Media Strategy Director

DEPT® is a Growth Invention company built to help the world’s most ambitious brands grow faster. Operating at the intersection of technology and marketing, our 4,000+ specialists deliver growth invention services across Brand & Media, Experience, Commerce, CRM, and Technology & Data. We’re 50|50 tech and marketing, partner-led, and first to move. Clients include Google, Lufthansa, Meta, eBay, and OpenAI. We have been certified B Corp and Climate Neutral since 2021.

JOB PURPOSE

This role is part of our Creative & Media team based in Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Our team is a vibrant mix of talents, ranging from Creatives, Influencer Marketers, Brand & Content Strategists to Account Managers, Programmatic and Marketing Automation Consultants. Together, we blend imaginative storytelling and performance-driven strategies with cutting-edge technology to create engaging digital experiences that build lasting relationships with our clients like Netflix, Canva, Foot Locker, Philips & Biscoff.

As a Media Strategy Director, you are the architect of the client’s media presence. You aren't just managing a budget; you are owning the Media Agenda. You will act as the visionary lead for one of our most complex global accounts, translating business goals into a sophisticated, full-funnel media roadmap.

You are the bridge between "the big idea" and "the big impact." You will navigate complex corporate landscapes to defend media investments, optimize channel mixes, and ensure that every Euro spent is a step toward market dominance. You thrive in high-stakes environments, whether that’s a global product launch or a real-time World Cup activation.

Key Responsibilities

• Media Visionary & Figurehead: Own the end-to-end media narrative for the client. You aren't just a manager; you are the strategic lead who defines the "Media Agenda," ensuring consistency and ambition across all brand and performance activities.
• Senior Stakeholder Management: Serve as the primary senior point of contact for media strategy. You will navigate complex, political client environments with sensitivity, authority, and confidence, acting as a trusted partner to C-suite stakeholders.
• Strategic Communication: Present clear, compelling, and persuasive strategies to senior client management, expertly translating media complexity (attribution, programmatic fragmentation, etc.) into actionable business direction.
• High-Stakes Leadership: Take hands-on leadership of large, high-impact activations, such as international sports sponsorships or global brand moments, balancing long-term strategic vision with day-to-day urgency and knowing exactly when to zoom out or step in.
• Operational Excellence: Ensure media strategies are executable, prioritized correctly, and delivered with pace and quality. You bridge the gap between high-level "Growth Invention" and the ground-level reality of campaign delivery.
• Cross-Disciplinary Orchestration: Act as the vital link between media, creative, influencer, and tech. You will challenge teams and clients to push beyond conventional media thinking to create truly integrated, full-funnel experiences.
• Commercial Growth: Proactively spot opportunities to expand the scope of work into broader strategic territories. You will contribute to new business opportunities, organic growth, and competitive positioning for the agency.
• Practice Leadership: Help shape DEPT®’s global media propositions, developing best practices and strategic thought leadership that keeps us (and our clients) ahead of the industry curve.

What we are looking for

• A Media Veteran: You are a senior media strategist or media director-level professional with extensive agency experience. You have a proven track record of leading large, complex, and demanding corporate accounts on a global or regional scale.
• A Full-Funnel Architect: You possess full-funnel media expertise with a solid foundation in both digital and traditional media (e.g., digital TV/CTV, influencer marketing, and the interplay between creative, brand, and performance).
• An Integrative Thinker: You have the ability to bridge brand and performance, strategy and execution. Beyond media, you have a knowledge of crafts such as data, creative, and tech, and are capable of briefing and guiding experts in those fields to deliver a unified vision.
• A Stakeholder Navigator: You have excellent stakeholder management skills with strong political sensitivity. You understand how to operate within complex, multi-stakeholder organizations, building consensus and driving the media agenda forward with confidence.
• A Master Communicator: You are a persuasive, energetic, and inspiring communicator. You are a confident presenter to senior client leadership, with a unique ability to simplify complex strategies into actionable direction.
• A Pragmatic Leader: You possess strong process insight and prioritization skills. You have the critical ability to distinguish between theoretical strategy and what requires immediate action, ensuring that the most impactful work gets done first.
• A Connector: You are a natural connector who brings together people, disciplines, and ideas. While you lead at a high level, you are comfortable getting hands-on and leading from the front when a high-pressure campaign or "war room" moment demands it.
• You are fluent in both Dutch and English, capable of leading high-level strategic discussions in both languages.

WE OFFER

• Everything to focus on your health: from free bootcamp to yoga lessons, mindfulness sessions, mental health services, serious discounts on sport memberships, healthy lunches at the office, and above all: a safe work environment.
• Great fringe benefits; use of OV-bikes, an NS Business Card and many other goodies.
• You can discover even more employee benefits here.
• A reputation for doing good. DEPT® has been named a Great Place To Work in 2023 - in the Netherlands and has been a Certified B Corp® since 2021 and named ‘Agency of the Year’ at both The Lovies and The Webby Awards.
• Awesome clients. Whether big or small, local or global — at DEPT® you’ll get the opportunity to work with clients of all sizes and across all industries. And we celebrate all of our successes together!
• The opportunity for possibility. We want to enable you to do what you do best and help you develop your skills further with training, development and certifications.
• Global annual DEPT® Cares Month in which employees come together and donate their skills to support local charities.

WHY DEPT®?

We are a Growth Invention company built to help the world’s most ambitious brands grow faster. Operating at the intersection of technology and marketing, we create what is next by pioneering ideas, acting fast, and moving further because standing still just is not in our DNA.

We are drawn to people who stay curious, move with intent, and never stop inventing. Our culture runs on three values: better together, relentlessly curious, and get sh*t done. It is how we work, how we grow, and how we make things that matter.

At DEPT®, you will find the freedom to explore, the space to collaborate, and the trust to make a real impact for our clients, for each other, and for the world we are helping to build.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION 

At DEPT®, we take pride in creating an inclusive workplace where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive. We actively seek to recruit, develop, nurture, and retain talented individuals from diverse backgrounds, with varying skills and perspectives.

Not sure you meet all qualifications? Apply, and let us decide! Research shows that women and members of underrepresented groups tend not to apply for jobs when they think they may not meet every requirement, when in fact they do. We believe in giving everyone a fair chance to shine.

We also encourage you to reach out to us and discuss any reasonable adjustments we can make to support you throughout the recruitment process and your time with us.

Want to know more about our dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion? Check out our efforts here.