Job Description Senior Strategist The Role: This exciting role is for a senior strategist in our Johannesburg office. If you have the appetite to make work that works, lead established brands, and build a strategy team in your vision, this is the opportunity you have been waiting for. This is a senior and visible strategy position with exposure to client CMOs as well as working with well-respected industry leaders within the Publicis Groupe across multiple internal business units- from traditional creative, to digital and content strategy within the Publicis Power of One model. Responsibilities · Act as the strategic lead and brand custodian on the specific PO1 brand in partnership with the Managing Partner and Creative lead. · Articulate and interrogate client needs based on the brand and business strategy, as well as ensure ongoing engagement with client around their business needs. · Use research to create original and innovative insights and provide a high-quality interpretation of research findings. · Understand commercial context of brand communication as well as the need to measure and track effectiveness · Understanding of ATL, BTL and digital channel strategy to enable end-to-end solutions for clients · Liaising with strategic counterparts at partner agencies to ensure alignment and understanding of the strategy, as well as ensuring the various disciplines remain on track. · High-level understanding of digital transformation and marketing automation and being able to partner with specialists in this area · Working with and inspiring the team to produce a clear and directional strategy that is founded on commercial and consumer insights · Guide the team beyond the brief through an in-depth understanding of client business needs as well as consumer needs · Writing and collaborating on inspiring creative briefs, from a day-to-day business POV, as well as proactive. · Develop, construct and present compelling strategies to clients · Provide relevant target market insights across various consumer categories, and beyond South Africa into broader Africa. · Provide input into optimising the customer experience and ensuring brand consistency · Constantly monitor campaigns and projects to ensure they adherence to the set strategic direction · Constantly raise the standard of strategic output across all client accounts · Inspire a culture of strategic thinking and innovation throughout the strategy department and the wider agency · Lead and present the outcome of strategic work for new business pitches · Proactively monitor your clients’ brands and industries so that you are able to share with client and the team, positioning the agency as a thought leader and opening organic growth opportunities · Be able to problem-solve and be resourceful to tackle even the most unusual marketing briefs · Be able to exercise strategic principles and structured thinking to tackle business development projects assigned by client and/or non-marketing communication briefs Qualifications / Experience · Marketing/brand/consulting communication experience of 10+ years · Relevant marketing/communications diploma/degree · Hands-on experience with online marketing tools and practices · Strong understanding of media strategy and planning · Experience in developing, managing and presenting solutions within a creative environment · Proven ability to create cross-channel and content strategies · FMCG experience · African Experience Personality · Solution orientated · Curious · Comfortable in a high performance, fast-paced environment · Open and active team player · Great communicator · Trustworthy