Sociallabsa
Freelance Intelligence Director
Cape Town, WC, South Africa
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- Seniority
- Director
- Country
- ZA
- Work mode
- On-site / unstated
- First seen by hirly
- 29 Sept 2026
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the posting
Ogilvy Social Lab, part of WPP, is setting global benchmarks in digital marketing and is driven by offering our expertise to both local and international clients through a multi-market footprint.
We have enabled 'borderless ways of working', operating as connected teams and providing Creative, Content, Media and Intelligence capabilities to Ogilvy agencies and clients in more than 20 countries.
Join our globally connected team and work on challenging projects that transcend borders. Embrace a career that takes you to new horizons and make a global impact!
About WPP
WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com .
- We are looking for a:
- Intelligence Director
Summary of the role:
Lead a team to deliver high-quality Data, Insights and Analytics to our clients to understand current performance, wider trends and impact. Ensure that the team is delivering insight and intelligence to augment strategic, media and creative approaches and provide services that meet our clients' current and future needs. Think holistically about the client’s needs and how data can be harnessed across the organisation to deliver better insights and outcomes.
The role will also require you to collaborate, partner and connect the Media, Content and Strategy teams – leveraging our advanced technologies and tools as well as introducing new analytical skills to create actionable insights that improve our strategic outputs.
Consult across all data & intelligence deliverables and own intelligence delivery towards other Ogilvy & WPP agencies (new business support / strategic insights).
Day to day
Lead one of the teams in our Intelligence business unit and ensure our related products keep evolving through innovation
Lead the team to deliver a high-quality service to local and international clients. Enable them to meet professional development objectives.
Establish strategic relationships with in-market and clients to share data and intelligence and work together to achieve shared strategic objectives
Increase our local and international footprint through new business development, reputation and thought leadership. Scale the team to meet the global demand for our intelligence services,
Manage incoming demand to the Intelligence team, prioritising and assessing requests based on priority, capacity and the suitability of the request for the team.
Drive the development of analytical capability across the team, proactively sharing knowledge and building networks.
Ability to step in and analyse social and digital media data through a set of tools (Synthesio, Rival IQ, GWI, SEMRush, Statista, Social Lab Proprietary Tools, etc.) based on briefing
Support planners in developing data-validated strategies bringing data richness to what consumers are ‘saying’, ‘sharing’ and ‘searching’ online.
Create new, commercially viable data products.
Collaborate with WPP and external data providers
Design insightful reports and audits with strategic recommendations
Client facing for the presentation of intelligence work
Be the owner of the intelligence technology stack
Your track record shows
Min 8 years’ experience in data Analytics, Insights and Strategy
Minimum three years managing a team
An understanding of the diverse range of analytical possibilities available on the digital platforms to help design and build a data service that we can leverage for both new business and existing clients.
Experience in Social Listening / Data and Analytics / Data visualisation / Consumer research / Digital Strategy
You are great at
Team Management
Well-versed in modern digital strategy. You can develop strategic recommendations based on data surfaced through analytic tools and market research.
Comfortable using social and digital monitoring technologies (social listening)
Experience using data tools such as Synthesio, Brandwatch, Meltwater, GWI, Rival IQ, SEMRush etc
Key responsibilities
New business development (size of the intel unit)
Reputation in the network (& beyond)
New products developed and sold to clients and partners
Staff retention and engagement
Operations:
Main point of contact with Client Servicing
Resourcing management / Traffic
Assigning the right resources & skillsets to incoming projects
Monitoring capacity
Building scope of work based on clients’ and partners’ briefings
Interrogating briefs
Guiding clients through our different services, tools and outputs.
Monitoring strategy & intelligence income and profitability.
Developing and maintaining ongoing collaboration with third-party tech vendors & exploring new tools.
Consulting:
Co-creating & leading the implementation of upskilling & coaching programs for the intelligence staff.
Creating updated service offerings to the Ogilvy network and to our end clients.
Packaging new intelligence products and participating in marketing and new business development.
About you
Comfortable in growing senior client relationships and business.
Flexible and open to work in an agile and fast-paced environment
Self-reliant and accountable – you should be able to take strategic control of all accounts within your portfolio.
Skilful project management
Exceptional team player with the confidence and integrity to earn client and internal team confidence quickly
Proven ability to work under the pressures of an agency environment with fast-paced objectives and multiple clients and internal asks
We offer
Full-time job within a growing and trendsetting agency
Global client portfolio
Attractive package and benefits
Continuous trainings. Career conversation and growing opportunities
Hybrid model of 3:2.
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