About the RoleWe are looking for a
Group Director, Martech Consulting to serve as a senior strategic and technical leader within VML's Marketing Automation practice, with a specialist focus on
Adobe Journey Optimizer (AJO) and the broader Adobe Experience Cloud ecosystem.
This role goes beyond platform execution. As a Group Director, you will own the
strategic vision for how clients orchestrate customer experiences at scale, lead enterprise-level engagements, and act as a trusted advisor to senior client stakeholders. You will bring both the technical depth to govern complex implementations and the leadership presence to shape how our practice grows.
This position requires a minimum of
4 days per week in-office to facilitate collaboration and team development, with travel to client sites as needed.
The Impact You'll Make- Define and lead the strategic direction of AJO and marketing automation engagements across VML's enterprise client portfolio
- Serve as the senior technical and strategic authority on Adobe Journey Optimizer, influencing how clients invest in and scale their customer journey programmes
- Drive practice development - building frameworks, methodologies, and points of view that differentiate VML's Adobe offering
- Grow and develop a high-performing team of consultants and specialists
- Contribute to business development - supporting pitches, scoping engagements, and identifying growth opportunities within existing accounts
Core ResponsibilitiesStrategic Leadership & Client Advisory
- Lead the end-to-end strategic design and governance of enterprise customer journey programmes within Adobe Journey Optimizer
- Act as the most senior AJO voice in client engagements - advising VP, Director, and C-suite stakeholders on platform strategy, investment priorities, and roadmap decisions
- Translate complex business objectives into scalable, data-driven journey architectures that deliver measurable commercial outcomes
- Develop and present executive-level recommendations on journey orchestration strategy, platform governance, and capability maturity
Technical Governance & Architecture
- Define and enforce journey governance frameworks that ensure compliance with industry regulations, data privacy requirements, and platform best practices
- Oversee the configuration and optimisation of Adobe Journey Optimizer, including journey design, decisioning rules, and real-time profile management
- Lead the design of real-time customer profiles, segmentation strategies, and schema architecture within Adobe Experience Platform
- Establish and maintain technical standards for data flows, API integrations, and cross-platform connectivity across the Adobe ecosystem
- Ensure scalable, well-documented technical architecture across all client implementations
Data Strategy & Personalisation
- Partner with analytics and data engineering teams to design and implement data-driven decisioning frameworks that power intelligent journey orchestration
- Lead the strategy for dynamic content, offer decisioning, and real-time personalisation across channels
- Define performance measurement frameworks - identifying the right KPIs, monitoring journey performance, and driving continuous optimisation
- Provide senior-level recommendations on attribution modelling and journey analytics to demonstrate ROI
Practice Development & Thought Leadership
- Develop proprietary frameworks, methodologies, and toolkits that strengthen VML's AJO and marketing automation offering
- Contribute to external thought leadership - representing VML at industry events, producing written content, and shaping market positioning
- Identify opportunities to expand and evolve VML's Adobe practice in response to product developments and market demand
- Stay ahead of Adobe product roadmap developments and translate emerging capabilities into client opportunities
Team Leadership & Talent Development
- Lead, mentor, and develop a team of AJO consultants and marketing automation specialists
- Set clear expectations, provide regular feedback, and create development pathways that retain and grow top talent
- Foster a culture of technical excellence, collaboration, and continuous learning within the team
- Collaborate cross-functionally with strategy, experience design, data, and delivery leads to ensure cohesive programme execution
Business Development & Growth
- Support and lead new business pitches and proposals for marketing automation and Adobe Experience Cloud opportunities
- Identify and develop organic growth opportunities within existing client accounts
- Contribute to commercial scoping and solution design for new engagements, ensuring technical feasibility and delivery confidence
- Build and maintain senior client relationships that position VML as a long-term strategic partner
What You'll BringEssential Experience
- 8+ years of experience in enterprise marketing automation, martech consulting, or related disciplines
- Demonstrated senior-level expertise in Adobe Journey Optimizer and Adobe Experience Platform
- Proven track record of leading and delivering complex, multi-channel customer journey programmes for enterprise clients
- Strong understanding of data architecture, API integrations, and marketing technology ecosystems
- Experience operating as a senior client advisor - with the presence, credibility, and communication skills to engage at VP and C-suite level
- Proficiency in SQL, JSON, and scripting languages, with a working knowledge of HTML, CSS, and email development standards
- Deep understanding of privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA) and their strategic implications for journey orchestration
- Proven ability to lead, develop, and inspire teams in a fast-paced consultancy or agency environment
Nice to Have
- Adobe Journey Optimizer Certification and/or additional Adobe Experience Cloud certifications
- Experience across the broader Adobe Experience Cloud suite - including Target, Analytics, Campaign, and AEP/RTCDP
- Background in CDP platforms and real-time data orchestration
- Experience with agile delivery methodologies and enterprise programme governance
- Track record of contributing to practice development, thought leadership, or business development at a senior level
- Experience with REST APIs, web services integration, and broader martech stack architecture
- Previous experience at a leading consultancy, systems integrator, or digital agency serving enterprise clients
What Makes This Role UniqueThis is a rare opportunity to operate at the
intersection of strategic leadership and deep technical specialism. You will be:
- Shaping how enterprise clients think about customer journey orchestration - not just executing against a brief
- Leading a specialist practice that is growing rapidly, with real influence over its direction and capability
- Working at the forefront of Adobe's product evolution - with early access to roadmap developments and co-innovation opportunities
- Playing a central role in VML's position as a leading Adobe partner - your work will directly influence how we win, deliver, and grow
Who You'll Work WithYou will collaborate closely with:
- Senior client stakeholders - VP, Director, and C-suite technology and marketing leads
- VML strategy, data, and experience design leads - ensuring technical and creative workstreams are aligned
- Marketing automation consultants and AJO specialists - providing leadership, direction, and quality oversight
- Adobe account and product teams - maintaining a close partnership and staying ahead of platform developments
- VML business development and growth teams - contributing to pitches, proposals, and client expansion conversations
We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we've adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.
