Strategy Director

About WPP Media

WPP is the creative transformation company. We use the power of creativity to build better futures for our people, planet, clients and communities. For more information, visit wpp.com.

WPP Media is WPP’s global media collective. In a world where media is everywhere and in everything, we bring the best platform, people, and partners together to create limitless opportunities for growth. For more information, visit wppmedia.com

About Mindshare: A Leading WPP Media Brand

Mindshare delivers Good Growth for its clients. As “Growth Architects," we drive growth that benefits all stakeholders — better for people, planet, and business — by using media with intention. This approach creates more meaningful connections with consumers, increases consumer trust in the brand, and delivers better outcomes for all stakeholders.

Role Summary and Impact

The Strategy Director works within the WW Strategy team. Our Worldwide team specialises in driving Good Growth for our multinational clients looking for a unified brand presence across markets and continents that adapts to the cultural and human differences across these. Leveraging the power of media platforms to engage with audiences across cultures, countries & continents. The primary focus of the Strategy Director is on the development of new BIC international media & connections strategies. From inception to sign off, overseeing strategic alignment of activation across local teams. Reporting to the Strategy Partner, the successful candidate will work with a team of people from a range of specialists in the agency to develop insightful, impactful strategies that help our clients to grow.

Responsibilities

• Design and delivery of communication strategies to deliver on client requirements.
• Collaboration with advanced analytics & planning teams to build & translate communication strategies into impactful media plans.
• Timely management of strategic projects and briefs, bringing in specialist teams where needed, and meeting client expectation.
• Thought leadership to provoke new conversations or project opportuntiies with clients.
• Hunt & gather new strategy projects and opportunities in partnership with the Client Leads.
• Build trusted advisor relationships with clients and partner agency teams.
• Lead and inspire others at times managing one or more team members (directly or as a matrixed team).

The Ideal Candidate

You are a unique strategist looking to find your new home amongst others who want to create new spaces for Media to engage humans & transform their experiences with brands. As an individual, you are:

• Curious: about humans, what makes them tick, what makes them connect. About channels, new, old and changing, always asking how we can break the mould of how things may have been.
• Creative: always looking for new and exciting ways to bring brands to audiences. For the extra ‘spark’ or stretch in the plan that may not be expected.
• Challenging: themselves and others to consider if there is a new way, a better way or an uncharted way to solve business challenges.
• Collaborative: a desire & ability to collaborate with different skills, personalities and ways of thinking. To bring people together to find new ways to design, deliver strategies and hold ourselves accountable to them.

Skills and Experience

At WPP Media, we believe in the power of our culture and our people. It’s what elevates us to deliver exceptional experiences for both our clients and each other. In this role it will be critical to embrace WPP & WPP Media’s shared core values:

• Be Extraordinary by Leading Collectively to Inspire transformational Creativity.
• Create an Open environment by Balancing People and Client Experiences by Cultivating Trust.
• Lead Optimistically by Championing Growth and Development to Mobilize the Enterprise.

Essential Criteria 

• Solid experience in Media & Communication strategy in agency environment with evidence of impactful, creative strategy design for clients.
• Excellent communication & interpersonal skills including evidence of simple strategy design and presentation at a mid to senior client level.
• Experience in designing and delivering integrated multi market media strategies inc clear understanding of the role & influence of central V local strategic requirements
• Inspiring the ‘art of possible’ to engage audiences through media in new ways with
• Understanding of the role of culture, community & commerce connections in driving impact of media strategies.
• Ability lead integrated strategy across multifunctional groups (internal / external) and multiple markets.
• Understanding of the economic dynamics and integrated media strategies needed to drive growth across in B2C & B2B environments.
• Experience using and understanding of application of syndicated research tools, consumer research methodologies & techniques e.g. GWI, eMarketer, WARC, BrandWatch etc.

Desirable criteria

• Experience in designing partnership & innovation roadmaps to support longer term needs for clients.
• Consultative strategy across marketing communications and / or media planning & strategy for international (global) clients.
• Ability to advise on communications strategies encompassing: Consumer Experience, 360 Media environment (inc Digital, Social, PR, Events)

Life at WPP Media & Benefits

Our passion for shaping the next era of media includes investing in our employees to help them do their best work, and we’re just as committed to employee growth as we are to responsible media investment. WPP Media employees can tap into the global WPP Media & WPP networks to pursue their passions, grow their networks, and learn at the cutting edge of marketing and advertising. We have a variety of employee resource groups and host frequent in-office events showcasing team wins, sharing thought leadership, and celebrating holidays and milestone events. Our benefits include competitive medical, group retirement plans, vision, and dental insurance, significant paid time off, preferential partner discounts, and employee mental health awareness days.  

WPP Media is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

Please note this is a UK based role and requires individuals to have the right to work in this location

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While we appreciate all applications received, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. 

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