Director, Strategy

EssenceMediacom is a new breed of media agency. Grounded in analytics & insights and powered by data & technology, we believe in the power of media and creative to drive breakthroughs for the world’s best brands. We help clients understand the modern marketing paradox and discover the breakthroughs brands need to win with their consumers. We are designed for the new communications economy — built on data & technology, built for people & algorithms, built around diverse schools of thought, built to test & learn at scale, and, crucially, built to evolve.

Role Summary & Impact

The Strategy Director will play a critical role in establishing MediaCom as our Client’s strategic marketing partner. You will accomplish this by elevating and inspiring the quality of our strategic output and helping the Client to deliver deeper consumer/customer connections. You will ensure value creation to communications/media plans and drive business results and growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Work in partnership with all senior MediaCom leads on the Client business to develop communications solutions that deliver Client business goals
• Responsible for the strategic foundation for all Client plans. Understand and execute strategic contributions throughout the MediaCom process from insights to strategy, strategy briefing to planning, plans to activations, activations to measurement, measurement to performance assessments, and assessments to action plans
• Mine insights to develop target definition, consumer journey, brand purpose work
• Build on the Consumer Journey to craft strategically sound content strategies and related measurement plans
• Establish solid, credible relationships with key Client and MediaCom stakeholders
• Using personal experience as well as global best practices, cases and learning, define a strategic standard for success/excellence for Client business. Align with Client lead to develop a learning plan to cascade and train all key Client-side functional leaders, team directors, and staff
• Lead Integrated Agency Team (IAT) initiatives, curate inspiring think shops with cross function brand marketing team
• Fluency and agility to quickly develop communications strategies that provide clear and actionable objectives and channel roles/deliverables
• Lead, manage, and inspire strategy staff
• Monitor and ensure the integration of strategy throughout the delivery process; demonstrate the ability to take action (or engage with others to do so) to modify/course-correct as needed to ensure the integrity of the plan and deliverables
  
  

Your People Skills

• Ability, desire, and proven ability to lead teams. Willingness to work with and teach others -- within the strategy group and beyond, across all client accounts he/she touches
• Lead by example in developing, motivating, mentoring, and coaching team members
• Mentor and ensure all direct reports master the skills and organizational savvy required for advancement
• Ability to work in a team environment that promotes collaboration
• Adept at communicating effectively across all levels
• Able to establish and maintain strong, effective relationships interdepartmentally
• Target top talent; help to recruit and select staff
  
  

Your Knowledge & Abilities

• Proven track record of business/marketing expertise and inspiring teams to develop actionable plans that drive results
• A natural storyteller—a highly articulate and persuasive writer and speaker
• Ability to simplify/synthesize complex data from a variety of sources and then communicate solutions in a simple, fresh perspective that clearly outlines the roles and deliverables of channels
• Fully versed on the strategic roles of interactive/digital as well as familiar with predicted evolutions
• Skilled familiarity with various research techniques and sources (qualitative consumer research, various forms of quantitative research methodologies)
• The ability to work quickly and well under pressure, often multitasking on a variety of projects
• A self-starter; works closely with manager but proactively looks for solutions
• Ability to challenge conventional thinking in a constructive way
• Natural facilitator; helps integrated agency teams cross-pollinate shared solutions
• Ability to craft insightful, inspiring briefs
• Maturity, confidence and perspective to manage quick/unexpected transitions or conflicts to successful resolution
  
  

Requirements

• 8+ years previous senior level marketing experience; at least 5+ solid experience working in a strategic capacity with heavy channel/media integration and interaction
• Previous work experience in strategic role in marketing/communication fields to ensure a more holistic application of strategy (e.g. not just in media planning)
• Solid knowledge and experience in applying strategy to channel marketing
• Prior experience in advertising, digital and/or direct marketing desired
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  
  

Life at GroupM

Our passion for shaping the next era of media includes investing in our employees to help them do their best work, and we’re just as committed to employee growth as we are to responsible media investment. GroupM employees can tap into the global GroupM & WPP networks to pursue their passions, grow their networks, and learn at the cutting edge of marketing and advertising. We have a variety of employee resource groups and host frequent in-office events showcasing team wins, sharing thought leadership, and celebrating holidays and milestone events. Our benefits include competitive medical, vision, and dental insurance, significant paid time off, preferential partner discounts, and employee mental health awareness days.    

 

GroupM is WPP’s media investment group and the world’s leading media investment company with a mission to shape the next era of media where advertising works better for people. The company is responsible for more than $60 billion in annual media investment, as measured by the independent research bureau COMvergence. Through its global agencies Mindshare, Wavemaker, EssenceMediacom, and mSix&Partners, and cross-channel performance (GroupM Nexus), data (Choreograph), entertainment (GroupM Motion Entertainment) and investment solutions, GroupM leverages a unique combination of global scale, expertise, and innovation to generate sustained value for clients wherever they do business. Discover more at www.groupm.com.

GroupM provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard for factors such as race, religion, national origin, colour, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, protected veteran status, disability, or other protected status.

GroupM is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to, among others, individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans. If you need an accommodation because of a disability to search and apply for a career opportunity with GroupM, please send an e-mail to carmen.serrano@groupm.com or call (212) 297-8507 and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.

The base salary for this position at the time of this posting may range from $100,000 to $230,000. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including business needs, experience, level of responsibility and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package, please visit https://www.wpp.com/people/wellbeing/benefits-at-wpp-in-the-us for more details.

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