Data Strategy Director

Sitting at the center of our Data & Technology practice, the Data Strategy team’s role is to transform the way that our clients think about, organize and deploy data to deliver more timely, engaging and relevant experiences for consumers.  

This includes harnessing the power of first-party data in their marketing programs, deploying data partnerships to enrich their data, supporting them on the implementation of martech and adtech to enable their data strategy, and providing hands-on help on the appropriate application of data in their media and creative programs.  All the while ensuring that our client’s remain future proofed for the ever changing consumer and industry data privacy landscape.

This role is focused on leading the North America Data Strategy team on our longest standing and key client relationships, Google.  It will involve overseeing several strategic workstreams focused on using data to drive greater effectiveness of brand and performance marketing, and future proofing Google for the ever-changing data landscape.  For some of those workstreams you will be asked to lead direct reports, while in others you will be asked to play a sole practitioner and contributor.

Some of the things we’d like you to do:

• Act as the day-to-day Data Strategy lead for all North America Google specific work, overseeing existing work streams and new data strategy initiatives  aligned to Google’s priorities
• Work with direct reports on stakeholder management (internal and external) across the various projects to set appropriate expectations on scope and deliverables
• Be available for ad hoc consultation across a variety of Google specific campaign types or central projects where Data Strategy input is required
• Build deep client relationships across each workstream, and work with your team to share succinct and articulate progress reports to help evangelize Data Strategy work 
• Contribute thought leadership to the ongoing futureproofing work stream, focused on developing capabilities and knowledge that prepares Google for a post cookie future
• Lead and drive a team with a highly autonomous self starter culture
• Mentor direct reports and help them grow their practitioner skills and management skills
• Engage with other internal Essence teams, especially Planning and Activation, to help integrate Data Strategy work into the Essence Google campaign lifecycle

A bit about yourself:

• 6-8 years digital agency-side with experience buying media and being a program lead
• Very strong understanding of the Google media stack: CM, DV360, Google Ads (Search, YouTube, GDN), Insights Finder, BigQuery, Ads Data Hub
• Strong understanding of current and future state of ad tech infrastructure, especially of post cookie solutions like the Privacy Sandbox
• Strong self driven project management experience bringing clarity to projects with undefined scope
• Excellent proficiency in line management; with experience of managing a team and demonstrable skills in guiding the development of direct reports
• Highly developed interpersonal, team building and relationship management skills
• High attention to detail, and good organizational skills