Associate Planning Director

dentsu Creative Philippines, Inc.; Makati; Hybrid; PHP 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangement

Volunteer leave

Dentsu University access

Never Before Awards

Job summary

Dentsu Creative in Makati City seeks a senior strategist to lead day-to-day client strategy for a single account or group of accounts. You will guide insight generation, creative briefs, selling narratives, strategic POVs and go-to-market plans, ensuring alignment with client objectives.

You will mentor junior strategists, partner with senior clients, and collaborate across strategy, creative and media to drive integrated solutions and brand growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Advertising, Business, or a related field.
• Significant experience in brand strategy and planning across multiple brands.
• Strong ability to translate insights into strategic recommendations and briefs.
• Proven leadership and people development capabilities.
• Excellent client management and stakeholder communication.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of strategic outputs across multiple brands, including brand strategies, creative briefs, research reports, strategic POVs, selling narratives, and go-to-market plans, ensuring alignment with client objectives and business priorities.
• Act as a strategic partner to creative and brand teams, leveraging consumer insights, data, and cultural intelligence to inspire creative thinking, challenge conventional approaches, and identify opportunities for brand growth and innovation.
• Lead, mentor, and develop junior strategists, providing strategic direction, guidance, and constructive feedback while building their capabilities and encouraging independent thinking.
• Build and strengthen relationships with senior and mid-level marketing clients, establishing credibility as a trusted strategic advisor. Proactively identify opportunities to add value, address business challenges, and strengthen client partnerships.
• Work closely with multidisciplinary teams across strategy, creative, media, and other agency functions to deliver integrated solutions, elevate the quality of strategic work, and contribute to new business opportunities and overall agency growth.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Mentoring junior strategists

Client relationship management

Storytelling

Presentation skills

Cross-brand strategy

Education

Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Advertising, Business, or related field

Job description

The purpose of this role is to manage senior strategists and planner/junior on day-to-day client strategy needs on a single account or group of accounts – guiding insight generation, creative briefs, selling narratives, strategic POVs and go-to market plans. Job Description: Dentsu Creative operates in over [21] markets worldwide with more than [2,200] dedicated specialists. Bringing together our Japanese heritage in craft, data and technology, and our deep understanding of media and contemporary culture, Dentsu Creative is a new global creative agency. Born in Japan, raised in a digital world. We help transform brands and business through the power of Modern Creativity: which creates culture, changes society and invents the future and is accelerated by our deep specialist expertise in digital experience, earned attention and entertainment. About dentsu international Part of Dentsu Group, Dentsu International is a network designed for what’s next, helping clients predict and plan for disruptive future opportunities and create new paths to growth in the sustainable economy. Dentsu delivers people-focused solutions and services to drive better business and societal outcomes. This is delivered through five global leadership brands - Carat, Dentsu Creative, dentsu X, iProspect and Merkle, each with deep specialisms. Dentsu International’s radically collaborative team of diverse creators unifies people, clients and capabilities through horizontal creativity to help clients create culture, change society, and invent the future. Powered by 100% renewable energy, Dentsu International operates in over 145 markets worldwide with more than 46,000 dedicated specialists, and partners with 95 of the top 100 global advertisers.

What your typical day will look like:

• Strategic Leadership & Direction: Lead the development of strategic outputs across multiple brands, including brand strategies, creative briefs, research reports, strategic POVs, selling narratives, and go-to-market plans, ensuring alignment with client objectives and business priorities.
• Creative & Strategic Excellence: Act as a strategic partner to creative and brand teams, leveraging consumer insights, data, and cultural intelligence to inspire creative thinking, challenge conventional approaches, and identify opportunities for brand growth and innovation.
• Team Leadership & Development: Lead, mentor, and develop junior strategists, providing strategic direction, guidance, and constructive feedback while building their capabilities and encouraging independent thinking.
• Client & Stakeholder Partnership: Build and strengthen relationships with senior and mid-level marketing clients, establishing credibility as a trusted strategic advisor. Proactively identify opportunities to add value, address business challenges, and strengthen client partnerships.
• Cross-functional Collaboration & Business Impact: Work closely with multidisciplinary teams across strategy, creative, media, and other agency functions to deliver integrated solutions, elevate the quality of strategic work, and contribute to new business opportunities and overall agency growth.

A bit about you:

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Advertising, Business, or a related field.
• Significant experience in brand strategy, strategic planning, advertising, consumer insights, or a related discipline, with demonstrated experience handling multiple brands and strategic projects.
• Strong expertise in consumer insights, data interpretation, brand positioning, cultural trends, and translating complex information into compelling strategic recommendations and creative briefs.
• Proven leadership and people development capabilities, with experience mentoring, coaching, or managing junior team members.
• Excellent client management, presentation, storytelling, and communication skills, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders, lead strategic discussions, and drive collaborative solutions.

What’s in it for you:

• Hybrid work arrangement.
• The opportunity to give back with dedicated volunteer leave and our whole-company event, One Day for Change.
• Career Development and Learning & Development opportunities, including access to our global online dentsu University.
• Be part of a global network that truly invests in recognising performance with via our Never Before Awards, and social impact, including having a clearly mapped path to becoming net zero.
• Become a champion for meaningful progress: Our diverse and inclusive culture enables our employees to bring their whole selves to work and be proud of doing so.

If you want to belong to a one global network where opportunities are limitless – we look forward to welcoming you.

Location: Makati City

Brand: Dentsu Creative

Time Type: Full time

Contract Type: Permanent

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