VML & Ogilvy | Business Consulting Director - Sr. Business Consulting Director, Japan

The Business Consulting Director is a senior consulting leader responsible for leading global branding and global marketing consulting for Japan's leading B2B corporations. As a core member of VOJ's Business Consulting practice, you will own the full engagement lifecycle — from originating new client relationships and structuring complex business challenges, to developing strategy and directing creative development — ensuring that brand thinking translates into tangible business value on a global stage. Working in English with overseas offices and global client stakeholders, you will design and facilitate cross-functional workshops, lead multiple engagements in parallel, and serve as the bridge between client leadership and our creative teams. This role combines consulting rigor, a deep understanding of global B2B business, and a genuine appreciation for creativity, contributing directly to the global brand value and business growth of our clients.

1. → Business Development & Client Growth

• →New Client Acquisition: Proactively identify, approach, and develop new client opportunities, leading the strategic development of proposals and pitches for major Japanese B2B corporations.
• →Proposal Development: Create compelling, well-structured proposals and planning documents that clearly articulate client challenges, recommended approaches, and expected business outcomes.
• →Trusted Client Partnership: Build deep, trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders, positioning VOJ as a long-term business partner in their global brand and marketing agenda.

1. → Global Branding & Marketing Consulting

• →Issue Structuring: Diagnose and structure clients' business and brand challenges, translating complex, multi-stakeholder situations into clear problem definitions and priorities.
• →Strategy Development: Lead the development of global brand strategies, positioning, and marketing strategies that support clients' international business growth.
• →B2B Business Insight: Apply a strong understanding of global B2B business models, buying processes, and decision-making to ensure recommendations drive measurable business value.

• Workshop Design & Facilitation: Plan and facilitate high-impact client workshops that bring together multiple departments, driving alignment, consensus, and co-creation of solutions.
• Cross-Departmental Coordination: Align diverse client stakeholders and internal agency teams around shared objectives, managing differing interests and building momentum toward decisions.
• Global Communication: Communicate effectively in English with overseas offices, global clients, and the wider network, including meetings, presentations, and English-language proposals.

1. Creative Direction & Integrated Delivery

• Creative Briefing: Write clear, incisive creative briefs that translate consulting outputs into inspiring direction for creative teams.
• Creative Collaboration: Engage actively in discussions with creative teams, providing strategic input to idea development and evaluating creative work with constructive feedback.
• Strategic Consistency: Ensure that creative and communication output remains grounded in the agreed brand and marketing strategy and business objectives from concept through execution.

1. Engagement Management & Practice Contribution

• Multi-Project Leadership: Lead multiple consulting engagements in parallel, managing scope, timelines, resources, and quality to maximize client value.
• AI-Enabled Ways of Working: Actively leverage generative AI and other AI tools to enhance the speed, depth, and quality of research, analysis, and deliverables.
• Practice Development: Contribute to the growth of the Business Consulting practice by sharing knowledge, refining consulting methodologies, and supporting colleagues.

• Experience: 10+ years of relevant experience in brand consulting, marketing strategy, or a related field, including hands-on experience in global B2B business.
• Branding & Marketing Knowledge: Solid foundational knowledge of marketing and branding principles, and the ability to apply them to complex B2B business challenges.
• Business-Level English: Ability to lead meetings and presentations, read English-language materials, and write proposals in English.
• Workshop Facilitation: Proven ability to facilitate workshops involving multiple departments and stakeholders, driving productive discussion and alignment.
• Creative Understanding: A sound understanding of creativity, with the ability to write creative briefs and to evaluate and give feedback on creative ideas.
• Multi-Tasking: Ability to drive multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining quality and meeting deadlines.
• Digital & AI Proficiency: Practical, day-to-day proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, and Word, and the ability to make effective use of generative AI and other AI tools in daily work.
• Preferred Background: Experience at a global agency, brand consulting firm, or consulting firm, or in a B2B company (e.g., marketing, brand, or corporate planning functions). Basic knowledge of and experience with CRM is a plus.
• Personal Attributes: A constant drive to take on new challenges; a passion for engaging deeply with clients' business issues and solving them through the power of brand and creativity; and self-driven leadership in a fast-changing environment.