Role Summary:

The (Senior) Planning Manager of Strategic Planning plays a crucial roles in driving Dentsu Sports Vietnam's growth and success. This position is responsible for leading the development and implementation of strategic marketing plans for key clients, managing strategists/planners/other staff on day-to-day client strategy needs on a single account or group of accounts – guiding insight generation, creative briefs, selling narratives, strategic POVS, and go-to-market plans, … with a focus on achieving measurable business results. The (Senior) Planning Manager will also contribute to new business development and play a key role in thought leadership within the agency.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Planning:
• Lead the development of comprehensive strategic marketing plans for clients, including market analysis, target audience identification, competitive assessments, and campaign objectives.
• Translate client briefs into actionable strategies that align with their business goals and leverage the power of sports.
• Identify and evaluate potential sponsorship opportunities for clients.
• Develop innovative activation plans that maximize the impact of sponsorships and engage target audiences.
• Collaborate with internal & external teams (creative, digital, account management) to ensure seamless campaign execution.
• New Business Development:
• Contribute to the identification and pursuit of new business opportunities.
• Participate in client pitches, presenting strategic recommendations and demonstrating Dentsu Sports Vietnam's expertise.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders in the Vietnamese sports industry.
• Thought Leadership:
• Acts as a strong client and creative partner to drive the brand and business mission forward
• Stay abreast of industry trends and best practices in sports marketing.
• Contribute to the development of thought leadership content and participate in industry events.
• Share knowledge and insights with colleagues, fostering a culture of learning and innovation within the agency.
• Team Management:
• Manage and mentor group members, in addition to being able to help manage their projects on a day-to-day basis and motivate them to push their thinking to the next level through a visionary approach to their problems.
• Demonstrates and fosters a collaborative and high-performance team environment where ideas flourish.

Requirements:

• Experience: 4–6 years in strategic planning, brand strategy, or IMC at an agency. Sports marketing or sponsorship experience is a strong advantage. Must be willing and able to take on account management responsibilities as business demands.
• Sports Passion & Energy: A genuine sports fan who actively follows the Vietnam National Football Team and marathon events. Deep involvement in football or marathon activities is a strong advantage. Brings positive, high-energy attitude and a natural sports spirit to team and client environments.
• IMC & Events: Hands-on experience executing integrated campaigns across sponsorship activation, on-ground events, and digital channels. Experience with football or marathon event management is a plus.
• Communication & Pitching: Strong bilingual presentation and strategic storytelling skills (Vietnamese & English). Confident leading pitches and presenting to senior client stakeholders. Native Vietnamese required.
• [PREFERRED] Dual Role Flexibility – Planning & Account: Given the agency’s dynamic and lean team structure, candidates who are comfortable and willing to flex between the (Senior) Planning Manager role and Account management responsibilities – supporting client servicing, project coordination, and on-ground delivery as business demand – will be strongly preferred
• AI Tools (Preferable): Actively uses AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, etc.) to accelerate research, insight generation, and deck production. Candidates who integrate AI into their daily workflow will have a strong advantage.