Head of Strategy

Role: Lead Startegy and Planning Reports To: Operations Head & Stakeholders Experience: 5+ years in planning Role Overview As Head of Planning , you'll lead our strategy team in developing clear and impactful plans for our brands. Your main goal is to understand what makes people tick and what's happening in culture, then use those insights to guide our creative work. You'll make sure our brands stand out and succeed in their markets by turning observations into smart, effective strategies. What You'll DoStrategic Leadership Be the keeper of the brief: Craft compelling, focused briefs that inspire creative brilliance and provide clear direction. Lead the planning function across a diverse range of initiatives, including brand campaigns, social content, influencer activations, product launches, and intellectual properties. Bring clarity to complex challenges, expertly shaping business problems into fertile creative opportunities. Client Thinking Partner Function as a trusted advisor to brand owners, developing long-term brand strategies, content calendars, and establishing category leadership. Proactively identify white spaces and fresh angles for brand growth, leveraging cultural, platform, and business insights. Empower clients to ask better questions and then collaborate with our teams to deliver impactful answers. Consumer & Cultural Insights Lead the discovery of deep behavioral insights, moving beyond generic research to uncover true human truths. Develop robust planning frameworks to decode consumer journeys, from initial attention to action and ultimately, affinity. Stay ahead of the curve by tracking emerging culture, content trends, technological shifts, memes, and pivotal moments relevant to the Indian youth audience. Creative Collaboration Work hand-in-hand with creative teams from the initial idea genesis through to final delivery. Act as the creative's ally, framing insights in ways that inspire and provoke innovative thinking, rather than restrict it. Co-own the development and delivery of campaign pitches, scripts, strategic decks, and compelling narratives. Team Leadership & Systems Build, train, and mentor a high-performing planning team capable of exceeding expectations. Establish and champion strategic rituals, including effective briefings, reviews, research shares, debriefs, and robust case writing. Elevate our strategic product with tools, templates, and repeatable systems. Measurement & Learning Partner closely with media, digital, and business leads to ensure comprehensive campaign evaluation and close the loop on performance. Develop compelling case studies and insightful learning decks after every key campaign, capturing what worked, what didn’t, and outlining next steps. Build frameworks for testing creative hypotheses and establishing real-time feedback loops to optimize campaigns. You Are / You Have... 5+ years of experience in planning, with a proven track record across digital, brand, and social-first agencies. A demonstrated ability to build memorable brands that resonate deeply with consumers. A strong, nuanced understanding of Indian Tier 2-3 youth culture , extending beyond just metro-centric perspectives. A deep passion for human truths, memes, reels, Reddit, and YouTube rabbit holes – recognizing where authentic insights truly reside today. Comfort navigating messy problems, fast deadlines, and ambiguous briefs , thriving in dynamic environments. The ability to effectively lead a team and influence creatives without ego , fostering a collaborative and inspiring work environment.