Director, Strategy

Overseas; Dubai; On-site; AED 400,000 - 700,000; Full time

Job summary

160over90 in Dubai is seeking a Director-level strategist to lead regional brand and culture strategy from our Dubai office, reporting to a Senior Director in London. You will drive research, insight, and strategic plans across major accounts while mentoring junior strategists in a fast-paced, global agency.

The role emphasizes regional opportunities, collaboration with creative and account teams, and strong client storytelling to shape standout campaigns.

Qualifications

• 6 years of agency-based strategy experience at creative and/or specialist agencies (experiential/pr/digital partnerships etc.) which may include a period brand-side.
• Experienced with a variety of research tools and methodologies.
• Proven ability to translate research and data into meaningful inspiration for big ideas.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to develop a clear POV that sells strategy (internally and externally).
• The soft skills of strategy: emotional intelligence curiosity empathy and collaboration.
• Experience as both a maker of great work and an instigator of it. Partnership Marketing experience a plus.
• Ability to grow and thrive in a large complex (and atypical) organization managing diverse stakeholders and building stronger relationships and deeper connections within WME Group.
• As for your qualifications we care more about you and your work than your school.

Responsibilities

• Lead (as required) key aspects of the strategy process from research and analysis to insight and creative brief development.
• Provide strategic counsel and client recommendations across the account as needed; including proactive opportunities
• Development of comms plans consumer journeys and activation frameworks that guide creative execution across the account with a specific remit for in region activity.
• Create and present briefs and strategic solutions to internal and external audiences.
• Serve as a thought leader on client and category dynamics and emerging consumer and cultural trends.
• Collaborate with and mentor junior strategists in the team
• Partner with internal account and creative teams to ensure strategic alignment throughout projects.
• Assist (and potentially) lead strategy for new business opportunities (mainly within the region) as needed.
• Support and enhance how the Strategy Department integrates with and services the agency in the region.

Skills

Strategy leadership

Strategic counsel

Communications planning

Briefing & presentation

Thought leadership

Mentoring

Cross-functional collaboration

New business strategy

Department integration

Job description

Who We Are:

160over90 is an award-winning global marketing agency which forges stronger human connections and creates shared moments where people feel something real. With 800 thinkers doers and makers across every cultural corner of the world the agency offers a full-service channel-agnostic approach and a deep connection to the people places and properties that drive the conversation of tomorrow. 160over90 works with leading brands including AB InBev Amazon Coca-Cola DP World Macys Marriott International McDonalds Verizon and Visa. 160over90 is part of WME Group a global representation business comprising the worlds leading talent intellectual property and brands.

A laugh. A tear. A heart skipping a beat. A human reaction to something completely unexpected. This is what drives us. Its also the inspiration for our name btw (an elevated blood pressure since you ask). Wed love to tell you its easy to be a cultural marketing agency when youre connected to a force like this. But the truth is it takes a badass team to make it all make sense. To navigate the cultural currents of what people care about most today and tomorrow; to attach a brand to the right and relevant cultural momentand then bring that to life across every/any part the marketing spectrum all under one (metaphorical) roof.

Is your heart beating faster yet

The Role and What Youll Do:

First and foremost youre serially curious; about brands about people and the world around us. How all of it is changing and evolving. Youre plugged into culture; Interested and inspired by the now and next. Simply put you love to ask (and understand) why.

You appreciate the value of others. Because we ask our leaders to inspire creative teams and nurture teams of strategists. To power the collective that gets us to bigger and better; that gets us to wow.

When in doubt you do. Because you value courage over comfortand because you always give a damn. About the client the agency the people and the work. Success in this role requires the intellectual curiosity to stay at the forefront of cultural and category dynamics the emotional intelligence to question and understand consumer behaviour and the collaborative spirit to work closely with internal creative account and project management teams. It also requires a certain confidence gravitas and way with words (written and spoken) that means clients listen.

Intrigued

You Have These:

This role is located in our Dubai office reporting into a Senior Director based in London with the majority of the responsibility allocated against one of our core accounts but with additional responsibilities outside of that including supporting the development of strategy within the region.

As such responsibilities cover:

• Lead (as required) key aspects of the strategy process from research and analysis to insight and creative brief development.
• Provide strategic counsel and client recommendations across the account as needed; including proactive opportunities
• Development of comms plans consumer journeys and activation frameworks that guide creative execution across the account with a specific remit for in region activity.
• Create and present briefs and strategic solutions to internal and external audiences.
• Serve as a thought leader on client and category dynamics and emerging consumer and cultural trends.
• Collaborate with and mentor junior strategists in the team
• Partner with internal account and creative teams to ensure strategic alignment throughout projects.
• Assist (and potentially) lead strategy for new business opportunities (mainly within the region) as needed.
• Support and enhance how the Strategy Department integrates with and services the agency in the region.

Wed Love If You Also Have These:

• 6 years of agency-based strategy experience at creative and/or specialist agencies (experiential/pr/digital partnerships etc.) which may include a period brand-side!
• Experienced with a variety of research tools and methodologies.
• Proven ability to translate research and data into meaningful inspiration for big ideas.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to develop a clear POV that sells strategy (internally and externally).
• The soft skills of strategy: emotional intelligence curiosity empathy and collaboration.
• Experience as both a maker of great work and an instigator of it. Partnership Marketing experience a plus.
• Ability to grow and thrive in a large complex (and atypical) organization managing diverse stakeholders and building stronger relationships and deeper connections within WME Group.
• As for your qualifications we care more about you and your work than your school.

How we work:

WME Group is at the center of sports media entertainment and fashion and is a largely relationship-based business. To foster an environment of collaboration develop our future talent and build on relationships across leadership peers and teams we work from the office 4 days per week. We see immeasurable value internally and throughout the core of the businesses we support.

Dont meet every single requirement We are dedicated to building a diverse inclusive authentic workplace so if youre excited about this role but your past experience doesnt align perfectly with every qualification in the job description we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Follow our story at and on Instagram and LinkedIn.

160/90 is proud to be an equal opportunity employer that encourages applications from qualified eligible candidates from all backgrounds and life experiences regardless of race gender identity disability age sexual orientation religion or belief.

Required Experience:

Director