Director Strategy

Who we’re looking for: 

VML is looking for an entrepreneurial minded Director Strategy to lead engagements for one of our top innovative-led global healthcare clients.  It’s a fantastic opportunity to be a part of a team truly dedicated to making peoples’ lives better across a portfolio of health-tech and CPG brands. The ideal candidate will bring a fresh perspective having worked across a breadth of businesses inclusive of tech-adjacent and CPG brands. It’s a tremendous growth opportunity for someone who thrives on leading multiple engagements across brand work to drive global platforms.

As a creatively driven Director Strategy you will leverage intelligence insights to tell impactful stories from the earliest research stage through creative development, communication planning and campaign evaluation. At the core of this role is the ability to glean and share human insights, a voracious curiosity, a collaborative nature, and the ability to inspire strong, impactful communications.

What you’ll do:

• Partner with account leadership to support the overall management of client business relationships including strategy development, creation of briefs, briefing teams, campaign performance monitoring and ongoing client communications. 
• Lead integrated agency team in day-to-day creation and management of campaigns, driving a high performing, cross-functional team to deliver work that drives efficiencies in content across touchpoints and exceeds client targets. 
• Possess an inherent interest in consumer behavior and examine the way that brands communicate in order to find the intersection of brands, culture, and creativity. 
• Collect, analyze, and interpret information from a variety of sources: market data, quantitative research data, cultural and social trends monitoring, qualitative interviews/conversations, observational research. 
• Work with the creative and account management team to ensure all client deliverables are flawlessly executed and on strategy. 
• Encourage proactivity, creativity and collaboration between the strategy and creative teams to ensure the sharing of work and innovative thinking.
• Use your experience and knowledge to inspire and motivate the team. 
• Orchestrate brand planning, strategic planning, and analytical activity in concert with the creative and account management teams to establish disruptive ideas.
• Truly collaborate with groups of clients, account managers and creative in the development of inspiring creative briefs that translate insights into innovative and strategic campaign strategies.

What you’ll need:

• 7+ years in brand strategy/planning, marketing consulting or advertising.
• Global experience a plus, ideally across a combination of tech-adjacent, CPG and non-health related categories.
• The ability to think on your feet and an eagerness to explore all available resources to think outside the box.
• Zealous passion for rolling up your sleeves to bring ideas to life with cross-functional teams.
• Strong interpersonal/communication skills; you will be face-to-face with various departments and client teams at their busiest moments.
• Must have a pulse on cultural and social trends with the ability to translate these trends into insights and creative opportunities.
• An expertise in data sources, qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, and a keen eye of when and how to apply them to client challenges.
• The ability to thrive in a highly collaborative and diverse team. Must be able to lead and work in an integrated team environment and be comfortable collaborating with teams from different regions and different agencies.
• A self-starter approach and true sense of ownership regarding work at each point of delivery.
• Excel in leading and owning the development of client presentations and leading client meetings.

What we offer:

• Passionate, driven people| We champion a culture of people that do extraordinary work.
• Consciously cultivated culture| We aim to embody the behaviors to build an inclusive community that is in it together, bringing both positivity and active listening into the workplace as we simultaneously strive to empower creative bravery.
• Competitive benefits| What we offer full time hires ranges from the full spectrum of group health coverage options (medical, dental, vision) to a generous 401k match (100% dollar-for-dollar match, up to 5% of salary contribution), and a variety of paid time off offerings that reflect our investment in all aspects of your overall life balance and wellness.
• Growth-minded opportunities| We aim to nurture a culture of real-time feedback, growth-oriented mindset, and plenty of training opportunities through VML and WPP, so you can continue to grow personally and professionally.