Senior Content Strategist

Senior Content Strategist Job#: 3047578 Our Client is seeking a Senior Content Strategist for a 12-month contract role in Milwaukee, Wi. Reach out to Ryan at [email protected] Reporting to the Assistant Director of Thought Leadership Strategy & Creation, the Senior Content Strategist will own the strategy and execution of a fast-growing, high-volume content program dedicated to the Northwestern Mutual financial advisor career – end to end. The Assistant Director will serve as a consultative partner and onboarding resource, but day-to-day this person is expected to run the workstream: setting the strategy, driving the editorial calendar, moving content through development and review, and seeing it through to publication. Because this work is new to our team, this is a genuine opportunity to build something. We are scaling from a light publishing cadence into a full content ecosystem which may include articles, video, a candidate newsletter, field enablement materials and much of it is not yet formalized. We have a lot of ideas and are ready to execute against them immediately; this person will help shape what the program becomes. This role exists to ensure that accurate, balanced, compelling information about the advisor career reaches the people who need it – mid-career candidates, internship candidates, advisors already in the field, and the recruiters working to bring new talent in. It will also equip our field with the materials they need to go to market and recruit effectively, and use content to nurture candidates through the hiring funnel. To do all of this, the Senior Content Strategist will work fluently with subject matter experts, the compliance team, a proofreader, and our creative partners. Comfort with process is essential: we are a large company with robust governance, and this person will own and manage that process rather than work around it. What You'll Do Own the strategy and execution for the advisor career content program end to end – the editorial calendar, topics, formats, and cadence for a program scaling from a light publishing cadence to a steady, high-volume drumbeat of articles and video. Produce and oversee a high volume of written and video content – identifying compelling story angles, shaping and directing content development (including through AI-assisted drafting, feedback, and iteration), and ensuring everything that ships meets a high quality bar. Help shape an accurate, balanced, and credible narrative around the advisor career across the channels and platforms where candidates and the field go for answers. Equip the field – advisors and field recruiters – with go-to-market materials: on-demand emails, social posts, one-page flyers, reprints of published content, and other assets they may need to recruit effectively. Nurture candidates through the hiring funnel, helping prospects stay informed and engaged between an initial phone screening and a later-stage interview. Build a newsletter program for advisor career candidates where none currently exists – from concept and audience strategy to cadence, content selection, and performance review. Manage content across two publishing platforms: our Drupal CMS for NM.com and iCIMS for our advisor career site. Partner with subject matter experts to mine content ideas and ensure accuracy; with the compliance team to meet regulatory and brand standards; and with a proofreader to ensure editorial polish before anything ships. Collaborate with our creative partners – working with designers on article graphics and printable materials, and with creative collaborators to set the vision for video and see it through to a finished product (this role provides creative direction, not hands-on video editing). Track and analyze the effectiveness of content across channels, ensuring the program steadily grows in reach, engagement, and impact. Support other Thought Leadership & Content workstreams and initiatives as directed. What You'll Bring to the Role Have a bachelor's degree (open to fields such as English, journalism, communications, marketing, political science, and others) and a minimum of 7–10 years of experience in content strategy, content management, or a closely related communications role. Bring a genuine foundation and background in writing – the ability to recognize genuinely good writing, understand what makes it work, and give precise, actionable feedback that moves content to where it needs to be. AI tools are reshaping how content gets drafted, but editorial judgment and writing instincts remain essential. Demonstrate proficiency and comfort using large language models and generative AI tools – including Writer and Microsoft Copilot – to accelerate content creation, research, editing, and ideation while maintaining brand, quality, and compliance standards. Be genuinely adaptable and open to change in how technology is used, with a willingness to evolve the team's methods as tools and capabilities advance. Possess a keen eye for video and visual content – able to set a creative vision and collaborate with creative partners to realize it, even without hands-on editing or design skills. Excel at managing process in a large, complex, highly governed organization – moving work through compliance, proofreading, and stakeholder review without losing momentum. Be a true owner of the work – capable of running a content workstream end to end, from strategy through execution, and energized by the chance to build a program from an early stage. Bring strong judgment about positioning and the nuances of messaging across distinct audiences. Skills You Have Content Management Plans, develops, and oversees the creation, publishing, and lifecycle of content across platforms and channels; understands content strategy, editorial calendars, and how to scale production while maintaining quality and consistency. Strategic Thinking Uses critical thinking and knowledge of business demand to plan, design, prioritize, and execute high-impact initiatives and programs. Cross Functional Partnering & Planning Facilitates collaboration, communication, coordination, and planning with individuals and teams from different functions within the organization, and who have different areas of expertise, to achieve common goals. Writing & Editing Creates and edits persuasive content so that it is appealing, understandable, or relatable to the intended audience; has knowledge of the variety of formats, styles, and techniques for developing and reviewing materials – and applies that judgment to content produced with AI assistance. Decision Making Makes timely, data-driven decisions by understanding the probability of success, identifying risks, gathering business requirements, and developing value statements. Project Management Plans, organizes, and manages work to deliver on time and to standard across multiple stakeholders, review cycles, and publishing platforms. Attention to Detail Maintains accuracy and consistency across a high volume of content, ensuring compliance, brand, and editorial standards are met before anything ships. Adaptability Embraces and advances the use of new technologies and ways of working, evolving methods as tools and capabilities change. EEO Employer Apex Systems is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate or allow discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, genetic information, registered domestic partner status, marital status, disability, status as a crime victim, protected veteran status, political affiliation, union membership, or any other characteristic protected by law. Apex will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable law. If you have visited our website in search of information on employment opportunities or to apply for a position, and you require an accommodation in using our website for a search or application, please contact our Employee Services Department at [email protected] or View phone number on click.appcast.io. #J-18808-Ljbffr