Freelance Group Strategy Director - BEAUTY

Freelance SVP Group Strategy Director - BEAUTY

Location: New York, NY

The Role:

As a Freelance SVP Group Strategy Director, you will be responsible for the leadership of strategic visions for clients as well as play a driving role in new business, agency transformation and growth. You will be essential to the continued success of our creative work which is fully integrated across experiential, social, digital and traditional, in both B2B and B2C.

You are well versed in and lead others in all the modern flavors of strategy: creative, audience, business, social and content. You know how to unpack business problems, identify audience opportunities, canvas the competitive and cultural landscape and create that ‘red thread’ that ties it all together so the work that we create shows up in modern channels in modern ways to drive commercial and brand impact. You’re an experienced leader who is constantly learning and evolving, never fluid, always forward.

In addition to client and prospective client work, you will play a leadership role in key agency activities: creative accelerator programs, cultural programs and others. Above all a key driver in an agency in the midst of an exciting new chapter.

WHAT YOU DO

• Always looking for the 1 1=3 for the present and future state of the agency
• Develop strategies and major market initiatives, audience and connections plans
• Orchestrate business driving, culture-landing ideas and map to commercial impact
• Become a trusted partner of integrated teams across McCann NY (McCann Content Studios, Audience Connections, Truth Central) and become a revered leader across the agency
• Build client relationships that fuel trust
• Involved in the finance/scoping/staffing side of running your business
• Stay on top of the business and cultural context around your brand (s), proactively coming to the table with challenges, opportunities and solutions
• Play a key role in new business pitches with minimal oversight from EVP/CSO.
• Be well versed in and sought out for your brand, digital, social, comms, data and experiential expertise
• Experienced in social platforms and exhibit an understanding of the consumer cultures that fuel them.
• Driving fresh, original ideas that are rooted in culture, and in human and business insight.
• Develop strong working relationships with counterparts in Business Leadership, Growth and with Clients, to drive business forward, stewarding creative ideas from theory to reality.
• Develop thought leadership pieces.
• Deploy and ensure use, adoption and learning of proprietary strategic tools including Truth Central, Truth 2 Impact, McCann Content Studio and the Audience and Connections Practice.
• Be a strong manager and mentor: care deeply about the growth of your team and adapt development approach so that a diverse group of strategists can learn to grow, thrive and drive our business for today and tomorrow.
• Take a leadership role in department activities as well as creative acceleration processes (The Heat, Gotham Soup, Dept meetings)

What We Expect From You/Common Expectations Associated with Role:

• You are a confident manager and have a leadership voice within the department as your colleagues and clients trust you to deliver and inspire consistently.
• You’re driving GROWTH: of the team, of clients business, of agency reputation and agency business.
• You demonstrate the power of ‘Yes&’- bringing integrated thinking to the table.
• A powerful storyteller: can command a room and land a story with ease.
• Consistently deliver proactive thinking and are sought out to enhance all aspects of the strategic and creative process.
• Conscious flexibility in your approach to strategy and development of the team.
• Strong manager who is comfortable with giving feedback (positive and negative) to make the work better and help the team grow.

What You Bring:

• 10 years of relevant experience required, including previous agency experience
• A track record of brilliant thinking that leads to unexpected, truly creative work
• Culturally plugged in; nimble, inspired and scrappy gatherer of information
• Crisp thinker and communicator – verbally, visually and in writing.
• Mastery of storytelling and presenting and ability to teach it!
• Strength of conviction for your thinking, well balanced by an open ear and mind
• See strategy as a team sport, drawing on your expertise and others’ in brand, digital, social, comms, data, behavioral and experiential strategy…and whatever comes next
• Collaborative with creative and account management leads, with partner agencies and clients
• Versatile in modern strategy principles: creative, audience and business.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant area required (not necessarily advertising)

At McCann New York, each team member plays a significant role in our success. We recognize that our team members' contributions may extend beyond this job description. The job description is designed to outline primary responsibilities, qualifications, and role scope. It does not restrict team members or the organization to only those specified duties.

Location:

McCann New York team members must reside in or be willing to relocate to the New York Tristate area unless otherwise agreed upon by their manager and McCann New York’s Human Resources team. McCann New York is a hybrid workplace with three days in-office per week.

How We Uphold McCann Values:

• Bravery: We embrace innovation and take thoughtful risks to drive bold ideas forward.

We approach challenges with courage, resilience, and an openness to new ideas. We encourage respectfully pushing boundaries, thinking outside the box, and proposing bold, innovative solutions, even if they come with some risk. Being brave also means standing up for what we believe in, respectfully challenging the status quo when necessary, and speaking up for others.

• Integrity: We are honest, transparent, and hold ourselves accountable in all that we do.

We consistently follow through on commitments, speak up when something feels off, and communicate openly, even when it’s challenging. We take responsibility for our actions and decisions, are willing to admit mistakes, and are always aiming to do the right thing. By exemplifying integrity, we build trust within our teams and with our Clients, laying a foundation of reliability and respect across all our interactions.

• Generosity: We create a collaborative, inclusive environment by supporting, celebrating, and uplifting each other with kindness, compassion, and empathy.

We go above and beyond for others, showing kindness and giving time and resources to help our colleagues succeed. This includes sharing knowledge, mentoring, and being a resource for others, as well as celebrating others’ accomplishments and contributions. We believe in creating a collaborative and supportive environment where we lift each other up. Generosity also means being inclusive, welcoming diverse perspectives, and showing empathy for others’ experiences and challenges.

How We Care for McCanners:

• Competitive insurance coverage, inclusive of medical, dental, and vision
• Time Well Taken: paid time off to take personal/vacation time off away from work as you deem consistent with your duties, the Company’s needs and its obligations
• 80 hours of Paid Sick Time per calendar year
• 21 paid Company Holidays
• Access to Spark, a learning and skill platform for your growth and development
• 401k Retirement with 6% employer matching
• Maternity, Adoption and Parental Leave ranging from 12 to 16 weeks
• Wellness resources, including free access to Headspace

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

The strength of our creative capability and innovative thinking has led to some of the world's most celebrated, effective, game-changing work for top brands. Maximizing that strength means bringing together an extensive mix of socially, culturally, and cognitively diverse talent — and creating conditions where they feel empowered to boldly share the fullest expression of their unique worldview. We fiercely believe in the power of creativity and innovation to positively influence society and inspire greater equity and inclusion within the communities we serve. So, every day we deliberately and intentionally choose to embody our global philosophy of Conscious Inclusion and, in turn, fuel our mission to help brands earn a meaningful role in people's lives.