Strategy Director

As the Strategy Director, you'll lead communications and media strategy for a portfolio of high-profile retail and FMCG clients, shaping impactful strategies for some of the UK's most recognised brands. You'll combine an understanding of media, audiences, culture and business to turn complex challenges into clear strategic choices, balancing long-term brand growth with immediate commercial priorities. You'll take ownership from the initial brief through to activation, measurement and learning, staying involved to make sure the work delivered reflects the strategy you developed.

• Lead communications and media strategy from annual planning and major campaign briefs through to activation and evaluation. Define the core insight, audience, customer journey and role of channels, connecting paid, owned and earned touchpoints where relevant.
• Translate business and marketing objectives into clear, insight-led and measurable strategies. Combine audience, cultural, category and media insight to identify growth opportunities and turn them into strategic choices that give clients and planning teams a clear direction.
• Lead the strategic response to major briefs, defining the core insight, audience, customer journey, communications approach and role of channels and touchpoints. Connect paid, owned and earned touchpoints across the customer journey where relevant.
• Act as a trusted strategic partner to clients, providing clear counsel, challenging constructively and bringing new ideas that move the work forward. Identify opportunities to strengthen client partnerships and broaden the agency's strategic contribution.
• Work closely with planning, investment, digital, data, analytics, commerce, creative and specialist teams to translate strategy into joined-up execution. Provide clear strategic direction from briefing and planning through to activation.
• Define success measures with analytics and effectiveness teams. Use performance insights, test-and-learn approaches and post-campaign learning to strengthen future planning and demonstrate how communications contribute to business outcomes.
• Contribute to dentsu X's strategic culture through thought leadership, new business, award entries and the development of more junior team members. Help raise the standard of strategic thinking and support curiosity and continuous improvement across the wider team.
• Experience in communications or media strategy, with a strong track record of solving complex business challenges, developing integrated strategies and influencing senior clients. You'll work across both long-term brand planning and shorter-term commercial priorities.
• A strong understanding of how brands grow and how media supports brand and performance objectives, connecting communications choices to brand growth and commercial outcomes.
• Strong audience and insight skills, connecting consumer behaviour, culture, category and data into actionable recommendations. You'll be able to combine market research, behavioural data, cultural insight and other evidence to build a rounded view of the audience.
• Strong analytical, storytelling and presentation skills, making complex thinking simple and compelling.
• Experience building trusted senior client relationships, collaborating across disciplines and managing multiple strategic work streams. You'll know when to lead, when to challenge and when to bring in specialist expertise.
• Fresh ideas and curiosity about the changing media landscape, including digital, commerce, emerging platforms and technology. You'll have a willingness to challenge conventional thinking and identify relevant opportunities early, rather than waiting for the brief to ask for them.
• Experience in retail, FMCG, alcohol or home improvement categories would also…