Associate Director, Strategic Planning

Mars United Commerce powered by Marilyn, is a global commerce company that delivers all the solutions clients need to grow their business today and tomorrow. Founded by the late Marilyn Barneet, we’ve become global leaders in four key commerce disciplines - Strategy & Analytics, Digital Commerce, Content & Experiences, and Retail Consultancy - that together form a United Commerce Ecosystem that provides all the expertise clients need to navigate the commerce marketing landscape. Our 800 Martians across North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Asia exist to drive growth for our people, our clients, and our communities all across the globe.

We are seeking an Associate Director, Strategic Planning. As an Associate Director, Strategic Planning, you are a key standard bearer of strategic thought within the business. Candidates must reside in a commutable distance to Mars United Commerce’s hub location in Rogers, AR, New York, NY or Chicago, IL.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Growing Client Brands and Business:

• Serve as senior-level contact for an individual client business and their brands. Demonstrate a solid grasp of current industry dynamics and be able to provide an agency perspective on the impact, influence, and implications of these dynamics on brand or agency health.
• Provide long-term perspective for brand and business growth that exceeds the scope of individual projects. Be able to clearly articulate a strategic vision in a confident and persuasive manner to clients and teams; connect the vision to business imperatives and measures.
• Develop working hypotheses and methods to test/apply thinking to a variety of marketing challenges that leads to the discovery of new insights.
• Ensure proactive strategic thought leadership across the integrated marketing mix; be able to effectively apply and integrate strategy into the agency process.
• Identify unmet research/planning needs and knowledge gaps in clients’ business. Lead the solution and develop into out-of-scope revenue opportunities for the agency.
• Grow the role of Strategic Planning through the development of effective working relationships with key clients and Senior Management.
  
  

Agency Initiatives/Growth/Management:

• Make original contributions to Agency growth through contributions to original research/thinking, participation in internal cultural initiatives.
• Supervise and advance the growth of Strategic Planning staff. Oversee the quality of their work.
• Create dialogue and share innovations and new methods across internal teams (account service, creative, customer development, media, production, etc.).
• Intellectual property – develop and adapt to the TMA business, all TMA Network intellectual property ensuring it helps to deliver on TMA goals and positioning
  
  

Demonstrations:

Original & Proprietary Intellectual Property

• Conducts primary research, client , or agency.
• Uses proprietary strategic models and helps with institutionalization.
• Develops and participates in client presentations.
• Helps to lead and develop people on the team (indirectly and directly).
• Identifies new opportunities for revenue growth with clients.
• Supports annual planning initiatives with clients.
• Supports new business RFP & pitching efforts.
• Identifies unmet needs within the department, develops proposals to satisfy needs.
• Supports wider agency initiatives.
• Supports the creation of white papers, agency “points of view”, blog posts, etc.
  
  

Agency Initiatives

• Continues to assist in knowledge sharing through internal communication events, training, and other written materials.
  
  

Agency Growth

• Responsible for client relationships at senior level.
• Participates in new business pitches.
• Develop and merchandise Strategic Planning “products”.
• Help the wider team attract, train, and develop talent , ensuring Strategic Planning keeps a diversity of skills, backgrounds , and experience.
  
  

SKILLSETS REQUIRED:

A bachelor’s degree (recognized internationally) plus:

• 7 plus years of professional service experience with regular client contact (minimum of 3 years in a creative environment).
• 7 plus years of experience in marketing or marketing communications or something deemed appropriate.
• 4 plus years of hands-on qualitative research expertise and or ethnography experience or of advanced quantitative methods.
• 1 plus yearof management/supervision experience.
• Appreciation for qualitative and quantitative research techniques (depending upon background).
• Branding fundamentals.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Strong intuitive skills.
• Ability to conceptualize an integrated marketing mix (advertising, promotion, retail, packaging, digital, media, PR , etc.).
• Ability to inspire creative process.
• Ability to recognize and develop creative ideas.
• Excellent professional presentation skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal).
• Collaborative – strong team working skills but also a self-starter.
• Organized and detail-oriented - must demonstrate attention to detail and ability to handle multiple tasks/projects.
• Solution-oriented, bias for action and implementation.
• Positive attitude towards the role, the department, agency , and its clients.
• Positive professional team player who takes ownership of tasks and who seeks and accepts other responsibilities.
  
  

Mars United Commerce is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will recruit, hire, train and promote persons in all job classifications without regard to race, ancestry, creed, color, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability or handicap, HIV, veteran, marital or family status, or any other status or condition protected by applicable state and/or federal laws, except where a bonafide occupational qualification applies.

Mars United Commerce has developed a wide variety of inclusive benefit plans and policies that address and promote the needs of all employees and their family members, including comprehensive group health plans, a parental leave program that includes paid maternity and paternity benefits for pregnancy, adoption and surrogacy, flexible paid time off, a broad and confidential employee assistance program, ongoing wellness support initiatives, trusted financial health advice and guidance, promotion of education through tuition support and assistance, and a flexible and supportive work environment and culture.

Compensation Range: $70,000 - $90,000 annually. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and the Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan through a third-party benefits administration system once certain criteria have been met. Temporary roles may also qualify for participation in our 401(k) plan after eligibility criteria have been met. For regular roles, the Company will offer medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401k, and paid time off. The Company anticipates the application deadline for this job posting will be February 28, 2025.