Strategy Director, MEA

monks; Dubai; On-site; AED 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Monks is seeking a Strategy Director to shape and lead strategic thinking across MEA client relationships, blending social media strategy with digital brand transformation. The role acts as the strategic backbone across cross-functional teams and serves as a trusted advisor to senior executives.

You will drive end-to-end social strategies, lead large-scale transformations, and mentor regional strategists while collaborating with C-suite clients to define transformation roadmaps.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in brand or communications strategy, including 5+ years in a senior strategic leadership role.
• Dual track record leading social-first campaign strategy and large-scale brand transformations.
• Strong MEA regional expertise with deep cultural fluency across platforms.
• Proficiency with social listening/analytics tools to drive data-informed decisions.
• Fluency in English and Arabic.

Responsibilities

• Develop end-to-end social media strategies, channel-specific frameworks, content pillars, and influencer partnerships tailored to MEA landscapes.
• Lead brand positioning, architecture, and digital transformation engagements to shift clients toward digital-first leadership.
• Translate audience research and market diagnostics into sharp strategic frameworks and white-space opportunities.
• Define social KPIs, paid strategy alignments, and measurement frameworks to inform creative recommendations.
• Partner with creative, media, data, UX, and tech leads to embed strategic narratives into campaigns and digital experiences.
• Facilitate strategic workshops and presentations with senior C-suite stakeholders to align transformation roadmaps.
• Collaborate with new business teams on pitch narratives while mentoring regional strategists.

Skills

Brand strategy

Social media strategy

Leadership

Client advisory

Presentation skills

Arabic language

MEA expertise

Social listening tools

English fluency

Tools

Sprinklr

Brandwatch

Talkwalker

Job description

About the Role

As a Strategy Director, you'll shape and lead the strategic thinking behind our most ambitious client relationships across the MEA region, bridging always-on, culturally fluent social media strategy with deep digital brand transformation. We are looking for someone who is passionate about seeking new opportunities to create impactful work, acting as the strategic backbone across cross-functional teams and serving as a trusted advisor to senior executive clients.

Responsibilities

• Develop end-to-end social media strategies, channel‑specific frameworks, content pillars, and influencer partnerships tailored to MEA platform landscapes.
• Lead brand positioning, architecture, and digital transformation engagements to help clients adapt from legacy models into digital‑first market leaders.
• Translate audience research, social listening data, and market diagnostics into sharp, actionable strategic frameworks and white‑space opportunities.
• Define social KPIs, paid strategy alignments, and measurement frameworks to convert performance insights into actionable creative recommendations.
• Partner with creative, media, data, UX, and technology leads to embed strategic narratives into executable campaigns and digital product experiences.
• Facilitate strategic workshops and presentations with senior C‑suite client stakeholders to align on transformation roadmaps and go‑to‑market strategies.
• Collaborate with new business teams on pitch narratives while mentoring and growing regional strategists.

About You

The essentials

• 10+ years of experience in brand or communications strategy, including 5+ years in a senior strategic leadership role at an agency, consultancy, or in‑house function.
• Dual track record leading both social‑first campaign strategy and large‑scale brand transformation or repositioning projects.
• Strong regional expertise across MEA markets, with deep cultural fluency in local nuances, platform algorithms (Meta, TikTok, X, Snapchat, YouTube), and creator strategies.
• Proficiency with social listening and analytics tools (e.g., Sprinklr, Brandwatch, Talkwalker) to drive data‑informed decision‑making.
• Exceptional presentation and storytelling skills, with proven confidence defending strategic recommendations to senior leadership, CMOs, and boards.
• Professional fluency in both English and Arabic.

Not a must, but a plus

• Experience integrating brand strategy into e‑commerce, CRM, or digital product lifecycle touchpoints.
• Hands‑on exposure to AI‑driven social listening tools or automated trend discovery workflows.
• Familiarity with organisational change management practices during brand transformations.

At Monks, we believe in fostering an environment where a diversity of perspectives can thrive. We proactively work to design hiring processes that promote equity and inclusion while mitigating bias. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building a team that reflects the communities we serve. We welcome and encourage qualified applicants, from all backgrounds, who are excited to contribute to our mission.

About Monks

Monks is the global, digital‑first, data‑driven, unitary operating brand of S4 Capital plc. With a legacy of innovation and specialized expertise, Monks combines an extraordinary range of global Marketing and Technology Services to redefine how brands interact with the world. Through Monks.Flow, its flagship AI ecosystem for marketing orchestration, Monks transforms marketing into a growth engine, collapsing timelines and connecting brands to culture in real time. By deploying bespoke intelligent agents across disciplines and delivering culturally relevant, high‑impact creative and digital solutions, Monks solves key critical business challenges across the entire brand enterprise to help brands sustain long‑term impact. Monks was named a Contender in The Forrester Wave™: Global Marketing Services, ranks among Cannes Lions' Top 10 Creative Companies (2022-25) and remains the only partner featured in AdExchanger's Programmatic Power Players list every year (2020-24). Named Adweek's first AI Agency of the Year (2023) and The One Show's inaugural AI Pioneer Organization, Monks was also awarded Business Intelligence Group's 2025 Excellence in Artificial Intelligence Award in both the Organizational and AI Product categories. As a trusted partner to cutting‑edge innovators in tech, Monks earned titles such as Optimizely Experimentation Partner of the Year (2025), runner‑up for t