Chief Design Officer

Job Description

Job Description 

Reporting to the Chief Client Officer, the Chief Design Officer is responsible for leading the audience, strategy + planning and content teams. This role will be the key leader of our holistic strategic product across all client accounts and new business pitches.

We are seeking a dynamic and visionary Chief Design Officer (CDO) to join our executive team. The CDO will play a pivotal role in shaping the strategic direction of a new model to deliver end to end strategic product design and integrate our audience, strategy + planning and content practices.

You will ensure that the strategic product on all accounts is of the highest caliber and are able to lead data informed and activated experiences including content and messaging. You’re highly respected by clients and agency partners alike for designing consumer experiences that answer their business challenges and opportunities. You will be a strategic partner to the US CEO, CCO and Senior Management team, identifying and evaluating new business opportunities, initiatives and practices. As a voice of authority within the agency, you are responsible for the growth and development of the entire Audience, Strategy + Planning and Content practices.

The Chief Design Officer is a 360° independent thinker, effectiveness champion and team player, who focuses on how to solve clients’ business challenges most effectively through an orchestrated system of paid, owned and earned touchpoints. At the inter-section of technology, data and creativity we believe we can offer more meaningful connected experiences between brands and people. 

Teams You Will Lead to Drive Against Overall Design Vision and Product: 

• Audience Design
  • You understand and have experience working within sophisticated data sources to lead a team of people who develop segmentation and growth audience recommendations. You can evaluate this work and improve it.
  • You understand how to translate insights into communication frameworks that have implications for omni-channel media, messaging and content development approaches.
  • You have proven experience in conducting in-depth market analysis to assess industry dynamics, audience preferences, and competitive positioning.

• Strategy + Planning
• • You have developed and executed comprehensive strategic plans aligned with a clients vision, and objectives.
  • You continuously evaluate market trends, competitive dynamics, and emerging technologies to inform strategic decision-making. 
  • You offer a strong point of view on the direction of marketing and media landscape.
  • You understand how to translate insights into communication frameworks that have implications for omni-channel media and messaging approaches. 
  • Strong ability to evaluate talent for strength in product development, presentation skills, leading integrated agency work and client management.

• Content
  • You have a proven track record of driving innovation and have deep relationships with digital partners.
  • You have a creative mindset and embrace change and evolution. 
  • You are always learning and have a strong knowledge of AI and other future forward tech

Qualifications

• 15+ years of relatable experience, of which at least 6 years should be in media, communications strategy, digital strategic planning – brand-side experience will also be considered.
• Excellent at building strong and long-term relationships with clients. Have a proven track record at nurturing growth and long-term relationships with clients. Someone who knows how to gain trust, create a culture of respect, and build true partnerships. 
• Experience in managing large teams including P&L ownership and operational management.

You are a:

• Natural storyteller and have innate curiosity and an entrepreneurial spirit 
• Strategist with working knowledge of audience planning and cross-channel POE media, who is adept at innovative channel selection and role definition to create the synergy between conceptual ideas and the possibilities of execution.
• Strong analytical thinker and translator with exceptional research dexterity, including several years of experience with media-centric tools to uncover the data and insights that drive strategic ideas, inspiring creative work to solving client problems and delivering business outcome  
• Creative problem-solver, both on a conceptual level in defining the tension and strategic vision, and a practical level in shaping scopes, plans and operations  

You can:

• Translate the holistic communications plans into innovative ideas and programs, resulting in smartly mapped marketing tactics that deliver on stated goals
• Initiate, challenge & steer product innovation
• Provide examples of how you’ve delivered creatively inspiring, business-driving briefs
• Make ideas great because you know what great ideas look and feel like
• Apply extensive platform expertise to map consumer experience journeys and identify high impact moments for brands to connect through media-fueled creativity.  
• Craft stories based on how consumers are interacting with their devices and other technology to reveal how brands can better connect with their consumers
• Translate top-down global strategies to consider regional and local nuances, as well as defining bottoms-up approaches and playbooks that influence global go-to-market 
• Coach and teach with a partnership mindset and the ability to have the necessary tough conversations