Strategy Director

Career Level: B2
Division: Global Insights & Strategy
Location: London
Reporting to: Global Strategy and Planning Director

Bring Joy. Create Connections. Make Memories.

At Merlin Entertainments, we create unforgettable experiences for millions of guests worldwide. Behind every iconic attraction is a clear strategy that guides where we play, how we grow and how we deliver value at scale.

We are now seeking a Strategy Director to lead high-impact strategy initiatives across Merlin’s global portfolio and work at the heart of executive decision-making.

The Role

The Strategy Director plays a critical role in shaping Merlin’s future growth. You will lead major strategy projects across brands, attractions and markets, solving complex business problems and translating insight into action.

Working closely with the CEO, Executive Team and senior leaders across the business, you will help ensure the organisation’s agenda remains focused on delivering Merlin’s strategic priorities. From growth acceleration and channel strategy to loyalty, portfolio and brand strategy, your work will directly influence executive decisions and long-term value creation.

This role combines rigorous analytics, structured problem-solving and compelling storytelling, with a practical mindset focused on implementation and measurable outcomes.

Key Accountabilities

Strategy Development

• Lead the development and execution of strategic initiatives aligned to Merlin’s long-term objectives and growth priorities.

• Apply structured problem-solving to identify opportunities, develop strategic frameworks and create execution roadmaps grounded in feasibility and impact.

• Partner with senior leaders and cross-functional teams to define strategic goals, prioritise initiatives and allocate resources effectively.

• Build robust business cases and financial models to evaluate strategic options and investment decisions.

• Manage strategy projects end-to-end, from inception through to implementation and delivery.

CEO Office & Executive Cadence

• Manage the overall business calendar, ensuring alignment between strategic initiatives, go-to-market plans and key governance forums.

• Ensure agendas and materials for Executive Board and Main Board meetings are focused, strategic and decision-oriented.

• Partner with senior stakeholders to deliver high-quality outputs on time and to a consistently high standard.

Data-Driven Decision Making

• Champion analytics and data-led methodologies to shape business strategy.

• Translate complex data into clear, actionable insights that inform executive decisions.

Collaboration & Leadership

• Collaborate with commercial, operations and digital teams on strategic initiatives that optimise performance and growth.

• Provide thought leadership, strategic guidance and best practice to teams across the organisation.

• Share insights, tools and methodologies to strengthen strategic capability and decision-making.

Communication

• Deliver clear, compelling written recommendations with a strong action orientation.

• Present confidently to senior leaders and the Executive Team, translating complexity into clarity.

About You

You are a high-calibre strategy professional with the credibility, curiosity and drive to operate at executive level and deliver tangible results.

You’ll bring:

• A Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, economics or a related field.

• 3–4 years’ experience at a top-tier consultancy (eg MBB) or 5–6 years in a strategy role within a leading FTSE100 organisation.

• Proven experience leading strategic initiatives in fast-paced and complex environments.

• Strong analytical capability with advanced Excel and analytical tool expertise.

• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, particularly in PowerPoint.

• Executive presence and the ability to challenge, influence and advise C-suite stakeholders.

• A practical, delivery-focused mindset with comfort managing ambiguity and complexity.

• Experience managing change programmes, implementation roadmaps and cross-functional delivery.

Leadership at Merlin

Our leaders are:

• Soulfully Curious – inquisitive, open-minded and eager to learn.

• Results Focused – accountable, resilient and driven by outcomes.

• Extraordinary Teammates – collaborative, respectful and enterprise-minded.

• Developers of People – committed to coaching, growth and building future talent.

Why Join Merlin?

This is a rare opportunity to operate at the centre of a global entertainment business, shaping strategy at the highest level while seeing your work translate into real-world impact. You will work closely with the CEO and Executive Team, influence major growth decisions and help define the future direction of one of the world’s most iconic attraction groups.

We’re growing fast and alongside a fun and friendly environment, we offer a fabulous package and amazing prospects – ideal if you’re already fantastic and want to become even better (our magic can help here).  Benefits include Pension, Life Assurance, discretionary company bonus, 25 days’ holiday and, of course, a Merlin Magic Pass which gives you and your friends and family free admission to all of our attractions worldwide, as well as 25% discount in our retail shops and restaurants and 40% discount on LEGO.