Associate Director, Strategy - Events and Experiences

About The Role As an Associate Director, Strategy - Events and Experiences, you’ll deliver customer-centric, spatial, and retail strategic expertise for one of our top-tier technology clients. You will bring hardware and digital products to life through best-in-class events, global trade shows, pop-ups, in-store activations, and on-device content working closely with internal leadership to turn brand campaigns into welcoming interactive experiences. You’ll champion the "phygital" (physical + digital) landscape, creating immersive environments and seeking new opportunities to create impactful work in an ever-evolving space. Your job is to define how our clients’ brands live, behave, and sell in the real world—and how those moments seamlessly connect to the purchase journey. Responsibilities Evaluate client objectives and product roadmaps to design compelling physical footprints, defining how attendees move through a space—whether it is a global trade show booth or a local retail pop‑up. Develop retail engagement strategies that drive product understanding and consideration, specifically for consumer electronics, phones, wearables, and smart home devices. Go beyond the data to determine how people actually move through spaces to identify friction points and magic moments with these devices in a physical space. Strategise the connection between physical events and digital ecosystems, ensuring on‑ground activations are amplified socially and digitally to drive earned media and long‑term loyalty. Define what success looks like across the various experiences. Move beyond foot traffic to measure dwell time, sentiment and digital behaviour and conversions. Lead the strategic narrative for new business pitches within the experiential and retail sector, translating complex business challenges into innovative, spatial strategic visions that win work. Identify and pursue proactive growth opportunities within the US market to expand the agency’s experiential portfolio. Cultivate strong relationships with senior marketing leaders at prospective client organisations, acting as a trusted advisor on the future of retail and events. Collaborate hand‑in‑glove with Creative Directors, Technologists and Fabrication partners to ensure strategic concepts are feasible, buildable and impactful. Champion high standards for interactive design, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in physical brand activations. About You The essentials 7–9 years of experience in strategy, specifically at least 5 years in experiential marketing, brand activation and/or retail strategy. Must be based in the US (California or New York preferred). Current or recent experience working in an agency environment. Deep knowledge of consumer electronics, hardware or tech brands, with an understanding of how to market a physical product in a physical space. Strong spatial awareness with the ability to look at a floor plan or a render and identify user journeys, dwell times and engagement opportunities. Understand how to design for dopamine, belonging and memory, not just for aesthetic appeal. Led or supported strategy for major global rollouts or high‑impact "drop" culture activations. A proven track record of successfully winning new business and leading or supporting complex pitch processes for events or experiential agencies. Exceptional ability to articulate complex ideas (like AI integration or ecosystem connectivity) into simple, human‑centric physical experiences. Resilience and adaptability to work in a fast‑paced environment where event deadlines are immovable. Not a Must, But a Plus Experience working specifically with large‑scale tech ecosystems. BA/BS/MA degree in marketing, business, communications or a related field. A portfolio demonstrating success in major trade shows (e.g., CES, MWC) or large‑scale retail installations. Benefits Excellent, full‑coverage medical, dental and vision insurance. Generous paid time off and 15 company‑wide holidays. 401(k) with company contribution. Paid parental leave. Work‑life balance with an emphasis on personal well‑being. Career growth in a disruptor space and entrepreneurial opportunities within the Monks network. A globally diverse and inclusive culture with employee resource groups such as S4 Melanin, Pride.Monks, Cultura.Monks and more. Authentic commitment to DEI efforts and sustainable growth. RTO Policy: This role is subject to our Return to Office (RTO) policy. If you reside within commuting distance of one of our office locations, you will be expected to work from the office a set number of days per week. The specific details, including the number of required office days, will be in accordance with the company’s current RTO policy. Salary Range: $110,000—$120,000 USD We are an equal‑opportunity employer committed to building a respectful and empowering work environment for all people to freely express themselves among colleagues who embrace diversity in all respects. #J-18808-Ljbffr Monks