Technical Director - Freelance

At AKQA (part of WPP) we believe in the imaginative application of art and science to create beautiful ideas, products and services. With an entrepreneurial and collaborative approach, we design adaptive digital services and applications that capture the imagination, delivering impressive returns for our clients.

We offer teams the opportunity to produce innovative work that moves companies, and their communities forward. All disciplines collaborate to find the best solution while delivering each aspect to the highest standard. From products and services to imaginative storytelling, our shared vision is to create experiences that drive progress and results. We are fortunate to partner with forward-thinking clients, including Verizon, Starbucks, Delta Air Lines, and Visa.

NOTE: This is a temporary freelance role for 3-6 months with potential to extend. Candidates may work remote (US only) as long as they are available during normal business hours, Eastern Time Zone, out of consideration for our team and client. Relocation and visa sponsorship are not available. Freelancers will be engaged on a temporary basis via W-2; 1099/contractor/vendor status is not an option.

Executive Summary

A Technical Director at AKQA is a senior technology leader responsible for driving the strategy, client relationship, and delivery excellence for key client accounts. They are equal parts strategist, consultant, and technologist. This role carries full accountability for the technology practice within an account: shaping the long-term technical vision, leading the team that executes against it, and proactively identifying opportunities where technology can drive measurable business outcomes for the client.
The ideal candidate thrives in a multidisciplinary environment, partnering with Creative, Strategy, Client Services, Delivery, and Product Management to ensure technology is a first-class participant in every conversation. They build trust with stakeholders ranging from non-technical marketing executives to deeply technical platform architects, and stay close enough to the craft to earn credibility with their team.

Technical Directors also serve as AKQA's technology antenna by evaluating emerging technologies through the lens of practical client relevance, positioning the agency as a strategic partner rather than an implementation vendor.

Role Responsibilities

• Client Advisory — Serve as the senior technology point of contact for client accounts, building trusted relationships with both business and IT stakeholders and providing strategic counsel grounded in a deep understanding of the client's business, competitive landscape, and technical ecosystem
• Technical Strategy — Own the end-to-end technology roadmap for client accounts, championing composable, API-first architectures and modern development practices while maintaining pragmatism when working within client-mandated platforms and legacy systems
• Delivery Accountability — Maintain responsibility for the health of all technology initiatives within client accounts, ensuring work ships on time, within estimated effort, and to AKQA's quality standards while serving as the senior escalation point for complex challenges
• Team Leadership — Lead, mentor, and develop the technology staff assigned to work within client accounts, owning the resourcing plan, providing actionable performance feedback, and cultivating a culture of craftsmanship and continuous learning
• Cross-Discipline Partnership — Collaborate with Creative, Strategy, Client Services, Delivery, and Product Management as a full participant in shaping account direction from discovery and ideation through execution and optimization
• Solution Architecture — Define comprehensive solution architectures for new engagements that account for business requirements, technical constraints, existing infrastructure, and integration complexity
• Business Development — Proactively identify technology-driven growth opportunities within accounts and lead the technical solutioning, scoping, and estimation for new business proposals
• Engineering Standards — Ensure consistent application of best practices across work, including code quality, testing protocols, security, accessibility, performance optimization, and technical documentation
• Emerging Technology — Evaluate new technologies and industry trends for practical relevance to the client's challenges, translating insights into actionable recommendations when the timing and context are right
• AI & Applied Intelligence — Serve as a grounded, credible voice on AI's evolving role in digital product development, helping create measurable business value for AKQA and its clients

Qualities & Characteristics

• Experience & Environment — 8+ years in technology delivery, with meaningful time spent in agency, consultancy, or client-services environments where managing competing priorities and diverse stakeholder relationships is the norm
• Technical Fluency — Strong command of modern web and mobile development best practices, with the depth to guide teams building high-quality digital products across responsive web, native mobile, and cross-platform applications
• Platform Breadth — Practical understanding of the digital platform landscape, including composable, MACH-aligned architectures, traditional CMS platforms like AEM or Sitecore, and modern serverless hosting solutions, with sufficient breadth to guide architectural decisions and evaluate delivery quality across diverse client environments
• Client Communication — Proven ability to translate complex technical concepts for non-technical audiences while engaging credibly with senior engineering and IT leadership on architecture, security, and infrastructure
• Consultative Instinct — A natural orientation toward identifying business opportunities and framing technology solutions in terms of client outcomes rather than technical features, with a track record of earning trusted-advisor status
• Leadership & Culture — Experience leading high-performing technology teams, managing performance, driving accountability, and nurturing growth
• Design Sensibility — A genuine appreciation for compelling user experience and visual design, with the ability to advocate for the end user throughout the development process
• Adaptability — Comfort with ambiguity and the ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, multidisciplinary environments where priorities shift and the path forward requires judgment over process
• Hands-On Willingness — While not a primary responsibility, a genuine readiness and desire to work alongside development and quality assurance teammates when the situation calls for it

OTHER DETAILS

• Remote (United States only) position
• Available during normal business hours, US Eastern Time Zone
• Anticipated weekly pay range (full time schedule) between $5,000 - $5,600