Director of Corporate Strategy & Operations

Merkle, dentsu’s global business and technology consultancy, is seeking a Director of Corporate Strategy & Operations based in London. This role is key to enabling and accelerating Merkle’s global strategy, engaging in a broad array of business advancement, go-to-market, corporate analysis and strategic planning, and data analysis and research activities.

Reporting to Merkle’s US-based Global Chief Strategy Officer as a chief of staff and working closely with Merkle and Dentsu teams throughout Western Europe and in global roles, you will operate at the intersection of traditional corporate strategy and global enablement.

This role requires a systems thinker who can balance structured problem solving and analytical rigour with strong written and verbal communication and change management skills.

• Strategic Operations & Planning
  • Support strategic planning cycles with data-driven insights and recommendations.
  • Provide a bridge between global strategy and market-level execution throughout Europe.
  • Conduct internal functional analysis, including analyzing systems data, meeting with internal teams, and synthesizing results.
  • Conduct external analysis, including competitor tracking and market trends analysis.
  • Perform assessments and inform executive decision-making on a wide array of topics, including special projects and short-burst initiatives.
• Chief of Staff Functions
  • Provide support to the Global Chief Strategy Officer, managing priorities, stakeholder communications, and key initiatives.
  • Translate executive strategy into operational plans with clear accountability and timelines.
  • Project and portfolio manage a series of ongoing special projects and initiatives requiring senior-level alignment and decision-making.
  • Assist the Global CEO Chief of Staff with preparing executive briefings, including board-level materials and large forum global meetings.
• Solutions & Go-to-Market Enablement
  • Provide a voice and representative for Merkle’s global Go-to-Market (GTM) in Western Europe.
  • Support management of internal libraries of knowledge and asset repositories supporting 10,000+ global employees.
  • Support case study development workflow, facilitating coordination across the marketing organization and global teams.
  • Ensure consistency in GTM and solution articulation and delivery across markets.
• Marketing Engagement & Support Analyst Relations
  • Support development of global analyst responses annually and Merkle’s engagement with global analysts.
  • Collaborate with marketing teams to translate insights into thought leadership content.
  • Support marketing or event activations annually in Western Europe, ensuring strategic alignment and message consistency.

• 6-8 years of progressive experience in corporate strategy, business operations, management consulting, or related fields.
• Proven experience in business analysis, business planning, and project management within matrixed, global organizations.
• Demonstrated expertise performing structured and unstructured analyses and presenting and communicating to executive audiences.
• Demonstrated expertise in visual communication, presentation tools, and narrative development.
• Direct or indirect knowledge of professional services businesses preferred but not required.
• MBA or degree in business administration preferred but not required.
• Familiarity with Salesforce, SharePoint, PowerBI, or other enterprise platforms preferred but not required.
• Travel may be required up to 20% in this role, largely in the UK and Western Europe.

• Strong strategic thinking abilities with capacity to balance high-level vision and detailed execution.
• Analytical skills with experience in business intelligence, market analysis, competitive analysis, and defining and tracking performance metrics.
• Ability to synthesize complex information from multiple sources into clear, actionable insights.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex workstreams simultaneously while maintaining quality standards.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with ability to adapt messaging for different audiences.
• Strong presentation skills and experience engaging with EVP and C-suite executives.

This is a permanent role. This is a hybrid working role with the expectation that you will be in 2 times a week. As well as a competitive salary, you’ll enjoy a benefits package that you can tailor to your needs.

At Dentsu, we embrace diversity and inclusion, valuing the unique perspectives and contributions of every individual. We believe that diversity fuels creativity and innovation, benefiting our employees, partners, and communities.

We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected characteristic.

We recognise the importance of work-life balance and are open to discussing flexible working arrangements for all roles.