Principal Brand Strategist

The role

As a Principal Brand Strategist at SoFi, you will have the unique opportunity to lead strategic efforts across three critical areas that are vital to our brand’s growth and success:

Key Brand Initiatives

• Lead brand-driven efforts to drive awareness, consideration, and engagement with key audiences. You’ll spearhead the development and implementation of strategic platforms that resonate with valuable segments while creating impactful earned media moments. By understanding the unique needs and behaviors of these audiences, you’ll ensure SoFi’s brand and products effectively address their financial goals. Your work will be critical to positioning SoFi as the go-to choice for individuals seeking financial independence.

Product Marketing Strategy 

• Oversee strategic initiatives for SoFi’s key product lines. Collaborating closely with product marketing managers and the Creative Studio, you will drive the creation of briefs, strategies and campaigns that elevate SoFi’s product portfolio, accelerating growth and sharpening our competitive edge. Your insights will play a pivotal role in shaping product positioning, influencing marketing direction, and optimizing customer engagement strategies.

Brand-Led Research and Brand Management  

• Lead our qualitative research efforts with external research vendors, and manage the development of core brand assets such as the Brand Book and Brand Visual Identity alongside the Creative Studio. As a key custodian of SoFi’s brand identity, you’ll ensure coherence and impact across all member touchpoints. Your research will directly inform strategic decision-making, guide creative processes, and ensure that SoFi’s brand deeply resonates with our target audience.

What you’ll do

• Lead an insight-driven approach to developing compelling strategic brand and product narratives and platforms. 
• Develop inspirational creative briefs and creative strategies that unlock best-in-class creative work.
• Lead cross-functional brand and product campaigns, working closely with Creative Studio and business unit leaders.
• Craft earned media moments that put SoFi at the heart of culture and drive conversation. 
• Lead audience research working with 3rd-party vendors unearthing actionable new insights into our target. 
• Collaborate on the data-driven measurement and reporting of campaigns and use these insights to improve both short-term and long-term performance.
• Lead competitor reviews and cultural analysis.
• Collaborate on messaging hierarchies and communication plans.
• Work with Media on the planning and implementation of creative work.
• Lead brand strategy workshops.
• Contribute to foundational brand and product strategy documents.
• Mentor and develop talent within the brand strategy group.

What you’ll need

Characteristics: 

• Insight-Driven Storyteller: A creative and analytical thinker who can craft compelling stories from data.
• Passionate Advocate for Branding and Marketing: Deeply passionate about branding, marketing communications, and advertising, with a keen understanding of how to engage audiences and drive product success in the financial space.
• Proactive Problem Solver: Thrives in fast-paced environments, with a proven ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Influential Leader: A strong communicator who can lead through influence, delivering persuasive presentations, especially in areas critical to SoFi’s growth.
• Collaborative Team Player: Enjoys working on cross-functional teams with multiple stakeholders.

Qualifications / Skills: 

• Bachelor’s degree.
• 12+ years experience in brand and creative strategy for consumer brands.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and an ability to influence others.
• Experience writing and critiquing creative briefs.
• Comfort presenting in front of senior leadership. 
• Strong understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.
• Ability to use data in the measurement and reporting of campaign effectiveness. 
• Experience in digital, social and influencer strategy is a plus.