Senior Strategist, Integrated Strategy at Dentsu in Chicago, IL

Senior Strategist, Integrated Strategy Location: Chicago Job Description: About Dentsu We are business‑driven and creatively obsessed, helping clients grow throughTransformative Creativity—creativity that solvesreal businessproblems, challenges convention, and creates meaningful impact. About the Team Proactive leaderswho set the agenda and bring energy to every engagement Question‑askerswho pushbeyond the expected to findwhat’sinteresting Makers and doerswho turn thinking into actionable outputs Growth-minded teammates who seek out what theydon'tknow as much as they do Radical collaboratorswho work fluidly across disciplines Role & Responsibilities This is a rare strategy role that keeps you sharp across two genuinely different businesses — one fast and cultural, one built on trust and considered decision-making. The ideal candidate thrives on variety and can toggle between fast cultural work and deeper strategic thinking—while championing meaningful brand impact.You will: Lead qualitative research, from quick cultural inputs to deeper exploratory studies. Develop clear, inspiring creative briefs and guide others in doing the same. Build digital architectures, brand frameworks, and consumer journeys across categories. Synthesize signals across data, culture, and category to give creative and client teams a clear point of view — not just information, but interpretation Surface new growth opportunities and strategic value for creative and brand teams. Guide multi‑disciplinary teams in measurement and learning work. Provide thought leadership on culture, human behavior, and category dynamics. Build strong knowledge of each client's industry and competitive landscape. Thoughtfully apply AI to sharpen strategy, speed insights, and improve output quality—while preserving a strong strategic POV and human judgment. Help shape awards submissions by crafting compelling case studies, defining the strategic idea and impact, and collaborating across teams to tell the story effectively. WhatSuccessLooks Like Seamless ability to shift between impulse‑driven and longer‑consideration consumer contexts Brings clarity to complexity without oversimplifying Stays steady and constructive when client priorities shift or briefs change mid-stream Builds strong, trusting relationships across diverse client styles Helps creative teams understand not just the strategy, but how it flexes by category Qualifications 4+yearsexperiencedeveloping digital‑led and integrated brand strategies Proventrack recordof strong, consistent strategic ideas Deep understanding of how brands earn attention and trust online High standard for clarity, craft, and detail Strong storytelling and presentation skills — equally comfortable with creative teams and more conservative stakeholders Ability to simplify complex challenges for varied audiences Confident with both creative teams and more conservative stakeholders Curious, culturally informed, and insight‑driven-seeks out what theydon'tknow as much as they build on what they do Experience with social listening, trend analysis, SEO, UX, and related tools Seen as a trusted partner to mid‑senior clients and a supportive mentor to juniors We'relooking for someone who will grow with the discipline as it evolves — curious about what strategy looks like in two years, not just today Cross‑category experience (retail, CPG, financial services) is a plus Additional Information Atdentsu, we believegreat workhappens whenwe’reconnected. 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, currentlylocatedin Chicago, metro Detroit, Los Angeles, and New York City, arerequiredand expected to work from the office three days per week (two days per week for employees based in Los Angeles). Dentsu maydesignateother Hub offices at any time. Those who live outside a commutable range may bedesignated asremote, 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 $82,500 - $110,000. Placement within the salary range is based on a variety of factors, including relevant experience, knowledge, skills, and other factorspermittedby 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 alsocomplies withapplicable state and local lawsregardingemployee leave benefits, including, but not limited to providing time offpursuant tothe Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act,in accordance withits plans and policies. For further detailsregardingDentsu benefits, please visitwww.dentsubenefitsplus.com. To begin the application process, please click on the “Apply” button at the top of this jobposting. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, and qualified candidates will be contacted fornextsteps. Location: Chicago Brand: Dentsu Creative Time Type: Full time Contract Type: Permanent Dentsu 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 ApplicantAccommodations@dentsu.com 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.