Group Strategy Director

About Us

Initiative unlocks business growth for the world’s most ambitious brands. We believe in the power of media to reshape our industry and orchestrate a brand’s entire consumer experience, by balancing both what unites people and what makes them different.

When brands unite people in culture, they build Fame, and when brands connect individuals to their unique journeys, they build customer Flow.

Media responsibility is at the forefront of everything we do, whether it’s creating media plans that reflect the diversity of our communities, promote brand safety, and foster sustainability.

Our agency celebrates diversity in an inclusive environment where all of our 6,000+ strong talent across 90+ markets feel seen, heard, and valued. Our vision is to create not only a better media company, but also a better media industry, and maybe even a better world.

Client Description

Volvo Cars – Driving Change Together

Many brands talk about purpose, but Volvo embodies it. Its values, deeply ingrained in its identity, drive its success.

Volvo places its brand and purpose at the core of its business. The guiding principle, For Life, reflects its mission to provide freedom of movement in a personal, sustainable, and safe way.

Personal – For Life
Life is precious, and so is living. Volvo helps people embrace life, celebrating individuality and the freedom to be themselves. The company strives to simplify life, reduce stress, and enable joy and peace of mind. Rooted in Swedish values, Volvo prioritizes quality of life as much as life itself.

Sustainable – For Life
Volvo protects people and the planet, aiming for net-zero emissions and a circular economy. Its commitment to sustainability improves lives globally.

Safe – For Life
Since 1927, when co-founder Gustaf Larsson declared, “Cars are driven by people. The guiding principle behind everything we make at Volvo, therefore, is and must remain, safety,” Volvo has been synonymous with safety. It continues to pioneer the safest, smartest mobility technologies to protect lives.

Missions
Volvo’s five missions drive its business:

People: Empower employees to live the company’s values, positively impacting customers, partners, and society.

Product: Deliver people-centered, fully electric products by 2030.

Technology: Develop innovations benefiting people and the planet.

Customers: Foster growth through strong consumer relationships and omni-channel approaches.

Digital: Build secure digital infrastructure to enable scalability and efficiency.

Volvo Cars is advancing toward full electrification, with five electric cars on the market and five more in development. Electric and hybrid models now make up nearly 50% of sales, making this a pivotal time to help shape the future of mobility with Volvo’s inspiring teams. Our job as Volvo’s global media agency partner is to help them hot their ambitious sales and electrification goals in 31 countries worldwide.

ROLE OVERVIEW

As a Group Strategy Director, you’ll define the strategic direction of brands to achieve business goals, using cultural, consumer, and market insights to build holistic communications plans.

You’re passionate about people, ideas, and culture, with the ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable strategies. Working closely with Client Leads and specialist teams, you’ll deliver best-in-class recommendations, inspire innovative thinking, and set a high standard of strategic craft.

You’ll champion our planning tools and processes, collaborate with research and analytics teams, and ensure strategies connect brands meaningfully to culture. Alongside client work, you’ll also contribute to new business pitches with sharp, creative thinking.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead the development of innovative, insight-driven strategies that address client challenges and deliver measurable business results.
• Translate complex data into clear, powerful narratives and strategic recommendations.
• Inspire best-in-class, award-worthy work through fresh thinking and cultural insight.
• Collaborate with Client Leads, Analytics, Research, Communications Design, and external partners to deliver integrated solutions.
• Guide and mentor strategists, fostering strong strategic thinking across the team.
• Champion planning tools and cultural processes to unlock growth opportunities.
• Contribute to agency culture, client retention, and revenue growth through thought leadership and high-quality output.
• Play an active role in new business pitches with sharp, creative strategic input.

QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES

• You are an experienced strategist or Planner within media, creative, innovation or a communications discipline (digital, content, invention, social, activation)
• Excellent understanding of the strategic process that is channel agnostic and how to apply to a client challenge or brief to deliver optimal solutions
• Excellent understanding of media implementation planning and investment systems, processes and goals and how these connect to the communications platform and strategic process
• Ability to think differently: creative & adaptive, entrepreneurial, independently minded; deeply immersed in cultural understanding and driven by a desire to know more the world / to better understand people’s motivations & behaviors in the shifting landscape
• Passionate about effective communication, curiosity for human behaviour and champion for creativity that is channeled into quality output for clients
• Broad and up-to-date knowledge of media and consumer trends and how to apply to client business
• Excellent communicator who can defend their opinion with key stakeholders, both internally and externally

Employee Transparency

At IPG Mediabrands, we celebrate differences and believe this makes us stronger. IPG Mediabrands are equal opportunity employers and committed to championing an inclusive culture that provides a sense of belonging for all our employees. We do not discriminate against any applicant based on age, disability, race, colour, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, belief, marital status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Please reach out to Ninette at [email protected] if you would like to have a confidential conversation regarding any adjustments that would ensure our recruitment process is accessible for you. Please note requesting a reasonable adjustment will not affect your application.

The Perks

We aim to provide all our people with a supportive and fun work environment where you can develop your full potential and benefit from the broad range of opportunities within the agency. When you join us, we want to make sure you feel valued – and that you are rewarded for your fantastic work. So, we also offer a range of benefits:

• Flexi–leave, with 25 days annual leave to be taken as minimum. In addition to your holiday entitlement, the office usually closes between Christmas & New Year
• Free breakfast and free lunch
• Early finish Fridays
• Core Hours (Mon-Thurs, flexible start/finish times)
• Retail discounts
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifices car scheme
• Wellbeing programme, including Headspace & flu jabs
• Interest free season ticket loan
• Paid time off for Volunteering
• Group Income Protection
• Life Assurance
• Private Medical Insurance or Health Cash Plan (dependent on level)
• Group Personal Pension Plan with matched contributions from 3-6%
• Generous Parental Leave & Pay
• Independent mortgage advice
• Financial education
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Free eye tests
• Flexible benefits including Dental, Travel insurance, Cycle to Work, Gym Discounts and many more!