Head of Strategy or Strategy Director is a senior leader and key member of the Ogilvy Johannesburg management team, comprising the MD, CCO, HR Partner, and FD. As the leader of Ogilvy Johannesburg Strategy department, an ideal candidate will spearhead the evolution of strategic processes and offerings to help clients' brands better connect and realize business, brand, as well as social impact.
Build and mentor the strategy team towards best-in-class capability, that is the envy of the industry. As part of the senior leadership team, actively contribute to agency culture and help lead the agency's overall go-to-market strategy. A culturally astute, technologically curious, and insights-driven leader will lead a culture of impact through the line communications. Nurturing a strategic community, creating strong inspiration and support with the creative community, and fostering a culture of effectiveness is essential. A maverick thinker who can encourage pivotal thinking among teams while being playful and embracing diverse groups of people is desired.
Client Summary:
- Financial institutions.
- Consumer Packaged Goods.
- Telecommunications.
- Government Entities.
- Retail (Brand and Retail).
Here’s what you’ll bring to the table:
For this role, we are looking for a director with 5-10 years of experience in agency leadership, brand strategy leadership, and digital strategy leadership. Key competencies to be considered include team leadership, POV and Thought Leadership, and a commitment to effectiveness. A background in research, statistics, social and behavioral sciences, or another related content area, preferably in the advertising industry or similar industries, would be an added advantage.
- Effective and persuasive leadership comfortable with all levels of interaction across the business.
- Proven management skills and ability to manage day-to-day operations.
- Strong written and oral communication skills.
- Strategy team leadership towards development and realizing of goals; and prowess in championing the role of strategy in the business.
- Respectable operational comprehension of data and qualitative research.
- Proven client management skills and experience in client relationship building.
- Solid working expertise of the market overall and provide a broad perspective on the critical issues facing a brand.
- Strong partnership with the creative leadership and teams to drive the necessary impact and champion creative excellence.
- Knowledge of and acceptance of responsibility for creative briefs, creative ideas, and execution on the brand.
Here’s what you’ll be doing to lead Agency and Client growth:
Key Tasks and Responsibilities:
The list of tasks or duties and responsibilities is not exhaustive; candidates may be expected to carry out additional duties or responsibilities, which fall reasonably within the ambit of the job description, or in accordance with operational requirements.
- Lead brand teams in integrated strategy:
- Lead self and others to uncover unique customer insights and identify key compelling strategic opportunities based on these insights.
- Persevere in nurturing and championing the big creative idea.
- Lead brainstorm sessions that result in areas of opportunity for the brand, concept development for new products, holistic marketing ideas, and innovative ways to reach the target market.
- Design and manage research projects - analyze qualitative and quantitative research results for agency and client needs, such as copy test results, MRI data, segmentation studies, and consumer communications checks.
- Utilize proprietary and secondary research to identify and assess target characteristics and needs, the strength of competition, and identify cultural attitudes and behaviors toward brands.
- Use quantitative and qualitative data to unearth consumer insights and drive client decisions.
- Optimize the impact of customer insights in program development by inspiring and partnering with creatives.
- Lead Integrated Strategy Team(s):
- Oversee and actively develop, train, and mentor direct reports to continually improve output.
- Work with Client Services and Creatives to ensure all accounts are staffed appropriately to meet client and project needs.
- Manage the strategy talent scoping that is needed for each brand team according to overall scope.
- Evolve the agency’s strategic planning process to continually improve insight gathering, brand positioning, and creative concepting.
- Create demand for Integrated Strategy contributions by demonstrating its impact on the brand and team.
- Actively grow the department through increased hours, and subsequent recruiting of Integrated Strategy staff.
- Participate in the agency’s Senior Leadership Team(s):
- Play an active role in defining and clarifying agency short- and long-term Go-to-Market strategy and suite of offerings.
- Play an active role in shaping and maintaining agency culture.
- Maintain relationships with staff across departments to represent their perspective in senior leadership decision-making.
- Ideate new offerings for the agency and spearhead their implementation.
- Actively network to open new doors of opportunities for agency growth.
- Network within existing clients to gain introductions to other brands and marketers.
- Lead strategy for most new business pitches.
You’ll also be required to advance the following:
- Maximizing long-term strategic growth through the execution of growth initiatives and integration excellence.
- Work collaboratively with Senior Leadership to identify and action on key growth strategies with a particular focus on growth through external partnerships.
- Support, partner, assess, and lead integration management.
Knowledge Areas:
- Proficiency in navigating complex data systems.
- Practical understanding of performance measurement, reporting, and performance data collection and reporting.
- Demonstrated quantitative analytical skills with the ability to derive important implications from data.
Additional skills:
- Advanced ability to build forward-thinking partnerships.
- Advanced leadership skills, particularly in complex and cross-functional teams.
- Advanced communication skills, catered to a wide variety of audiences, mastery in English and local language.
- Excellent business acumen and financial skills.
- Ability to manage complex processes concurrently.
- Advanced consulting, influencing, and negotiation skills.
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