Head of Strategy

2023 was an exciting one for us. Significant new business wins, coupled with strong organic growth, have provided a springboard for our continued expansion plans. We’ve strengthened our teams, broadened our offer, and we're just getting started.

All of which make it, we believe, a phenomenal time to join the team.  

Right now, we're recruiting for a Head of Strategy to lead our strategy team and shape our strategic approach as we evolve.

As you'd no doubt hope, we've fully embraced hybrid working, with the additional flexibility of core hours to enable you to balance life and work.

Who we are

McCann Leeds is part of Europe’s largest integrated agency, McCann Central, with offices in Birmingham, London, Milton Keynes, Bristol & Leeds. And as part of McCann Worldgroup, a global agency network that delivers culture-shaping work for some of the world’s biggest brands, we’re always pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

Our team of passionate creatives, strategists, and marketers is made up of a broad range of backgrounds and cultures, and all share a common goal - to create exceptional work that we care deeply about.

With a wide range of skill sets and deep process knowledge, we are constantly learning and pushing boundaries, working collectively, and embodying our philosophy of 'brilliant individually, unbeatable as one'. So, if you're looking for a challenging and rewarding leadership role in a globally recognised integrated agency, we think this is one you should sit up and take note of.

We’ve grown rapidly since launching in 2019, with a vision to build the agency sustainably, smartly, and in a direction we can all be proud of.

On top of this ambition, over the past 12-months we’ve invested in developing dedicated social and media teams to ensure clients can benefit from a truly integrated offering.

What you’ll be doing

The Head of Strategy is a crucial role, sitting on the management team and taking full responsibility for leading the Strategy team to develop the future role of planning in the agency, driving agency growth through organic and new business development and developing new strategic offerings and innovations to productise and market to clients and other agency divisions.

You have ultimate responsibility for the strategic output of the agency. You will lead the strategy on key clients and new business pitches, guiding the development of client’s businesses with an in-depth understanding of their market, competitors and customers. You will drive the client’s business through the development of strategic insights and consumer behavioural truths. You will be involved in developing and delivering the communication, engagement and brand strategies that motivate customers and demonstrably drive client business growth. You act as a conduit with Brand, Creative, PR, Social and Media teams to deliver client projects and outcomes.

You are the “face” of strategy for and will enjoy seeking out opportunities to represent the Agency at events, seminars and presentations. You will also work closely with McCann Central’s Chief Strategy Officer and the wider strategy leadership community to grow the planning and research discipline overall.

Most importantly, we ask you to take responsibility for your and your team’s learning and career development by participating in learning events, undertaking self-learning and positively contributing to your performance management requirements. You will be expected to lead, motivate, recruit, induct, develop, retain and appraise a small, but brilliant team who delivers strategic excellence and client satisfaction.

Benefits

In addition to a competitive salary, we are committed to creating a brilliant environment for all our people. This includes benefits such as 28 days holiday, plus 3 additional collective shutdown days, enhanced pension contributions, private health, life assurance and much more.

A culture of learning and development is also central to our ethos, so you’ll have access to industry-leading training and development programmes, plus you’ll get to work closely with the world’s biggest media partners to access exclusive features and products.

Most importantly, you’ll be part of a fun and collaborative team and you’ll work in an environment where you are supported and developed.

Our commitment to equal opportunities

For us, diversity is a business imperative - one that must be embedded into every aspect of how we operate in order to drive success. Simply put, we believe an encouraging and inclusive environment makes sound business sense.

As a globally integrated community that influences and shapes culture, it’s vital that the talent mix in our agencies encompasses all dimensions of diversity, and that we demand the same of the people we work with.

Conscious inclusion encompasses social, cultural and cognitive differences and cultivates an ethos of belonging, connection and shared purpose. It is the integration of this philosophy that allows us to create meaningful experiences for our employees, drive better business practices with our vendors and clients, and ultimately lead with purpose.

McCann is a disability confident committed employer and will guarantee an interview to any disabled candidate who meets the minimum criteria for this role, so please do let us know when you apply if you are eligible, along with any adjustments you may need to the recruitment process to enable you to perform at your best.