Strategy Lead

As a Growth Partner, you will be a strategic powerhouse, blending deep analytical expertise with visionary leadership. You will lead the charge in defining strategic direction, developing innovative, data-driven plans that significantly boost client ROI and accelerate agency growth. Your core mission will be to uncover hidden truths within complex data, translating them into boardroom-ready insights and compelling narratives that reshape how brands think about their business and drive new opportunities. You will serve as a senior expert, overseeing strategic initiatives across various teams and integrating cutting-edge technology and consumer data into our approach.

Responsibilities

Define and articulate the strategic vision for key clients and the agency, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, innovative, and creative media and business solutions; Lead the analytical development on multi-market pitches, sourcing and synthesizing data from a diverse range of conventional and unconventional sources; Drive the strategic 'red thread' that anchors pitch narratives, connecting disparate data points into compelling stories; Challenge pitch teams with provocative insights and intelligent assumptions, clearly articulating reasoning and confidence levels when complete data is unavailable; Lead new business pitches, acting as a senior strategic advisor to key clients to foster retention, expansion, and long-term partnerships; Craft narratives that transform complex analyses into clear, actionable insights; Support the wider marketing team and planning with thought leadership rooted in data-driven insights; Pioneer creative approaches to combining disparate data sources, from consumer behavior and cultural trends to macroeconomic indicators; Utilize analytics and consumer data to identify market trends, emerging opportunities, and competitive advantages; Build robust analytical frameworks that can be replicated across pitches; Partner closely with Choreograph and internal data teams to access and leverage WPP's full data ecosystem, including WPP Open capabilities; Identify gaps in data partnerships and proactively source new data streams; Develop methodologies for rapid insight generation; Drive the adoption and integration of WPP tools, non-WPP new media tools, and cutting-edge technologies (including AI) and best practices; Create scalable frameworks for insight development across the growth community; Maintain a dynamic repository of timeless insights, analytical approaches, and data sources for pitch teams; Anticipate future client needs by analyzing market trends and emerging data sources; Brief and guide planning teams on analytical approaches and insight development; Partner with agency brand strategic leadership to ensure insights effectively inform creative and media strategies; Work closely with product teams to understand platform capabilities; Build productive relationships across WPP operating companies to access diverse data and insights, fostering a collaborative ecosystem

Requirements

A minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience is required in strategic planning within a media, digital, or growth-focused agency environment, with a proven track record as a seasoned analyst and strategist; Exceptional proficiency in analyzing audience data, performance analytics, market research, and complex quantitative and qualitative data to derive actionable insights and uncover hidden truths; Demonstrated ability to define strategic direction, challenge conventional thinking, anticipate future client needs, and translate complex data into clear, actionable C-suite insights; Exceptional storytelling, presentation, and negotiation skills, capable of crafting compelling narratives and selling sophisticated strategies to C-suite clients and internal stakeholders; Proven ability to lead, mentor, and inspire teams, work effectively with senior stakeholders, and foster cross-functional collaboration across diverse internal and external groups; Familiarity with industry media tools (e.g. Nielsen), new media tools, AI applications, and various data ecosystems relevant to media and marketing

Benefits

Access to global WPP Media & WPP networks; Employee resource groups; Frequent in-office events; Comprehensive training for WPP proprietary internal network tools; Hybrid work approach