Director, Integrated Strategy - Temporary Worker

Dentsu Aegis Network Ltd.; Massachusetts; Hybrid; USD 154,000 - 206,000; Full time

Job summary

Dentsu Creative is seeking a TEMPORARY DIRECTOR, INTEGRATED STRATEGY to lead fluently in both Brand and Connected Strategy across social and influencer channels. You will translate direction into big ideas and briefs, collaborating with creative and media to ensure coherence and impact.

This role reports to the EVP, Integrated Strategy and emphasizes mentorship, stakeholder leadership, and cross-disciplinary alignment.

Qualifications

• Experience: 6-10 years strategy experience with demonstrated fluency in BOTH creative strategy AND media strategy.
• Proven ability to develop and communicate breakthrough strategic thinking, not just execute briefs.
• Track record working on consumer or B2C brands in complex strategic environments.
• Experience working across creative and media functions.
• Comfort engaging with senior stakeholders in strategic conversations.
• Experience with social media platforms and/or influencer partnerships a plus.
• Intellectual Foundation: Understanding of how ideas propagate and land in culture—not just single-moment performance.
• Ability to hold multiple perspectives, audiences, and signals in mind simultaneously.
• Comfort moving between strategic thinking and tactical execution, between 30,000 feet and the work itself.
• Understanding of signal stacking—how audience signals cluster to create moments of greatest impact.
• Genuine curiosity about how creative and media thinking complement and inform each other.
• Evidence that you learn from people and disciplines different from your own
• Collaborative spirit; you get smarter working with others
• Ability to mentor and develop other strategists

Responsibilities

• Translate strategic direction into powerful Catalyzing Ideas and briefs grounded in creative insight and contextual possibility.
• Build the strategic rationale—not just what we're doing, but why it matters and how it moves the business.
• Develop brand worlds that breathe life into ideas—articulating character, conviction, and edges with specificity.
• Help creative teams uncover the strategic insight that should drive their work.
• Help media teams see how that idea scales.
• Understand how ideas need to live in social and influencer contexts.
• Identify WHERE ideas reach the right audiences and HOW they show up in context across paid, owned, social, and influencer contexts.
• Research and surface audience signals that inform where and when strategy becomes relevant and urgent.
• Understand signal stacking—how multiple signals cluster to create moments of greatest impact.
• Help teams understand how their work feeds the whole and why that connection matters.
• Brief brand partners and internal stakeholders on strategy with clarity and confidence
• Be a reliable strategic voice partners turn to when asking 'how should this idea work?'
• Engage with senior team to gather input and ensure alignment with enterprise priorities
• Mentor junior strategists, helping them understand systems thinking
• Support measurement that tracks whether the system is working

Skills

Fluent creative strategy

Fluent media strategy

Cross-functional leadership

Mentor junior strategists

Stakeholder communication

Systems thinking

Strategic storytelling

Job description

Job Description: Temporary Role ASAP – 12/31/2026 Semi-Monthly, Exempt – W2 on Dentsu Payroll Only Location: Remote or Hybrid depending on location. EST Time Zone Must be US Based

About Dentsu Creative: Dentsu Creative is a global creative agency network designed to unlock exponential growth for clients. We use Transformative Creativity as a differentiating, driving force to bring our capabilities together to positively impact people, business and society. Established in June 2022, Dentsu Creative is integrated with Dentsu's Media and CXM businesses in over 145 countries and regions, to offer integrated Growth Solutions.

Overview:

TEMPORARY DIRECTOR, INTEGRATED STRATEGY Reports to: EVP, Integrated Strategy

YOUR MINDSET

You have developed fluency in disciplines most people keep separate. You don't see creative strategy and media strategy as different languages. You see them as different expressions of the same brilliant strategic thinking and that fluency informs everything you do. You believe that the best creative ideas scale, that strategic coherence matters, and that you grow by collaborating with people who think differently than you. You contribute with conviction and follow-through. You help build a culture where people understand how their work fits into something bigger and you are here for more than your role. You understand that ideas and how they reach people are equally important—not one secondary to the other.

ROLE OVERVIEW

You will develop and execute a range of integrated strategy projects for a specific brand or strategic focus area within a multi-brand consumer healthcare enterprise, translating strategic direction into inspirational insights and briefs that enable great creative and media execution come together. This role demands fluency in two disciplines that most separate: Brand Strategy and Connected Strategy. You work from both perspectives simultaneously. You don't just translate between them, you hold them together with clear strategic thinking that helps them operate as one. You understand how strategy needs to live across earned, owned, and paid channels—including social and influencer partnerships. You turn strategic direction into clear big ideas and briefs grounded in audience insight and media possibility. You work with creative and media teams to help them understand how their work fits together into a coherent whole and inspire both to think bigger and think together. You are the bold strategic voice in the room who helps teams see how their work connects and why that connection matters.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Strategic Development — Ideas & Brief
  • Translate strategic direction into powerful Catalyzing Ideas and briefs grounded in creative insight and contextual possibility
  • Build the strategic rationale—not just what we're doing, but why it matters and how it moves the business
  • Develop brand worlds that breathe life into ideas—articulating character, conviction, and edges with specificity
  • Help creative teams uncover the strategic insight that should drive their work.
  • Help media teams see how that idea scales.
  • Understand how ideas need to live in social and influencer contexts.
• Strategic System Operationalization
  • Identify WHERE ideas reach the right audiences and HOW they show up in context—across paid media, owned channels, social platforms, and influencer partnerships
  • Research and surface audience signals that inform where and when strategy becomes relevant and urgent
  • Understand signal stacking—how multiple signals cluster to create moments of greatest impact
  • Help teams understand how their work feeds the whole and why that connection matters
• Cross-Disciplinary Alignment & Leadership
  • Work with creative, media, social, and influencer partners to ensure strategy translates consistently across all touchpoints
  • Help creative teams understand media strategy and what's possible at scale.
  • Help media teams understand creative strategy and what ideas demand.
  • Bridge social and influencer thinking into the broader strategic conversation.
  • Bridge creative and media conversations so both disciplines understand they're working from the same foundation
  • Think in both languages simultaneously—you are fluent in creative strategy AND media strategy, weaving them together
• Stakeholder Communication & Relationship Building
  • Brief brand partners and internal stakeholders on strategy with clarity and confidence
  • Be a reliable strategic voice partners turn to when asking "how should this idea work?" or "how does this fit what we're doing?"
  • Engage with senior team to gather input and ensure alignment with enterprise priorities
• Team Contribution & Development
  • Support team leadership by modeling integrated thinking
  • Mentor junior strategists, helping them understand systems thinking, not just tactical execution
  • Ask good questions that help teams think beyond their discipline
  • Contribute to creating psychological safety where people challenge siloed thinking
• Measurement & Learning
  • Help monitor how strategy translates in market and gather feedback for refinement
  • Support measurement that tracks whether the system is working, using data as feedback not just reporting
  • Contribute insights on how ideas are propagating and whether signals are clustering as predicted

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

Your strategic briefs are clear, actionable, and inspiring. You are a student of great work and hungry to do your best work Creative and media partners use your strategy as a real tool, not just a document. They understand how the two disciplines work together Teams understand the coherence in what they're building—how each piece connects to the whole. They think in systems, not just tactics You’ve demonstrated you can develop strategy and help bring it to life in integrated ways Junior strategists learn systems thinking by working with you. You are an inspiring mentor to junior talent Measurement shows ideas propagating and signals clustering as predicted Relationships deepen because you bring perspective that helps partners operate more strategically.

KEY QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience: 6-10 years strategy experience with demonstrated fluency in BOTH creative strategy AND media strategy
• Proven ability to develop and communicate breakthrough strategic thinking, not just execute briefs
• Track record working on consumer or B2C brands in complex strategic environments
• Experience working across creative and media functions
• Comfort engaging with senior stakeholders in strategic conversations
• Experience with social media platforms and/or influencer partnerships a plus
• Intellectual Foundation: Understanding of how ideas propagate and land in culture—not just single-moment performance
• Ability to hold multiple perspectives, audiences, and signals in mind simultaneously
• Comfort moving between strategic thinking and tactical execution, between 30,000 feet and the work itself
• Understanding of signal stacking—how audience signals cluster to create moments of greatest impact
• Genuine curiosity about how creative and media thinking complement and inform each other
• Evidence that you think about systems, not just campaigns
• Evidence that you learn from people and disciplines different from your own
• Communication & Collaboration: Strong communicator who can brief stakeholders with clarity
• Ability to contribute ideas within a broader strategic framework
• Genuine interest in how creative and media thinking complement each other
• Collaborative spirit; you get smarter working with others
• Ability to mentor and develop other strategists

Additional Information

At dentsu, we believe great work happens when we’re connected. Our way of working combines flexibility with in-person collaboration to spark ideas and strengthen our teams. Employees who live within a commutable distance of one of our hub offices, currently located in Chicago, metro Detroit, Los Angeles, and New York City, are required and expected to work from the office three days per week (two days per week for employees based in Los Angeles). Dentsu may designate other Hub offices at any time. Those who live outside a commutable range may be designated as remote, depending on the role and business needs. Regardless of your work location, we expect our employees to be flexible to meet the needs of our Company and clients, which may include attendance in an office.

The annual salary range for this position is $154,473-$206,093. Placement within the salary range is based on a variety of factors, including relevant experience, knowledge, skills, and other factors permitted by law. Temporary employees are eligible for paid holidays in accordance with dentsu policy, as well as safe and sick time. This position is not eligible for any other benefits or other compensation.

Location: USA - Remote - Massachusetts Brand: Dentsu Creative Time Type: Full time Contract Type: Temporary

Dentsu is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees. We do this without regard to race, color, national origin, sex , sexual orientation, gender identity, age, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, ancestry, physical or mental disability, marital status, political affiliation, religious practices and observances, citizenship status, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

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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