Strategy Director (Maternity Cover)

About Dentsu Led by Dentsu Group Inc. (Tokyo: 4324; ISIN: JP3551520004), a pure holding company established on January 1, 2020, the Dentsu Group encompasses two operational networks: dentsu japan network, which oversees Dentsu’s agency operations in Japan, and dentsu international, its international business headquarters in London, which oversees Dentsu’s agency operations outside of Japan. With a strong presence in approximately 145 countries and regions across five continents and with 65,000 dedicated professionals, the Dentsu Group provides a comprehensive range of client-centric integrated communications, media and digital services through its five leadership brands—Carat, dentsu X, iProspect, Dentsu Creative, and Merkle—as well as through Dentsu Japan Network companies, including Dentsu Inc., the world’s largest single brand agency with a history of innovation. The Group is also active in the production and marketing of sports and entertainment content on a global scale. www.dentsu.com About the role: This is a 12 months Maternity Cover Strategy Director role at Dentsu. In this role, you will lead strategic thinking across key clients and new business, shaping integrated communication solutions that drive business impact. You’ll collaborate with cross-functional teams, influence C-level stakeholders, and champion innovation through data, platforms, and insight. Success in this role requires a balance of visionary thinking and hands-on execution, with a strong ability to lead through influence and deliver measurable outcomes.The successful individual will be able to deliver Dentsu's vision of Innovating for Impact with new products, services and ways of working and advocacy of capabilities, solutions, tools and data sources with new and existing clients. They will report into the Head of Strategy, Media Group Singapore and work closely with APAC Strategy teams, as well as the Creative and CXM Service Lines. Key areas of impact include: Facilitating the development of more impactful and integrated communication solutions working with client leaders and dynamic teams drawn from across lines of business. Clarifying complex marketing challenges, using client and agency data sources. The individual will also be called to anticipate client needs, provide strategic guidance in a way that brings greater focus, alignment, and consistency in the work. Forming strong relationships with senior (up to c-level) clients and ensuring Strategy delivered by Dentsu an essential POV to navigate their business and marketing initiatives. Input into QBRs and collaborate with client team and agency partners to understand marketing objectives and build them into success metrics, KPIs and reports in a way that elevates the thinking on the business. Defining/input into the ‘Go-to-Market’ Strategy led by media as well as defining roles for media mix and user journey / ecosystem. Developing ways to connect strategy outcomes and audiences into platform to enhance integrated communication solutions and client outcomes. Evangelizing strategy in the organization by collaborating with planning teams to upskill them on full-funnel strategy, integrating awareness, consideration, and conversion stages to align with client marketing objectives. Establishing best practice strategic processes, success metrics and KIPs. Championing delivery Dentsu products and solutions along with advocacy of capabilities, solutions, tools and data sources with new and existing clients. Developing strategic platforms that inspire innovative comms activation and leverage partnerships to solve client business needs, both on existing clients and in new business efforts, through the use of proprietary consumer research, device-level and first party data sources and industry research. Personal Specification: 6+ years working in strategy and planning with progressive levels of responsibility and a track record of success in the media services profession. You should also have prior experience leading the strategy in pitches and a track record of winning new business. Experience working in multi-market teams and supporting or leading regional strategy delivery is a must, with strong familiarity with Southeast Asia market dynamics, client needs, cultural nuances, and media landscape across key SEA markets . Experience in Financial Services and digital first brands is plus. Ability to articulate the business impact, and effect of media on client business and brand and experien…