Strategy Director, Social Jobs

Durham, NC or New York, NY

Overview

This is the pivot point from questioning to answering—there’s always more to learn, but a Strategy Director leads in the process. This role builds upon years of diverse experience to instill confidence in the team and the client, guide younger strategists, and proactively identify opportunities.

Responsibilities

This is what the job entails, versus what the job requires, which is listed below under Competencies.

Mastering

• Lead key strategy needs in new business and present powerfully to prospective clients
• Bring high-level proactive thinking to move client’s business and brand forward
• Master the craft of simple human insights, both the work that goes into discovering them and the work that goes into articulating them
• Champion the work, from conception to sell-through to measurement and optimization
• Lead strategy on 2-3 pieces of business with minimal supervision and feedback from manager(s). Own your strategies from beginning to end

Partnering

• Collaborate and provide direction across internal teams—including data, social, media, tech, etc—to unearth insights in the most resourceful and thorough ways possible
• Solve problems and “manage up” to the Directors of Strategy and CSO on any important issues before they become larger problems
• Earn the respect/trust of your creative/account counterparts to lead the business, together
• Guide clients, alongside account partners, to clearly align on the challenge at hand
• Earn the respect and trust of clients at all levels as someone who is passionate about their business, their brand, their audience, and invested in their success

Teaching

• Be an example for junior strategists of how Strategy can help McKinney create better, more influential work—including sound, innovative approaches to research, clear and inspiring brief writing, and compelling presentations that sell our work, etc.
• Manage younger strategists through the fundamentals of research and development of simple human insights
• Set the bar for how your teams stay on top of and embrace trends in culture and the industry

Competencies

Now that you know what the role entails, here’s what you need to be able to do to thrive in it.

• Research Acuity. Can speak to experience that shows the ability to plan, conduct, and source for advanced research needs, throughout the campaign process—from planning to validation to measurement.
• Creative Perspective. Has a creative point of view and the ability to evaluate work, make lateral connections between ideas, and provide pointed direction to make the creative better. Also able to lead and contribute meaningfully to brainstorming sessions.
• Perseverance. Shows winning enthusiasm and drive.
• Writing and Storytelling. Has proven persuasive narrative, logic, and presentation skills.
• Interpersonal Savvy. Demonstrates high EQ and the ability to relate to all kinds of people—on the team and off, inside the agency and out—as well as build rapport that can be leveraged to create consensus and diffuse tense situations.
• Problem Solving. Uses rigorous logic to solve problems; doesn’t stop at the first answers; and can see the bigger picture. Also, able to apply experiences and problem solving from one brand/client to another, where applicable.
• Growth Orientation. Eager to learn from experiences—both wins and losses—and can speak to examples of how s/he has taken learnings from one experience into the next.

Experience

7-10 years of strategy work at a creative agency, including a combination of experience with brand and communications strategy; experience with digital and/or social strategy is key