Creative Strategist

Role Description

We are seeking an experienced Creative Strategist at our military financial services company who excels at uncovering insights, shaping creative direction, and inspiring powerful, resonant creative work. This role is not a copywriting, design, or brand marketing position. Instead, this individual serves as the strategist partner to both the Brand Marketing team and the Creative team, translating business goals and audience understanding into the creative strategies that bring the brand to life.

• Engages upstream as marketing plans are developed to ensure the creative strategy and direction effectively deliver on the marketing opportunity and objectives.
• Develops rich audience understanding - profiles, tensions, and insights - which inform core creative strategy.
• Synthesizes insights into the creative brief and corresponding message/communication matrices.
• Guides creative teams with clear insights, strategic direction, and deep cultural understanding throughout brainstorming, concepting, and execution.
• Works within the enterprise master brand creative platform ("big idea") to ensure alignment with long-term creative direction.
• Transforms data and cultural understanding into meaningful, inspiring creative direction.
• Fosters strong relationships across teams.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to lead and own the development of creative strategy.
• Fluency in qualitative and quantitative research methods.
• Strong storyteller skilled at identifying audience tensions, cultural truths, and insights.
• Natural collaborator who forms strong strategic partnerships with both Brand Marketing and Creative teams.
• Deep understanding of creative brief development, messaging architecture, consumer insights, and integrated campaign planning.
• Strong understanding of marketing principles, brand strategy, and the creative development lifecycle.
• Curious, empathetic, and culturally aware mindset with a passion for understanding people and their decision-making processes.

Requirements

• B.A. or B.S. in Advertising, Communication, Marketing, Business or related field preferred.
• Proven experience as a Creative Strategist, Account Planner, Brand Strategist, or Communications Strategist within an ad agency or in-house agency.
• Experience developing message/communication matrices and messaging ecosystems.

Benefits

• Health and welfare benefits coverage options including medical, dental, vision, spending accounts, life insurance, and voluntary plans.
• Participation in a 401(k) plan.