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Gary Chaplin. Executive Head-Hunter & Charity Ambassador

Digital/Software

Fully remote (North-West based team)

This is a rare and exciting opportunity to take on a full-spectrum leadership role in one of the UK’s most respected digital product agencies, a business with a sustained track record of performance, innovation and client impact.

With deep expertise in digital product strategy, enterprise application/bespoke software development, and emerging technology integration (including AI), this business is quietly but powerfully reshaping how their clients approach digital transformation.

Based in the North-West of England, the business has carved out a reputation for helping their clients reshape how they think about digital, from web presence to core product strategy.

Their product offering isn’t just about building websites, they are specialists in creating bespoke, smart, scalable, enterprise-grade digital products; Platforms that perform under pressure, evolve with user needs, and increasingly, being designed with AI capabilities built in from day one. They pride themselves on being an innovation partner to ambitious brands, especially within Financial Services, that not only delivers the code but helps reimagine what is possible.

With over two decades of experience, they have forged a reputation with a supreme ability to solve complex digital challenges, including challenges their clients hadn’t even thought about. They excel in end-to-end product delivery, blending strategy, UX, engineering, and AI-driven thinking to build systems that are elegant on the surface and rock-solid beneath it.

The business has always believed in building the future, rather than just fixing the past, driving innovation at pace and scale. It is that future focus that now leads to the desire to recruit a high-performing Managing Director.

The appointee will become the succession strategy of the current MD and business’s founder, quickly making their mark by hitting the ground running, and quickly driving the business forward into the next phase of its exciting journey.

The successful candidate will lead, drive and develop the business, that whilst is far from broken, has multiple opportunities and as such, they will take increasing responsibility for an ever-evolving business plan, as well as its delivery, strategically and operationally, whilst respecting and adopting the business’s culture, values and excellent reputation. Alongside innovation and a unique product focused model, the business has enjoyed success through its commercial objectivity and efficient leadership. This appointment will be a great opportunity to take use and develop that profit-focussed and lean-management structure to develop the business growth strategy.

The Opportunity

As Managing Director, you’ll play a pivotal role in shaping the strategic direction of the business, building deep and lasting client relationships, overseeing high-value project delivery, and driving commercial growth.

You’ll lead a multi-disciplinary team across strategy, design, product and engineering, creating the conditions for excellence and innovation at every level. You’ll also take the lead in driving business development, particularly focused on identifying and securing larger-scale digital transformation projects with enterprise clients.

This is a hands-on leadership role, ideal for someone who is as comfortable pitching at C-level as they are ensuring delivery excellence across the studio floor.

Key Responsibilities

Product Delivery & Client Impact

• Own the successful delivery of high-complexity digital product builds, ensuring timelines, quality and client expectations are consistently met or exceeded.
• Lead early-stage engagement phases, including business discovery, strategic definition, product road mapping and solution design.
• Champion engineering quality, user-centred design, and the seamless integration of AI-first features across all projects.
• Act as a strategic sounding board for clients, helping them unlock new value through digital product thinking.
• Build trusted, senior-level partnerships with product owners, CIOs, CTOs and digital leaders.
• Identify growth opportunities within key accounts and convert them into long-term value.
• Lead workshops, briefings and co-creation sessions that help clients reimagine what's possible with digital.
• Offer expert guidance on trends, risks and innovations, including in regulated environments.

Commercial Growth & New Business

• Take the lead in driving new business, particularly high-value, multi-phase projects for enterprise clients.
• Identify and qualify opportunities across both inbound and outbound channels.
• Lead the creation of compelling proposals, lead RFP responses, and deliver powerful commercial presentations.
• Leverage your own network to create new business opportunities, partnerships, and market presence.
• Build, lead and develop a high-performing team across product, UX, engineering and delivery.
• Foster a culture of ambition, innovation, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Shape the organisational structure to support scalable growth while maintaining creative and technical quality.
• Mentor and empower emerging leaders across the business.
• Continuously scan the digital and tech landscape, identifying new tools, methodologies, and platforms to incorporate.
• Strengthen the agency’s proposition around AI, automation, low/no-code, and digital acceleration.
• Collaborate on marketing, content and thought leadership initiatives that reflect the agency’s forward-thinking positioning.

Strategic & Operational Leadership

• Own business planning, budgeting, forecasting, and performance management.
• Monitor and improve key performance metrics across delivery, profitability, pipeline, and client satisfaction.
• Ensure operational excellence, risk mitigation, compliance, and quality standards across all functions.
• Be a visible, confident figurehead for the agency, internally and externally.

You

The successful candidate will be accomplished digital business leader with a proven ability to grow businesses, lead teams, deliver complex digital products, and build long-term client relationships. You will bring the rare combination of entrepreneurial energy, delivery discipline, and board-level strategic thinking. You will be an action style leader, keen to hit the ground running and seize opportunities to optimize continued commercial growth.

You understand what it takes to deliver £6–7 figure projects from idea to launch. You have the credibility and communication skills to earn the trust of senior clients, and the confidence to lead high-stakes engagements and internal teams alike.

You will thrive in complexity, bring energy to challenges, and believe that exceptional delivery is the foundation of commercial growth.

Qualifications, Knowledge and Experience

• Proven track record leading a commercially focused, innovative digital product business, most likely within an agency or consultancy environment that values technical integrity, product craft, and client impact.
• Strong collaborative & influencing skills - internal and external.
• Proven experience delivering and/or overseeing £6-7 figure product builds, not just brochure websites, delivering meaningful, innovative products for forward-thinking clients.
• Experience within large corporates/enterprise clients/regulated industries/financial services; specifically with complex back-end integrations, and digital transformation programmes.
• A strong personal network of digital leaders and decision-makers; exposure to and experience of dealing within Financial Services (and contacts within FS) would be of particular interest.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, able to brief, pitch and present at board level.
• Demonstrable ability to blend strategic vision with hands-on leadership…. someone who can get things done, not just talk about them.

Competencies and Personal Attributes

• A natural leader who will identify and create growth opportunities through influence, engagement and leadership; working across internal teams and external partners – prioritising and personally managing, where appropriate, key partners and the introduction of new products and innovations to them.
• Strong influencing and motivational skills to lead with respect across all functions, strategists, engineers, developers and designers
• Adaptable and flexible in style and approach, the ability to demonstrate humility, conscientiousness and professionalism along with commercial drive and objectivity.
• Flexible and sufficiently mobile to travel within the UK as necessary to meet and develop the business
• A natural coach and leader who will support the entire business.

The appointee will constantly strive for excellence and demonstrate personal drive and resilience, with a mature, humble and experienced approach to both growth, challenges and set-backs.

They will be self-motivated & able to work on their own initiative whilst putting team and company needs before own and possess the ability to think flexibly and laterally.

The successful candidate will have continuous improvement and innovative approach to business leadership, and be hugely excited by a high paced environment, thick with USPs; their strength will be underpinned by a real “Just Do It” attitude, and a sense of humour.

Ultimately, you’ll be ready to lead from the front, drive significant commercial growth, and help clients build the digital products of tomorrow. In turn, you’ll take on the role that will be the defining move of your career.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Executive

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Management, Information Technology, and Business Development

• Industries

  Software Development, Technology, Information and Media, and IT System Custom Software Development

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