Strategy & Innovation Director in London

About the Role: Senior strategist with a passion for innovation, joining a vibrant strategic community, responsible for delivering thought leadership, best practice and campaign strategies delivered via the PHD Network. The role is split across VW Brand and Porsche – with a focus on Innovation for VW Brand and on Strategy for Porsche. There is a split reporting line. For Porsche your role will be to lead and drive the development and implementation of global communication, media and innovation strategies. You will also develop best practice guidelines for media effectiveness, creating a data-led approach to brand building and performance driving. You will be supported by an Associate Strategy Director and Planning Manager, growing them in their roles. You will report to the Global Business Lead. For VW Brand you will drive the innovation agenda, shaping and delivering ideas that connect strategy to real-world impact and ensure our outputs are filled with original thinking and media imagination. You will work closely with a senior strategic team. You will report to the Global Strategy Lead. In both roles you will nurture high-impact client relationships, provide ongoing thought leadership and ensure strategic consistency and innovation across all deliverables. You will advise and steer local markets in strategic planning and innovation, supported by the Global Business and Strategy leads and specialist area experts. You will work in an integrated team with Omnicom counterparts in creative (Omnicom), performance (OPMG/RAPP) and others to create 360 consumer journeys and inventive campaign ecosystems. You join a team of experienced strategists who must be able to deliver “top-to-bottom” strategies that connect to asset development and campaign activation in market.

About You: We’re looking for a highly experienced agency strategist and innovation director that also has expertise and/or experience working in integrated or x-agency teams with creative and other specialisms. An independent self-starter you will be able to quickly establish credible relationships with senior clients and creative agency counterparts to effectively position PHD (and Omnicom) as a valued strategic partner. As Strategy & Innovation Director, you will be responsible for delivering consistent excellence in brand strategy and innovation across all touchpoints and markets. You will shape paid, owned, and earned consumer journeys, defining channels, audiences, and message themes at a global level, while leading the innovation agenda to surface new opportunities and ensure ideas are distinctive, actionable, and designed for cross-channel effectiveness. Your remit will include collaborating with media and technology partners and working with market research, audience data and cultural trends to unlock exclusive formats and pilot innovation opportunities, as well as developing campaign toolkits and creative guidelines that scale across markets and channels. You will present thinking with clarity and conviction, winning trust and securing approval for ideas that stretch what’s possible, and contribute to award-winning work that helps the agency and clients gain recognition for bold, original thinking. You will be expected to connect into the wider innovation and strategic planning community, sharing inspiration and scaling successful approaches. You will lead, mentor and manage the Associate Strategy Director for Porsche.

Extensive experience in strategic planning roles and innovation leadership. Proven track record of leading strategy development on large, complex accounts and turning strategic thinking into tangible, executable experiences. Deep knowledge of communication strategy and a clear understanding of evidence-based media planning and how this impacts on media guidelines/principles. Ability to craft communications plans that combine imagination with implementation – ensuring ideas are distinctive, doable and designed for cross-channel effectiveness. An understanding of all marketing communication channels (including digital, data and content). Fluency in digital, platform-led and experiential opportunities that can drive innovation. A strong team leader who is able to deal confidently with clients and creative agency counterparts. A collaborative team player who can work with specialists and media partners, clients, creative agencies and the PHD VW Group team on the other brands to help further develop our product and delivery. A clear and confident communicator, able to present confidently and defend thinking with clarity. Automotive experience would be an advantage – more important is that you have worked with progressive and innovative brands. International experience would be an advantage but not a prerequisite.

About the Agency: PHD is a growth-focused media agency driven by innovation and creativity. Founded in London in 1990, we were the first media agency to offer strategic and creative planning at a time when the industry was about buying cheaply and quickly. Our founders saw a bright future where smart thinking and clever planning could help brands grow faster than their competitors. Over the many years that have followed, we have continued to build on this defining ethic — with our evolution shaped by a continual investment in thought leadership. And we continue to ensure that our capability and approach evolve in line with changes in media, data, technology, commerce, society, and legislation. Today, with over 100 offices in 74 countries, we continue to create remarkable campaigns that lead to remarkable growth – using the extending canvas of data and technology.

Flexible Working: At Omnicom Media Group, we are committed to supporting flexibility for our people while fostering collaboration, innovation, and teamwork. We have a hybrid working model (three days in the office, two working remotely), to ensure that we meet the needs of both our people and our business, balancing the benefits of in-person connections with the flexibility of remote working. Our standard working hours are 9:30 – 17:30, but we offer the ability to flex around core hours of 10:30 – 16:30 to give our people flexibility on how they manage their working day, whether that’s in the office or working remotely. For example, you could start work at 8:30 and finish at 16:30 or start at 10:30 and finish at 18:30. We encourage open conversations between our people and managers to help navigate high-need periods and individual circumstances. Our goal is to create an environment where people feel genuinely supported to do their best - both in their careers and in their lives outside of work.

Be Your Best: We want everyone to make the most of the opportunity to shine and showcase your talents and we are happy to make adjustments in the recruitment process so you can be your best. Please discuss any specific requirements with your dedicated Talent Team member or if you would feel more comfortable, you can email us confidentially at beyourbest@omnicommediagroup.com to let us know how we can support you.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at OMG: At OMG, our vision is to be an agency where difference is valued and everyone is able to thrive in a culture of equality, inclusion and belonging. We are committed to providing a truly inclusive environment that reflects today’s society, where everyone is able to bring their true selves to work, and where diverse voices and backgrounds are valued, heard, and well-represented.