Strategy Director

Merkle Italia; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical

Wellbeing days

Flexible working

Retail discounts

Job summary

Dentsu X in London is seeking a Strategy Director to lead communications and media strategy for high-profile retail and FMCG clients. You will shape impactful strategies, balancing long-term brand growth with immediate commercial priorities, from briefing through activation and learning.

You will own the strategic direction, collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, and act as a trusted partner to clients, driving growth and measurable outcomes across campaigns.

Qualifications

• Experience leading strategic communications and media strategies for top brands.
• Ability to translate business objectives into integrated communications plans.
• Strong storytelling, analysis, and presentation skills for executive audiences.
• Experience collaborating across planning, investment, data, analytics, and creative teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead communications and media strategy from annual planning to activation and evaluation.
• Define insights, audience, journey and channel roles across paid, owned and earned.
• Translate business objectives into clear, measurable strategies.
• Provide strategic direction from briefing through activation and measurement.

Skills

Strategy leadership

Media strategy

Senior client relations

Analytical storytelling

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

Job Description

Dentsu is an integrated growth and transformation partner to the world’s leading organisations. Founded in 1901 in Tokyo, Japan, and now operating in approximately 120 countries and regions, we bring together the power of a global network of leadership brands to deliver impactful, end-to-end growth solutions. Through our client promise, Innovating to Impact, we drive growth through integrated services across Media, Customer Experience Management (CXM), and Creative. Our business transformation (BX) mindset, combined with a focus on experience transformation (EX), drives sustainable growth for brands, people, and society. Our commitment to innovation, collaboration, and diversity enables us to continuously evolve, pushing boundaries while delivering measurable impact in a fast-changing world dentsu X is the media agency that challenges convention to drive growth. We expand brands into the places, communities and interests people genuinely care about—not simply demographic reach. We create sensory, emotional moments that earn a place in memories and baskets. And, we’re ‘always in beta’, we test, prove and scale how stronger feelings through culture and community accelerate real business growth.

Purpose of the Role

As the Strategy Director, you’ll lead communications and media strategy for a portfolio of high-profile retail and FMCG clients, shaping impactful strategies for some of the UK’s most recognised brands. You'll combine an understanding of media, audiences, culture and business to turn complex challenges into clear strategic choices, balancing long-term brand growth with immediate commercial priorities. You'll take ownership from the initial brief through to activation, measurement and learning, staying involved to make sure the work delivered reflects the strategy you developed.

Key responsibilities

• Lead communications and media strategy from annual planning and major campaign briefs through to activation and evaluation.
• Define the core insight, audience, customer journey and role of channels, connecting paid, owned and earned touchpoints where relevant.
• Translate business and marketing objectives into clear, insight-led and measurable strategies.
• Combine audience, cultural, category and media insight to identify growth opportunities and turn them into strategic choices that give clients and planning teams a clear direction.
• Lead the strategic response to major briefs, defining the core insight, audience, customer journey, communications approach and role of channels and touchpoints.
• Connect paid, owned and earned touchpoints across the customer journey where relevant.
• Act as a trusted strategic partner to clients, providing clear counsel, challenging constructively and bringing new ideas that move the work forward.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen client partnerships and broaden the agency's strategic contribution.
• Work closely with planning, investment, digital, data, analytics, commerce, creative and specialist teams to translate strategy into joined-up execution.
• Provide clear strategic direction from briefing and planning through to activation.
• Define success measures with analytics and effectiveness teams.
• Use performance insights, test-and-learn approaches and post-campaign learning to strengthen future planning and demonstrate how communications contribute to business outcomes.
• Contribute to dentsu X's strategic culture through thought leadership, new business, award entries and the development of more junior team members.
• Help raise the standard of strategic thinking and support curiosity and continuous improvement across the wider team.

Qualifications & Skills

• Experience in communications or media strategy, with a strong track record of solving complex business challenges, developing integrated strategies and influencing senior clients. You'll work across both long-term brand planning and shorter-term commercial priorities.
• A strong understanding of how brands grow and how media supports brand and performance objectives, connecting communications choices to brand growth and commercial outcomes.
• Strong audience and insight skills, connecting consumer behaviour, culture, category and data into actionable recommendations.
• You’ll be able to combine market research, behavioural data, cultural insight and other evidence to build a rounded view of the audience.
• Strong analytical, storytelling and presentation skills, making complex thinking simple and compelling.
• Experience building trusted senior client relationships, collaborating across disciplines and managing multiple strategic workstreams.
• You’ll know when to lead, when to challenge and when to bring in specialist expertise.
• Fresh ideas and curiosity about the changing media landscape, including digital, commerce, emerging platforms and technology.
• You’ll have a willingness to challenge conventional thinking and identify relevant opportunities early, rather than waiting for the brief to ask for them.
• Experience in retail, FMCG, alcohol or home improvement categories would also help, but isn't essential.

What we offer

This is a permanent position based at our UK head office in London, offering a hybrid working arrangement. At dentsu, we’ve built a benefits package that supports every chapter of your life. From company‑funded Private Medical Insurance, a 24/7 Virtual GP and a generous sick‑pay policy to wellbeing days, volunteering time, flexible bank‑holiday swaps and great everyday perks like retail discounts, gym access and tech schemes - we make it easier to live well, not just work well. Our employee‑led resource groups have helped shape policies that genuinely matter: enhanced maternity, paternity and carers leave, extended sick leave, menopause and baby‑loss support, plus 10 fertility treatment days. Combined with life assurance, income protection, financial education tools and flexible savings options, you’ll find a workplace that invests in you - your health, your family, your future.

Location: London Brand: Dentsu X Time Type: Full time Contract Type: Permanent

Inclusion and Diversity

At Dentsu, we embrace diversity and inclusion, valuing the unique perspectives and contributions of every individual. We believe that diversity fuels creativity and innovation, benefiting our employees, partners, and communities. We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected characteristic.

Beyond recruitment, we strive to create an environment where everyone feels respected, supported, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work. We are a Disability Confident scheme user. If you consider yourself to have a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role, you will be guaranteed an interview. We recognize the importance of work-life balance and are open to discussing flexible working arrangements for all roles. If you need reasonable adjustments due to a disability or medical condition during our recruitment process, please contact us at [e-mail], quoting the reference number of the role that you are applying for. Your needs will be handled with respect and confidentiality to ensure an inclusive and accessible experience.

About dentsu

For over 120 years, innovation has been a core tenet of our offering – exploring new ways to reach, engage and nurture relationships with audiences. Together we drive a multiplier effect for clients at a global scale, through the development of Integrated Growth Solutions that are underpinned by our promise to clients: innovating to impact. Be a force for good. Sustainability is a vital part of our business and an important area of focus for our clients. We’re leading the way – helping to build a more sustainable planet. Dream loud. In this moment of transformation, we need our people to be fearless, embracing change and ambiguity, driven by the love for their work and excitement for the future. Team without limits. We create opportunities for connection and collaboration between our colleagues and clients, building a sense of belonging and having some fun along the way. Find out more about us Who we are Our Social Impact Our work