Strategy Director

SPCSHP is looking for a Strategy Director based in the Midwest (Chicago, Detroit, or Minn). You like brands and you get excited and inspired to do great work for them. You know a powerful insight when you see one. You know how to use insights to shape work and ensure that it is impactful and human. You can package and present a compelling narrative. You can manage a team of inspiring strategists and strategic thinkers across multiple disciplines. Most importantly, you love this stuff -  stories of insights, innovation, trends, people and culture. You live to make people inspired and curious, to open minds to new possibilities.

Roles + Responsibilities: 

• Maintain a deep understanding of culture, identifying macro and micro shifts in the landscape and helping teams connect these changes to brand and business opportunities
• Develop strategic narratives to inspire audience-led ideas that meet brand needs effectively, in unexpected ways
• Consult with clients on a range of strategic initiatives, including positioning, brand strategy, creative strategy, and comms strategy
• Ensure the highest quality briefs and strategic inputs are inspiring the creative process, partnering with Analytics, Creative, and Account leads to do so
• Ensure the work is achieving our client's broader business and marketing goals
• Nurture the capabilities and careers of junior team members while also proactively managing the team’s day-to-day
• Serve as the strategic leader for a key client relationship, and take accountability for rallying the team to be the best possible strategic partner for that client
• Work in partnership with internal teams to continually guide clients towards bold and innovative solutions, manage senior relationships, and identify long-term proactive opportunities outside of given briefs
• Relentlessly raise the bar, pushing beyond the bounds of traditional marketing and embedding brands into culture

Requirements

• 8-10+ years of experience in integrated strategy development at a creative agency.
• Must be Midwest-based (Minneapolis, Chicago or Detroit preferred)
• Experience working in food + beverage, QSR clients is highly desired.
• Excellent verbal and written communicator, comfortable preparing POVs, presentations, and speaking in front of groups
• Proven thought leadership on modern brands and today’s cultural landscape.
• Quantitative and qualitative research experience (tracking studies, focus groups, in-depth interviews, ethnographies) with an ability to identify and adapt insights.
• Innate curiosity and a desire to understand people, culture, and the world.
• Passionate about great work, including both taking a hands-on role in its creation and the ability to talk about it in a compelling way to senior and C-Suite clients.
• Seeks out opportunity and challenge