Job Description:
Director, Activation Strategy
Location: New York, NY | Chicago, IL | Detroit, MI
Hybrid
Dentsu is seeking a Director, Activation Strategy to lead the development of media activation strategies that enable our proprietary identity, data, and technology solutions to drive measurable business outcomes across today's evolving digital ecosystem.
This role partners closely with media investment, activation, analytics, and technology teams to shape how campaigns are planned, executed, optimized, and measured across channels. You'll leverage your activation expertise while influencing broader strategic decisions that improve performance and maximize client media investments.
What You'll Do
- Develop activation strategies aligned to client business goals by leveraging advanced audience techniques (including 1P, 3P, LAL, propensity modeling, etc.), targeting based on contextual signals, campaign optimization, and measurement feedback.
- Partner with media investment and activation teams across Programmatic, Social, Retail Media, CTV, Search, and emerging channels.
- Create testing, measurement, and optimization frameworks to improve campaign performance.
- Translate insights into actionable recommendations that drive business results.
- Evaluate new platform capabilities, technologies, and activation approaches.
- Serve as a strategic advisor to internal stakeholders and client teams.
What We're Looking For
- 8+ years of experience in media activation, media investment, performance marketing, or digital media strategy.
- Deep expertise in one or more activation channels, including Programmatic, Social, Search, Retail Media, or CTV.
- Experience with leading ad platforms and activation technologies.
- Strong understanding of measurement, attribution, testing, and optimization.
- Experience leveraging audience, CRM, and first-party data to inform activation strategies.
- Ability to connect media performance to business outcomes.
- Strong stakeholder management, communication, and leadership skills.
Why This Role?
This is an opportunity for a strong activation leader to move beyond campaign execution and play a key role in shaping activation strategy, media performance, and growth for leading global brands.
At dentsu, we believe great work happens when we’re connected. Our way of working combines flexibility with in-person collaboration to spark ideas and strengthen our teams. Employees who live within a commutable distance of one of our hub offices, currently located in Chicago, metro Detroit, Los Angeles, and New York City, are required and expected to work from the office three days per week (two days per week for employees based in Los Angeles). Dentsu may designate other Hub offices at any time. Those who live outside a commutable range may be designated as remote, depending on the role and business needs. Regardless of your work location, we expect our employees to be flexible to meet the needs of our Company and clients, which may include attendance in an office.
The annual salary range for this position is $136,850 - $170,000. Placement within the salary range is based on a variety of factors, including relevant experience, knowledge, skills, and other factors permitted by law.
Benefits available with this position include:
• Medical, vision, and dental insurance,
• Life insurance,
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance,
• 401k,
• Flexible paid time off,
• At least 15 paid holidays per year,
• Paid sick and safe leave, and
• Paid parental leave.
Dentsu also complies with applicable state and local laws regarding employee leave benefits, including, but not limited to providing time off pursuant to the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, in accordance with its plans and policies. For further details regarding Dentsu benefits, please visit www.dentsubenefitsplus.com.
To begin the application process, please click on the “Apply” button at the top of this job posting. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, and qualified candidates will be contacted for next steps.
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Location:
New YorkBrand:
AmplifiTime Type:
Full timeContract Type:
PermanentDentsu is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees. We do this without regard to race, color, national origin, sex , sexual orientation, gender identity, age, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, ancestry, physical or mental disability, marital status, political affiliation, religious practices and observances, citizenship status, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.
Dentsu is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to, among others, individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans. If you need an accommodation because of a disability to search and apply for a career opportunity with us, please send an e-mail to [email protected] by clicking on the link to let us know the nature of your accommodation request and your contact information. We are here to support you.
Skills Required
- Deep expertise in audience targeting, segmentation, and activation
- Strong understanding of identity resolution and audience data ecosystems
- Hands-on experience with paid media platforms (Google, Meta, TikTok), programmatic DSPs, retail media, and CTV activation
- Knowledge of first-party data, third-party audiences, CRM data, and identity-based targeting
- Experience measuring audience performance and translating insights into actionable recommendations
- Experience designing and optimizing audience match rates, activation strategies, and cross-channel targeting
- Ability to lead testing, measurement, and optimization efforts to demonstrate impact
- Collaborative, consultative approach to partnering with cross-functional stakeholders
- Preferred backgrounds: Audience Strategy, Data & Identity Solutions, Programmatic Media, Retail Media, AdTech/MarTech, Advanced Analytics
- Located within commuting distance of New York City and able to work onsite as required (hybrid role)
What We Do
Dentsu Creative is a global creative agency network designed to unlock exponential growth for clients. We use Transformative Creativity as a differentiating, driving force to bring our capabilities together to positively impact people, business and society. Established in 2022, Dentsu Creative is integrated with dentsu’s Media and CXM businesses in over 145 countries and regions, to offer Integrated Growth Solutions.
