Strategist

(Strategy & Planning team)

Overview of role

EssenceMediacom North is looking for a brilliant communications strategist to join our strategy team.

The role is a strategic planning position that supports the development and delivery of best-in-class communications planning for EssenceMediacom clients.  You will work across a range of clients and sectors depending on your experience and skillset but will most likely include three or four of the agency’s highest profile accounts.

You will help our clients answer bigger, long-term questions in the marketing planning cycle, keeping them up to date with the latest thinking, helping them understand consumer behaviour, and inspiring them with Breakthrough Thinking – our planning philosophy.

This is a great opportunity for a digitally astute candidate to accelerate their strategic learning and development supporting a diverse range of direct-to-consumer brands with big appetites for growth.

Reporting of the role

This role reports to the Strategy Partner Board Director.

3 best things about the job

1) Lots of opportunity - the strategy team sit right at the heart of EssenceMediacom – we’re probably the only team that are connected to everyone – from insights to business analytics, to creative futures and media solutions teams. We’re also relied on by senior management for our point of view, so you’ll gain high level collaboration and a platform to make your mark.

2) Lots of variety – this is a huge learning opportunity across a range of both blue-chip and challenger brand clients in different industry sectors across a multitude of communications disciplines. Your role is to challenge and inspire the planning teams and the agency, not just lead upfront strategy, it spans Strategic Excellence, Thought Leadership, Consultancy, Award Writing. We get involved in lots of different types of projects; helping to develop award winning work, running pitches, hosting agency demo days, facilitating workshops internally and externally and leading collaboration with creative partners and media owners.

3) Lots of autonomy – being problem solvers we work across diverse and wide range of briefs that can take you in surprising directions.  It means you get to shape and direct your output but always with opportunity to collaborate with others.

Measures of success

In three months, you would have:

• A solid understanding of your clients’ business has assessed the landscape and begin to map the growth opportunities for your clients.
• Established working relationships with senior client stakeholders and senior EM management.
• Integrated into planning teams with a clear way of working helping to embed Breakthrough Planning.

In six months, you would have:

• Gain positive feedback from client stakeholders and planning teams internally.
• Added to and /or developed strategic training for planning department.
• Written thought leadership piece, in line with Breakthrough Thinking agency vision.
• Created roadmap of Breakthrough opportunities to make an impact on your clients and the agency. 

In 12 months, you would have:

• Have led the strategic direction for a significant piece of retention or prospecting new business pitch.
• One piece of client work worthy of entering to awards.
• Demonstrated impact on client business that has led to greater effectiveness, innovation, or amazing ideas.

Responsibilities of the role

• Around 70% of your time will be spent working with clients.  The rest will be flexible, depending on your own skills and passions, but would include a mix of new business pitches, continuing to the agency’s planning proposition, workshop facilitation, mentoring junior planners and client projects in areas that you have expertise in or are keen to develop.
• Work in a consultative style being drafted in sometimes ad hoc to support client moments of change and working proactively to progress longer-term projects for clients.
• Help EssenceMediacom consistently deliver the most innovative, creative, and effective work in the industry, including the writing of award submissions.
• Bring a fresh perspective to any problem – always challenging yourself and those around you to connect thoughts & ideas in new ways, and in doing so help the rest of the planning team deliver brilliant, forward-thinking work on every brief.
• Help clients answer bigger, long-term questions, keeping them up to date with the latest thinking, helping them understand consumer behaviour, and inspiring them with the new.
• We work exceptionally closely with their other agencies, and you will also have a lead role in driving strategic integration with these partners, and in running workshops and brainstorms to develop creative ideas.

What you will need

• You will have solid strategic and problem-solving capabilities. This means you may well work in a strategy role at another media agency; however, we are just as interested in brilliant, experienced media / comms planners who are looking for a move into a more strategic role.

• You’ll be passionate about making great work happen and be excited about the opportunities data must drive both effectiveness and creativity on plans. You will have the ability to fuse creative and analytical thinking, simplifying the complex to give clarity of thought.

• We’re looking for passion, enthusiasm, and a desire not just to develop great strategic thinking but always challenging yourself and those around you to connect thoughts & ideas in the pursuit of delivering constant improvement and innovation for clients and in doing so help the rest of the planning team deliver brilliant, forward-thinking work on every brief.

About EssenceMediacom

We are a global communications agency leading with breakthrough thinking, building explosive growth for brands, and helping our clients see the bigger picture. Our daring global network of 10,000 influencers help our clients breach traditional boundaries in media, uncover novel ideas, and unleash exponential growth. EssenceMediacom challenges conventional thinking to build, propel, and supercharge our clients’ businesses at scale and lead our industry in critical areas such as diversity, equity, inclusion, and sustainability.  

EssenceMediacom understands that our people are tasked with big goals: building breakthrough growth for brands and leading with breakthrough thinking in our industry. Our people are at the heart of this work because their ideas will enable us to decode the intersections of people, content, and technology to bring our aspirations to life. Our success is down to our eclectic, diverse, and talented people. EssenceMediacom is a place for us to grow our careers and expand our horizons. EssenceMediacom is committed to building an agency culture that supports our people, puts diversity at the forefront of our operations, and creates opportunity for all. This collective culture will be our “new power” where ideas are freely exchanged, and collaboration is actively encouraged in a place where you can innovate in our hyperconnected world.  

*Although we cannot make guarantees, we welcome conversations about flexible working for all roles at EssenceMediacom*