Strategy Director

SMG; Leeds; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

SMG is looking for a Strategy Director to lead a talented team and develop innovative campaigns for iconic brands like Disney and Pepsi. This role requires strategic thinking, strong leadership, and the ability to turn insights into actionable strategies for various media channels.

Benefits

10% discretionary bonus scheme

£1,800 yearly wellbeing fund

4 additional Wellbeing Days

£500 yearly Uni Fund for development

Free Headspace subscription

4 pm Friday finishes all year round

Fully paid conferences annually

Qualifications

• Proven success in building brand strategies.
• Experience leading and managing teams.
• Ability to translate strategy into innovative campaigns.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow a team of strategists.
• Create, set, and elevate strategies for client briefs.
• Coach, train, and mentor team members.
• Identify future trends and insights.

Skills

Strategic Thinking

Commercial Acumen

Leadership

Collaboration

Marketing Expertise

Tools

Data/Market Research Tools

Job description

Job Title: Strategy Director

• Level & Responsibility: This role is at a Director level or equivalent and has responsibility over a team.
• Location & Hybrid Working: 2 days a week in our Leeds office.

The role

We are looking for a Strategy Director to join SMG. At SMG, we help some of the world’s most iconic brands — like Disney, Pepsi Co, Lego, Funkin Cocktails, and P&G — win at the intersection of media, creativity, and commerce. We’re looking for a Strategy Director to lead a talented team of strategists and shape campaigns across all our agencies.

If you love turning insight into action, influencing big ideas, responding to a diverse range of exciting briefs, and developing people — this could be your next big move.

Why SMG?

We are dedicated to supporting our employees to be the best version of themselves both inside and outside of work. We have an extraordinary culture built by exceptional people, recognized by Best Companies within the top 5 best Marketing & Media agencies to work for, with a World Class and Outstanding accreditation over the past 2 years.

We continually review and improve our benefits package. Some of our highlights include:

• 10% discretionary bonus scheme
• £1,800 yearly wellbeing fund
• 4 additional Wellbeing Days (one each quarter)
• £500 yearly “Uni Fund” for learning and development
• Free Headspace subscription
• 4 pm Friday finishes all year round
• Two fully paid conferences annually and team activities throughout the year

Why you?

In line with our values, you’ll want to stay honest, hungry, foolish, and most importantly, have fun!

We operate within Retail Media but welcome candidates from diverse backgrounds, with a key focus on experience and passion for building consumer-centric strategies.

More specifically, you'll have:

Strategic Thinking & Commercial Acumen

• Proven success in building brand strategies
• Ability to distill complex data into consumer-centric insights

Leadership & Collaboration

• Experience leading and managing teams in fast-paced environments
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills

Marketing & Media Expertise

• Ability to translate strategy into innovative campaigns activated across various media channels
• Knowledge of data/market research tools and media channels

We list only essential criteria, but if you believe you can do an amazing job without every single item, we encourage you to apply.

What you'll be doing

Responsibilities include:

• Lead and grow a team of strategists within our central ‘Axis’ function.
• Create, set, and elevate strategies across diverse client briefs.
• Coach, train, and mentor strategists and cross-functional teams.
• Identify future trends and share actionable insights.
• Collaborate with senior leaders to create strategic excellence.
• Bring vision to both day-to-day campaigns and long-term growth.

More information and resources

• Learn about our agencies and departments here.
• Application & interview process info here.
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at SMG here.
• FAQs here.

PLEASE NOTE: You should receive an email after applying. If not, check your spam/junk folder, ensure