, Tech, Insight, Strategy, Creative, and Partnership teams

• Leading and developing a team, including coaching, performance management, and capability building

• Building strong relationships with both retailer partners and branded clients, delivering solutions that work for both

• Working closely with Insights teams to evaluate campaign performance and evolve measurement approaches

• Contributing to wider business initiatives such as training, marketing, and talent development

Our Values:

Stay honest. Stay hungry. Stay foolish. Have fun.

Explore what that means to us here

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