Director, Audience & Activation Strategy

Job Description

Hybrid position based in New York City. Candidates must be located within commuting distance of our NYC office and be able to work onsite as required.

We're seeking a Director, Audience & Activation Strategy to lead the development of audience targeting strategies that drive measurable business outcomes across digital media channels.

This role sits at the intersection of audience strategy, identity, data, and media activation
, serving as a subject matter expert responsible for ensuring audience solutions are designed, activated, optimized, and measured effectively across today's complex media ecosystem.

You will help answer critical questions such as:

• Who should be targeted and why?
• Which data sources will deliver the highest-quality audiences?
• How should audiences be activated across channels for maximum performance?
• How can audience match rates, targeting accuracy, and campaign outcomes be improved?
• How can audience strategies be measured and optimized to drive stronger business results?

• Develop audience targeting strategies aligned to business and marketing objectives.
• Design, build, and optimize audience segments using first-party, third-party, and identity-based data.
• Drive audience activation across platforms including Google, Meta, Tik Tok, programmatic DSPs, CTV, retail media, and emerging channels.
• Partner closely with media, analytics, data science, product, and activation teams to improve audience performance and effectiveness.
• Optimize audience match rates, activation strategies, and cross-channel targeting approaches.
• Evaluate audience data providers, identity partners, and emerging targeting capabilities.
• Lead testing, measurement, and optimization efforts to demonstrate the impact of audience strategies.
• Serve as a trusted advisor on identity resolution, audience design, activation best practices, and measurement frameworks.

We're seeking a strategic leader who understands the complete audience lifecycle:

Identity → Audience Creation → Activation → Measurement → Optimization

The ideal candidate brings:

• Deep expertise in audience targeting, segmentation, and activation.
• Strong understanding of identity resolution and audience data ecosystems.
• Hands‑on experience with paid media platforms, DSPs, retail media, and programmatic activation.
• Knowledge of first‑party data, third‑party audiences, CRM data, and identity‑based targeting.
• Experience measuring audience performance and translating insights into actionable recommendations.
• The ability to connect audience strategy with measurable business outcomes.
• A collaborative, consultative approach to partnering with cross‑functional stakeholders.

Candidates may come from:

• Audience Strategy
• Data & Identity Solutions
• Programmatic Media
• Retail Media Networks
• AdTech or Mar Tech Organizations
• Advanced Analytics & Activation Teams
• Media Platforms or Audience Product Organizations

This is an opportunity to shape audience strategy at scale, working across data, technology, media, and analytics to create innovative targeting solutions that deliver measurable impact. You'll collaborate with cross-functional teams, influence enterprise-wide strategy, and help define how audience and identity capabilities drive business growth.

This role offers the chance to be a key voice in the future of audience strategy while working in a highly collaborative hybrid environment based in our New York office.

At dentsu, we believe great work happens when we’re connected. Our way of working combines flexibility with in‑person collaboration to spark ideas and strengthen our teams. Employees who live within a commutable distance of one of our hub offices, currently located in Chicago, metro Detroit, Los Angeles, and New York City, are required and expected to work from the office three days per week (two days per week for employees based in Los Angeles).

Dentsu may designate other Hub offices at any time. Those who live outside a commutable range may be designated as remote, depending on the role and business needs. Regardless of your work location, we expect our employees to be flexible to meet the…