Head/ Director of Strategic Planning (IMC/ Social Outreach)

Head of Strategy

Hepmil Vietnam – Hepmil Creators Network (HCN)

About the Role

Hepmil Creators Network (HCN) is looking for a Head of Strategy to lead our Strategy & Planning function and elevate the quality of strategic work across our business in Vietnam.

As a social-first creative agency and creator network, we connect brands with creators through integrated campaigns across Social Outreach, Influencer Marketing, Social Media, BTL, IMC and Social Commerce.

In this role, you will set the strategic direction for key accounts and pitches, lead and develop the planning team, and establish the standards that guide our strategic output. You will partner closely with business and creative leaders to turn client challenges, consumer insights and cultural opportunities into effective campaigns and opportunities for growth.

We're looking for a hands-on strategic leader with strong IMC and Social Outreach expertise, excellent people leadership and clear ownership of both thinking and delivery. Fluent English is essential for presenting recommendations, advising clients and collaborating with regional teams and senior stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the Strategy & Planning function in Vietnam, setting its direction, priorities, working standards and development roadmap in alignment with business goals.
• Take accountability for the quality, clarity and effectiveness of strategic output across key accounts and new business pitches.
• Lead, manage and develop the planning team, including resource allocation, performance management, coaching and succession planning.
• Partner with local management and Account leaders to identify client growth opportunities, shape pitch approaches and strengthen the agency's strategic offering.
• Lead the interpretation of complex client briefs, identify core business challenges and translate them into clear strategic and creative opportunities.
• Oversee market, category, competitor, cultural and consumer research, ensuring that recommendations are grounded in meaningful insights.
• Guide the use of qualitative and quantitative research, social listening and planning tools to address client challenges and validate strategic thinking.
• Develop brand and communication strategies, audience frameworks, customer journeys, campaign narratives and creative briefs that provide clear direction for execution.
• Lead integrated planning across IMC, Social Outreach, Influencer Marketing, Social Media, Content, BTL and Social Commerce, ensuring that channels and touchpoints contribute to shared objectives.
• Shape Social Outreach strategies that define the roles of creators, KOLs/KOCs, communities and social platforms in building relevance, generating conversations and amplifying brand messages.
• Identify opportunities to connect brand storytelling and audience engagement with consideration, purchase intent and conversion through social commerce.
• Partner with Creative, Account, Content, Influencer Partnership and Production leaders to develop original ideas that are strategically compelling, feasible and aligned with client budgets.
• Lead the strategic narrative of major pitches and proposals, ensuring that decks are persuasive, well structured and delivered to a high standard within tight timelines.
• Act as a senior strategic partner to clients, confidently presenting and defending recommendations in English and Vietnamese, challenging assumptions constructively and aligning stakeholders.
• Collaborate with regional teams and senior stakeholders, contributing Vietnamese market perspectives and adapting regional strategies to local audiences.
• Establish campaign objectives and measurement frameworks with relevant teams, using performance results to strengthen recommendations and demonstrate effectiveness.
• Build planning frameworks, research resources and knowledge-sharing practices that improve consistency, speed and quality across the team.
• Anticipate strategic and resource challenges, resolve issues proactively and remain directly involved in priority projects when required.
• Stay updated on consumer culture, creator ecosystems, social commerce and emerging platforms, translating relevant developments into opportunities for clients and the agency.

Qualifications

• 5–6 years of experience as a Head of Strategy, Head of Planning or in an equivalent leadership role within Creative, Digital, Social, Influencer Marketing or IMC agencies, with proven responsibility for leading the function, developing teams and driving strategic excellence.
• Strong, hands-on expertise in IMC and Social Outreach, supported by a portfolio demonstrating sharp insights, original thinking and effective integration across channels.
• Proven ability to lead a Strategy or Planning function, establish professional standards and build a high-performing team.
• Strong people management skills, including resource planning, performance management, coaching and developing future team leaders.
• A deep understanding of branding, communication strategy, consumer behavior, creator ecosystems, social media platforms and social commerce.
• A strong track record of leading major pitches and developing strategies for key accounts, with clear connections between recommendations and business objectives.
• Fluent English, both spoken and written, with the ability to independently lead presentations, strategic discussions and senior stakeholder conversations at local and regional levels.
• Excellent Vietnamese communication, storytelling and presentation skills, with the confidence to explain complex thinking clearly and sell ideas persuasively.
• Strong knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, with sound judgment on how to turn evidence into actionable insights.
• Strong ownership and decision-making skills, with the ability to provide clear direction, resolve ambiguity and take accountability for team outcomes.
• Ability to work quickly and decisively, structure complex information and deliver high-quality, presentation-ready proposals within tight timelines.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to challenge briefs constructively and align business, creative and execution teams.
• Commercial awareness, including an understanding of how strategic quality, client relationships, pitch performance and resource allocation contribute to agency growth.
• Ability to oversee multiple accounts and pitches while maintaining high standards and supporting the team through competing priorities.

Benefits

• Flexible working hours: 09:00–18:00 | Work from home every Friday
• 100% salary during probation
• Full insurance in accordance with company policy and applicable regulations
• 21 days Annual Leave, 14 days Sick Leave & 60 days Hospitalization Leave
• Company laptop provided
• 13th-month salary and Labor Union bonuses/gifts for holidays, birthdays and Tet
• Team bonding meals, company trips and annual health check