Head of Agency

Job description

Head of Agency – Honeyguide (Internal Agency for Group Companies |Badger SA | Dotsure)

Location: George |onsite | non-negotiable
Type: Permanent
Reporting to: Chief Commercial Officer

About the role:

• We’re looking for a commercially astute and strategically driven head of agency to lead Honeyguide, our internal marketing agency, as a high-performing, scalable business unit.
• This is a senior leadership role responsible for shaping and running Honeyguide as a commercially disciplined agency, delivering measurable impact across multiple brands within the group. You will own the agency’s P and L, operating model, client relationships, and growth strategy, ensuring marketing drives tangible business outcomes.
• If you thrive at the intersection of commercial leadership, marketing excellence, and operational scale, this role offers the opportunity to build a future-ready agency that directly influences revenue growth and brand performance.

Key responsibilities

Agency leadership and commercial ownership

• Lead Honeyguide as a standalone business unit with full P and L accountability, including budgeting, cost management, and financial performance
• Design and implement a scalable agency operating model (services, pricing, SLAs, workflows, and resourcing)
• Drive efficiency, utilisation, and margin improvement
• Position Honeyguide as a trusted, high-value partner to internal stakeholders

Growth strategy and value creation

• Develop and execute a growth strategy aligned to group commercial priorities
• Identify opportunities to scale services across brands and reduce duplication
• Partner with executive leadership to ensure marketing contributes to revenue growth and customer value
• Continuously evolve the agency’s offering in line with market trends and business needs

Client (brand) performance and stakeholder management

• Own performance and satisfaction across all brands serviced by Honeyguide
• Implement clear engagement models, feedback loops, and service standards
• Ensure marketing drives measurable outcomes across brand health, acquisition, retention, and CX
• Act as a senior escalation point, building strong stakeholder relationships

Marketing and creative excellence

• Ensure delivery of high-quality, insight-led, commercially effective marketing
• Set standards for creative excellence, brand consistency, and integrated campaigns
• Guide senior marketing leaders in translating strategy into impactful execution
• Balance strategic oversight with empowered delivery teams

Digital, data and AI enablement

• Integrate data, automation, and AI into agency operations and outputs
• Build capabilities for measurement, attribution, and performance optimisation
• Enable real-time insights and predictive decision-making
• Align technology investments with commercial outcomes and efficiency gains

Capability building and culture

• Build and lead a high-performing leadership team
• Define structures, roles, and career pathways to support scale
• Foster a culture of accountability, creativity, and continuous improvement
• Attract, develop, and retain top marketing and agency talent

Governance and operational excellence

• Establish robust processes, reporting frameworks, and performance dashboards
• Ensure compliance with data governance, brand standards, and regulations
• Implement best practices in agency operations and delivery management

Measures of success

• A financially sound, scalable agency with clear P and L performance
• High stakeholder satisfaction across all serviced brands
• Demonstrable impact of marketing on revenue, acquisition, and retention
• Improved efficiency, utilisation, and cost-to-output ratios
• Strong adoption of digital, data, and AI capabilities
• A future-ready, high-performing team with strong leadership depth
• Enhanced brand positioning and market impact across the portfolio

Skills, experience and qualifications
Minimum requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Commerce, or related field
• Extensive senior leadership experience within a marketing agency or agency-style environment (internal or external)
• Proven track record with P and L ownership and commercial accountability
• Experience building or scaling teams, operating models, and structures in complex organisations
• Strong background in data-driven marketing, digital channels, and performance marketing
• Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally with commercial, product, technology, and data teams

Advantageous:

• Postgraduate qualification
• Experience leading transformation or building internal agencies

What we’re looking for

• A commercially driven leader who understands how to run marketing as a business
• A strategic thinker who can translate vision into scalable execution
• A leader who balances creativity with performance and accountability
• Someone who thrives in a fast-paced, multi-brand environment
• A builder of teams, systems, and sustainable growth

Why join us?

Shape and lead a next-generation internal agency Work at the forefront of data, digital, and AI-enabled marketing
Influence group-wide commercial and brand strategy and build a high-impact function with measurable business outcomes

Posted on 07 Sep 11:30, Closing date 6 Oct