Vice President, Brand Experience, Ruder Finn

At Ruder Finn, Brand Experience is where bold ideas meet business impact. We create integrated campaigns that connect brands with people through culture, creativity, earned influence, and unforgettable experiences. We believe the best work comes from curious minds, collaborative teams, and people who aren't afraid to challenge convention – or have some fun while doing it. We're looking for a Vice President to lead client partnerships and integrated marketing communications programs for consumer brands across food, wellness, lifestyle, CPG, and retail brands. This is a leadership role for someone who thrives at the intersection of strategy, creativity, and execution. You'll serve as a trusted advisor to clients, inspire teams to think bigger, and guide programs that seamlessly bring together storytelling, media relations, influencer marketing, experiential activations, social, partnerships, and brand moments that spark conversation and drive results. The ideal candidate is an exceptional client counselor, a collaborative leader, and a strategic thinker who knows how to navigate complexity while keeping teams energized and focused. You'll oversee account growth, lead integrated planning, manage scopes and operations, mentor rising talent, and champion work that pushes beyond the expected. Just as importantly, you'll help shape the culture of our practice. We value people who ask great questions, embrace new perspectives, experiment with fresh ideas, and believe that the strongest teams are built on trust, generosity, and a shared sense of purpose. We work hard, celebrate wins, learn from every challenge, and genuinely enjoy creating great work together. If you're energized by fast-moving brands, love turning insights into experiences, and want to help define what's next for modern brand communications, we'd love to meet you. Key Responsibilities Serve as the strategic lead and day-to-day client partner across your account portfolio, bringing clear thinking, proactive recommendations, and trusted counsel that moves client business forward Lead account strategy and execution across client priorities, ensuring programs are connected to the broader brand story, business goals, cultural moments, and measurable outcomes Act as a senior counselor to clients, bringing a strong point of view, thoughtful recommendations, and steady guidance in real time Own account health across staffing, workflow, budgets, projections, timelines, deliverables, and team priorities, ensuring work is well-run, well-resourced, and aligned to client expectations Anticipate client needs, identify opportunities, solve challenges quickly, and bring answers — not just updates — to every interaction Guide integrated earned media strategy for your portfolio, ensuring angles, pitches, and coverage support larger client objectives and brand narratives Oversee the development of creative story angles and strategic pivots when the news cycle shifts, helping teams find fresh, relevant ways in Provide senior-level guidance on media outreach across journalists, producers, editors, podcasters, Substack authors, bloggers, and relevant creators, while coaching teams to pitch with confidence and purpose Build and maintain strong relationships across key media verticals, including consumer lifestyle, parenting, food, wellness, and broadcast, while helping junior team members grow their own networks Bring a solutions-oriented mindset to every assignment, turning friction into opportunity, removing roadblocks, and pushing client programs forward with confidence Manage, mentor, and develop junior team members, helping them strengthen client judgment, account management skills, strategic thinking, media instincts, and executive presence Collaborate closely with internal creative, strategy, media, and account teams to ensure all work ladders up to the larger client strategy and delivers against shared goals Contribute meaningfully to new business by bringing smart ideas, client leadership instincts, relevant category experience, and a strong understanding of what makes programs compelling and achievable Qualifications A bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, marketing, or a related field preferred You have 8+ years of experience leading integrated consumer communications programs, with a strong understanding of how client strategy, media, creative ideas, and account operations come together to drive results You have a proven track record of managing client relationships, building trust with senior stakeholders, and serving as a day-to-day strategic lead across complex, fast-moving accounts You know how to translate client business priorities into smart communications strategies, clear workstreams, and actionable plans for the team You bring strong consumer brand experience across categories such as CPG, food, wellness, lifestyle, parenting, retail, or consumer tech You are tapped into trends, communities, and cultural moments before they hit the mainstream, and you know how to turn emerging stories into timely, ownable client opportunities You instinctively know how to make a story sing by identifying what makes an idea culturally relevant, media-worthy, and shareable You have personally contributed to standout pitches, campaigns, or creative concepts, and you can point to the results that made them successful You have strong media instincts and experience partnering closely with media specialists, creative teams, and clients to develop earned-first ideas that break through You have contributed to new business pitches and are comfortable bringing strategic thinking, creative ideas, category knowledge, and a strong point of view to the process You are organizationally strong: you plan, delegate, prioritize, and manage account operations effectively so work moves forward and nothing slips through the cracks You are scrappy and nimble, thriving in fast-moving environments where priorities shift and you can pivot quickly while keeping clients and teams aligned You are a strong people leader who enjoys mentoring junior talent, creating clarity, building momentum, and driving accountability across the team You are curious and comfortable integrating AI tools into communications planning, workflows, and team processes Benefits & More You will receive a competitive base salary and bonus opportunity You will also be able to enroll in our Health, Dental, Vision, company paid Life Insurance, Flexible Spending Account, as well as 401k (match) plan. Monthly allowance for cell phone, office equipment, etc. Generous PTO policy with paid maternity/paternity leave Professional learning and development opportunities Workplace flexibility On-site and off-site social gatherings The anticipated salary range for this position, at the time of posting, is $115,000 - $140,000. The salary of the applicant selected for this role will be based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, education, internal equity, geography, relevant years of experience, certifications, skills, abilities of the selected applicant, and other job-related qualifications. In addition, a range of medical, dental, vision, disability, 401(k) matching, paid time off, and/or other benefits also are available by the company.Ruder Finn provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Ruder Finn will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. Ruder Finn believes that diversity and inclusion among our employees is critical to our success as a global company, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.SummaryLocation: US New York NY; US Chicago ILType: Full time