Brand Strategy Director

Hyperquake is an independent creative strategy, branding, and experience design marketing agency founded in 1986, with locations in Cincinnati, Salt Lake City, and Brooklyn. We specialize in strategic innovation, branded experiences, and scaling organizations for growth, working with companies ranging from small startups to global enterprises. Hyperquake builds ambitious brands and experiences for those eager to activate a vision.

Position Description

Hyperquake’s Strategy Directors are proven, seasoned strategists, responsible for leading and directing the identification of key insights that fuel the creation of compelling brand experiences. With broad project and client expertise, they are capable of independently leading across project types and bringing together ideas, people and clients. They are compelling storytellers and presenters who can comfortably lead conversations and processes with clients of any level, and who want to share their vision and strategy with both internal and external clients to move people and evolve the business for which they are responsible. They provide direct management to team members as needed, as well as mentorship to members of other disciplines. They think consistently and intuitively about organic growth of existing business, and significantly contribute to, or lead, new client pitches as needed. They are not only experts in the work, but at scaling themselves over work by how they lead and model the behaviors and capabilities that define our practice.

Primary Responsibilities

Including but not limited to:

• Lead and oversee all aspects of business / relationship development with assigned prospects.
• Develop, implement, and manage strategies to maximize opportunities and achieve business development goals for assigned brands.
• Lead or co‑lead multi‑disciplinary new business pitching or prospecting teams in order to successfully close key accounts.
• Provide and lead ongoing market analysis and trend recognition in order to have a complete and full understanding of opportunity spaces for existing or prospect brands.
• Working in close collaboration with New Business, Accounts, and Creative/Design leads, proactively create strategies for prospect penetration, crafting unique points of entry for designated opportunity spaces.
• Ensure Agency offerings are closely coordinated and in alignment with internal product and service offerings.
• Coordinate, plan, and lead workshops with internal teams and client teams around insights generation and synthesis, opportunity assessment, prioritization, naming, and other foundational brand strategy work as needed.
• Work directly with business leads, senior leadership, and executives to ensure agency external messaging is in line with business development strategies for Consumer Brands.

In Addition, the Brand Strategy Director:

INSPIRES

• Leads team in developing breakthrough ideas for clients, and thought leadership materials to increase the visibility and profile of the business.
• Leads creation of content for presentations that enable the client to make better strategic brand and business decisions
• Leads & assists in development of agency tools and processes, and mentors strategy team and partners as needed on these tools & processes.
• Looks for ideas to share and encourage teams and clients to evolve and or to support current projects or prompt discussions for a new project.

MANAGES

• Manages/oversees/inspires multiple simultaneous projects in varying stages, including oversight and direction of less senior team members as needed to create scale
• Works with both in‑house and contract/freelance strategists and copy writers to direct work that needs to be done to support projects
• Assists in resourcing and recruiting for Strategy team, and identifies times when help is needed and can bring in the right support for the project

BUILDS RELATIONSHIPS

• Partners effectively with Senior Strategists/Directors, while working with internal teams, to identify and scope client extension work
• Fosters strong relationships and works collaboratively with internal design and client resources, and when applicable, external 3rd party resources

Other responsibilities include:

CLIENT LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES

• Plays an integral role developing and maintaining key relationships with assigned Consumer Brand Clients. The Strategy Director should want to be among the most senior agency leadership on all assigned projects, and should be constantly looking for opportunities to cultivate strong consultative relationships with senior clients that both support existing business needs, and create opportunities for organic growth.
• Contributes and assists in the mentorship, oversight and direction of Hyperquake’s Strategic Team Members assigned to Consumer Brands.
• In close collaboration with other internal leaders (including executive-level through Director), New Business personnel, and agency SMEs, forges relationships with new clients, sharing the responsibility as one of the “key” relationship stakeholders for all business opportunities.
• Works with the assigned Consumer Brand Strategic and Client Team, to accurately forecast revenue projections for assigned clients.
• Ensures the scope of work aligns with client expectations.
• Provides oversight, direction, insights and innovative thinking on a project by project basis to Creative and Client Leadership Teams when necessary.
• Assists in the development of pitches to acquire new business with existing clients or new clients, providing strategic input and insight to increase probability of closing new business.
• Generates business, brand‑building strategies and ideas internally and externally for clients.
• In conjunction with the Business Lead, contributes to the development of Proposals and/or Statements of Work
• Outlines approaches to business challenges in a timely manner

Experience You will Bring

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent education or experience) in Marketing, Strategy, Communications, or a related field; advanced degrees, certifications, or specialized training in strategy, insights, or innovation are highly valued.
• 7-10+ years of progressively senior experience (including personnel management) in brand strategy, marketing strategy, consumer insights, or related strategic disciplines, ideally within an agency, consultancy, or design‑driven organization.
• Demonstrated mastery in synthesizing insights from diverse research sources—including category mapping, competitive intelligence, cultural and behavioral trends, qualitative and quantitative research, and performance analytics—along with superior instincts and decision‑making skills to establish clear strategic direction and drive brand transformation.
• Expert understanding of consumer behavior across digital and physical environments, with the ability to interpret behaviors through the lenses of culture, category dynamics, human motivation, and brand opportunity.
• Extensive experience with research methodologies, including the ability to define research questions, oversee research design, guide analysts/junior strategists, and translate data into powerful insights that inform creative and business decisions.
• Advanced command of brand strategy frameworks, including positioning, brand architecture, messaging platforms, innovation strategy, and long‑term brand planning—capable of shaping and evolving strategic IP and approaches for the team.
• Proven ability to elevate insights into strategic platforms, creative territories, and marketing roadmaps, demonstrating original thinking, leadership in concept development, and the ability to inspire multidisciplinary teams.
• Exceptional communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to craft compelling narratives, present to senior clients, and influence decision‑making with clarity and confidence.
• Ability to foster strong, trust‑based client relationships, serving as a strategic advisor and contributing to long‑term account growth and partnership development.
• Experience leading multiple complex projects simultaneously, ensuring strategic excellence, efficient workflows, and alignment across teams and stakeholders.
• Adept and experienced at navigating ambiguity and guiding teams through evolving project needs, offering strategic clarity, framing challenges, and modeling structured, forward‑thinking problem solving.
• Demonstrated leadership in mentoring and developing strategists, contributing to team growth, capability building, and elevating the overall strategic craft.
• Agency or design studio experience strongly preferred, with a deep understanding of creative processes, collaboration models, and client‑service dynamics.
• Ability to work Eastern Time Zone hours, with flexibility as needed to support clients and internal teams