Director, Strategy & Innovation

About us 

We turn customer challenges into growth opportunities.   

Material is a global strategy partner to the world’s most recognizable brands and innovative companies. Our people around the globe thrive by helping organizations design and deliver rewarding customer experiences.  

We use deep human insights, design innovation and data to create experiences powered by modern technology. Our approaches speed engagement and growth for the companies we work with and transform relationships between businesses and the people they serve.  

About the Director, Strategy & Innovation Role 

Material’s Strategy team is currently seeking a strong, versatile Strategy Director with experience across B2B and B2C. The role of Strategy Director is a blend of hands-on GTM planning and delivery, strategic leadership on key client accounts, and collaborative lead with SME leaders across creative, media, social, loyalty, CRM, and Insights. 

Strategy directors are the tip of the spear for the agency’s overall thinking, ideation and persuasion. You’ll work directly with leadership, brand strategists and channel strategists to ensure each account has a vision and ambition for growth. You are also expected to act as guide and mentor for junior members across SME divisions as well as have strong relationships with senior business managers on some of the agency’s largest client relationships. We look to you to be a source of energy and insight for the group and the agency as a whole. 

As Director, Strategy & Innovation you will 

• Lead the development of strategic insights, brand platforms, and multi-channel Go-To-Market strategies.

• Lead marketing strategy and road mapping efforts inclusive of channel prioritization, messaging, lead generation, success/KPI definition, testing plans, reporting and optimization recommendations 

• Participate in strategy development at the highest levels with a clear vision for each account - ultimately accountable for the execution of that vision 

• Consistently monitor and own the strategy team’s performance across your accounts 

• Ensure that the agency has the appropriate strategy resources in place to succeed, coordinating with other groups to forecast business growth and business development as a guide for hiring and resourcing 

• Actively participate in business development, pitching and winning new business to grow the agency as a whole and the strategy team/toolkit  

• Monitor, coach and provide training in key skills areas including research, reporting, presentation, brief development, facilitations, innovation and design thinking, soft-selling skills, technology acumen and others 

• Collaborate with peers in other departments and drive the conversation regarding the account's future

• Contribute to the design, coordination and execution of a variety of qualitative and quantitative research studies, often across multiple brands and projects simultaneously. You'll synthesize findings to ensure a better understanding of the customer’s behavior & motivations and help prioritize business and communication recommendations based largely on the primary research findings. 

About You 

• 10+ years in digital marketing and brand strategy 

• Proven experience managing and developing strategy team members 

• Proven success designing, developing, implementing and ongoing management of a data-led marketing campaign

• Ability to partner, collaborate, and lead a unified vision with multiple SMEs - brand, product design, digital analytics, creative, media, social, loyalty and CRM.

• Experience driving engagement and building brands across all channels – digital, traditional, and emerging

• Addicted to the data and analytics to create insights that drive to meaningful connections

• Innovative approaches for quickly identifying, assembling, and analyzing data and producing

• actionable insights

• A track record of inspiring, recognizing and nurturing bold, leading edge creative ideas

• Must also offer a track record of working directly in business development and face to face with agency principles and clear ability to build strong, succinct presentations.  

• Genuine desire to collaborate and work as part of a multi-disciplinary teams

• Accountability that borders on obsessive

• Entrepreneurial spirit bringing ideas for account growth and expansion

• Bonus points for Loyalty experience, segmentation activation

Why work for Material? 

In addition to fulfilling, high-impact work, company culture and benefits are integral to determining if a job is a right fit for you. Here’s a bit about who we are and highlights around what we offer. 

Who We Are & What We Care About 

• Material is a global company and we work with best-of-class brands worldwide.  We also create and launch new brands and products, putting innovation and value creation at the center of our practice. Our clients are in the top of their class, across industry sectors from technology to retail, transportation, finance and healthcare. 

• Material employees join a peer group of exceptionally talented colleagues across the company, the country, and even the world. We develop capabilities, craft and leading-edge market offerings across seven global practices including strategy and insights, design, data & analytics, technology and tracking. Our engagement management team makes it all hum for clients.  

• We prize inclusion and interconnectedness. We amplify our impact through the people, perspectives, and expertise we engage in our work. Our commitment to deep human understanding combined with a science & systems approach uniquely equips us to bring a rich frame of reference to our work. 

• A community focused on learning and making an impact. Material is an outcomes focused company. We create experiences that matter, create new value and make a difference in people's lives.  

What We Offer 

In addition to Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Disability and FSA, Material offers: 

• A work environment that works best for you. Whether that’s fully remote, in one of our offices, or hybrid. (This particular position requires proximity to NYC and willingness to go in-office.) 

• Flexible & synchronous time off. We trust our colleagues to take responsibility for and manage their workloads. That’s why we offer Flexible Time Off along with synchronous companywide closures and 11 company holidays.   

• 12 weeks of paid parental leave. Every parent deserves to spend the first few months of their new child’s life with them. 

• Help planning for your future. We offer 401K match, as well as periodic financial wellness and planning sessions throughout the year.  

Pay Range: $111,600.00 – 191,280.00

The range shown represents a grouping of relevant ranges currently in use at Material. Actual range for this position may differ, depending on location and specific skillset required for the work itself. 

Privacy Statement

Material is committed to protecting privacy in our recruiting processes for all candidates. For more information, please refer to our Privacy Policy. California-resident applicants should also refer to our California-resident Candidate Privacy Statement.

If you need support with a privacy-related matter, please send an email to: privacyrequests@materialplus.io