Digital Engagement Strategist

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary digital engagement lead across one or more strategic accounts, guiding clients through Discovery, Strategy, Design, Development, and Delivery.
• Proactively identify improvement opportunities on live platforms, adopting a Continuous Improvement mindset.
• Translate complex business needs into phased, outcome-led roadmaps driving both near-term delivery and long-term transformation.
• Serve as the internal voice of the client and external voice of the product, ensuring delivery aligns with a defined product vision and measurable business value.
• Provide strategic direction to delivery teams, partnering with Design, Tech, and Delivery Leads to ensure capacity, velocity, and value alignment.
• Support clients in shaping go-to-market strategies, service propositions, and business design initiatives, chiefly during early-phase engagements.
• Help shape commercial models and prioritization trade-offs with clients, aligning budgets and phasing of investment across programmes.
• Build credibility with senior stakeholders by offering clear, structured perspectives and flexing between corporate polish and startup hustle.
• Operate as a connector across disciplines: delivery, strategy, design, content, data, and technology.
• Shape and steer multi-disciplinary teams to deliver experience-led digital transformation programmes.
• Lead workshops, stakeholder interviews, and discovery engagements to uncover goals, pain points, and opportunities.
• Collaborate with technologists and platform specialists to determine best-in-class technical solutions.
• Support proposal writing, scoping, and pre-sales activities.
• Maintain an informed point of view on AI, emerging tech, composable platforms, and customer experience best practices.

Requirements

• ~10+ years’ experience in digital strategy, product, delivery, or consultancy roles in an agency setting.
• Proven ability to lead complex transformation and Continuous Improvement (CI) programmes.
• Deep understanding of agile and waterfall methodology; able to flex between traditional and adaptive approaches.
• Hands-on knowledge of DXP & MarTech ecosystems; experience with at least one enterprise CMS (e.g. Sitecore, Adobe, Optimizely, Acquia, LifeRay), ideally with certification.
• Strong stakeholder management and the ability to lead high-stakes conversations.
• Experience with hybrid work: on-site client days, agency office presence, plus remote work.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills for leading cross-functional teams.
• Experience with service blueprints, customer journey mapping, and organizational change.
• Curiosity for AI and emerging technologies.
• Two recent case studies demonstrating impact.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in hospitality, tourism, logistics, or transport sectors is preferred.
• Established UAE industry network.
• Demonstrable experience operating in UAE-based environments.

Benefits

About the Company

Horizontal Digital is an experience-forward consultancy building exceptional websites, mobile, ecommerce, and portal experiences. By fusing every digital touchpoint with customer data and combining strategy, design, and technology, Horizontal Digital delivers meaningful digital experiences at every step. Their team successfully solves complex challenges for some of the world’s most recognizable brands.