Strategic Planning Director

Established in 1973 with headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Cheil Worldwide is one of the world’s leading integrated marketing communications networks, with more than 7,200 employees globally in more than 54 offices in 46 countries.

IRIS Singapore, a creative, strategic and innovative company that uses the power of participation to excite progress for businesses has recently became part of the Cheil family. As part of their diverse team, we would like to invite you to participate in their progress – moving yourself and the world forward with every decision you make. Iris’s bustling office is situated in the district of Singapore, proudly embodies the best within the APAC region, home to an eclectic team of 60 with deep specialism, they are proud to be the creative agency for Trust, Samsung, Alcon and other leading brands in the region.

We are inviting candidates for the position of:

Strategic Planning Director

Responsibilities:

• Lead the development of brand strategies and communication strategies across local and regional markets.
• Translate business and marketing challenges into clear strategic problems and actionable opportunities.
• Conduct and synthesize consumer, category, cultural, competitive and market intelligence to uncover meaningful insights.
• Develop compelling brand positioning, brand propositions, messaging frameworks and communication territories.
• Identify emerging consumer behaviors, cultural trends and category shifts that can create opportunities for brands.
• Partner closely with creative, account, media, digital and other specialist teams to translate strategy into impactful brand ideas and campaigns.
• Develop integrated strategies spanning ATL, digital, social, content, experiential, PR, influencer and other relevant touchpoints.
• Provide strategic direction throughout the creative development process, ensuring ideas remain rooted in the brand strategy and consumer insight.
• Lead strategic thinking for new business pitches, brand launches, campaign development and business growth opportunities.
• Build persuasive strategic narratives and presentations that clearly articulate the problem, insight, opportunity, strategy and creative direction.
• Present strategic recommendations confidently to senior clients and internal stakeholders.
• Act as a trusted strategic partner to clients, bringing fresh perspectives and challenging briefs constructively.
• Contribute to the development of proprietary strategic tools, frameworks and thought leadership for the agency.
• Mentor and provide guidance to junior strategists and planners, helping to strengthen the overall strategic capability of the team.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, Communications, Business, Advertising, Psychology or a related discipline is preferred.
• 8+ years of experience in brand strategy, strategic planning, advertising, integrated marketing communications, or a related field.
• Proven experience developing brand and communication strategies for established and/or emerging brands.
• Strong understanding of consumer behavior, culture, advertising and the broader marketing ecosystem.
• Demonstrated ability to turn complex information and research into clear, compelling and actionable insights.
• Experience working on integrated, multi-channel campaigns across traditional, digital, social, content and other consumer touchpoints.
• Strong commercial understanding and the ability to connect brand strategy with business objectives.
• Excellent strategic storytelling and presentation skills, with the confidence to influence senior clients and stakeholders.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with creative and cross-functional teams while also taking ownership of strategic thinking.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, ambiguous and highly collaborative agency environment.
• Curious, proactive and willing to challenge conventional thinking.