Strategist

Purpose

Being a Strategist is all about learning through doing and building confidence along the way. As an associate strategist, you do a lot of research, a lot of observing and a lot of listening. As a Strategist, you start putting those things you’ve learned into practice. Much of what we do as strategists is about interrogation, distillation and inspiration—a mid-level Strategist owns these parts of the project, with support from above and below.

Responsibilities

Interrogating

• Start with what you’re given, and help the clients help us get to the clearest brief possible
• Be a fearless, honest yet suspicious interrogator of the brand and the world it lives in—get as close as you can to the truth without diluting or embellishing it
• Consider all research options, sources, and methodologies to truly, deeply understand the problem—define research objectives and devise an approach to get to the root of the problem the business or consumer faces
• Provide creative feedback that respects the creatives’ process/judgment, while making the work more strategically sound
• Start to get a deeper understanding of the client's business to help draw connections between business objectives and marketing objectives: to act as a filter to ensure the creative work will truly move the business forward, to write a meaningful measurement plan, and to help make the business case for off-brief creative ideas.

Distilling

• Be a fountain of truth and insight by finding ways to make complicated things simple
• Build logical stories to set up the problem and opportunity, using only the most relevant facts and anecdotal evidence

Inspiring

• Make leaps that inspire creative (creative in the broadest sense, not just specific writer/art director teams)—show new ways of looking at the problem or opportunity; bring it to life in new ways; and be provocative in your thinking
• Start to anticipate and proactively meet creative needs, particularly to get them unstuck or motivated and moving in the right direction

On top of this, start proposing approaches, POVs, and recommendations as potential answers to problems you’ve identified. Essentially, reorient yourself to propose solutions, rather than waiting for someone else to give you the answer.

In addition to the core creative process, become more adept at strategy-specific tasks, such as trends analyses, contributing to larger projects like brand positioning, take first passes at more complex tasks like comms frameworks and journey mapping, and partner with account management on competitive audits. You will also be able to contribute more significantly to new business at this level, with a goal of being ready to present in appropriate pitches at the next level of seniority.

Proving that you can do all of the above confidently on a range of different problems or brands or categories is the goal. That means repetition, gaining experience with diverse clients, problems and research approaches and finding your voice to help guide the work along the way.

Competencies 

Research Planning. Has familiarity with various research sources and methodologies to help design an approach to answer defined research objectives.

Brief Writing and Storytelling. Can point to examples of persuasive narrative and presentation skills—making a logical yet inspiring case for our strategic POV.

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—working with cross-functional team members to excel at the job. Also has started to mentor and guide Associate Strategists and interns in both formal and informal ways, sharing your experience as someone recently in their shoes, giving them new avenues to consider, and helping them advise them on how you tackle similar situations.

Growth Orientation. Shows eagerness to learn from experiences—both wins and losses—and can speak to examples of how they have taken learnings from one experience into the next.

Professional Skills & Knowledge

Strategic Retail Experience: Proven ability to develop and execute retail strategies, including analyzing market trends, customer behaviors, and competitive landscapes to drive sales and profitability.

• Hispanic Market Expertise: Experience designing strategies tailored to Hispanic consumers, including understanding cultural nuances, preferences, and purchasing behaviors to enhance brand relevance and loyalty.

Experience

Ideal candidate has 3-5 years of strategy work at a creative agency; experience with comms, digital and/or social strategy is a plus. Fluency in Spanish (both written and verbal) while not required is a bonus.

Salary Range

Our estimated range for this role is $70k - $95k

Compensation packages are based on the skill level and experience each candidate brings to their role. There may also be a more senior or junior position available that could be a better fit with your expertise. Each level has its own compensation range.

We pride ourselves on competitive salaries, and ensuring pay equity exists across our organization. We benchmark each position against existing employee competencies and 4As compensation data which includes geographic and agency size benchmarks. We also meet with department leaders 3x/year to ensure we are supporting employees in living into their full potential.  Our promotions are not limited to a specific time per year. Promotions are tied to performance.  

Right To Work In The US

You must be authorized to work in the US for any employer.  At this time, we are not sponsoring or providing assistance with obtaining work authorization.

McKinney is a place where everyone can grow. Studies have shown that marginalized communities  such as women, LGBTQ and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. However you identify, and whatever background you bring with you, please apply if this is a role that would make you excited to come into work every day.

We are in the office Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday on a hybrid schedule. We look forward to meeting you!

Salary : $70,000 - $95,000