Creative Strategy Director

Creative Strategy Director Application Deadline: 13 October 2026 Department: Creative - Director Employment Type: Full Time Location: Detroit Description This is an opportunity to play a key creative role in one of Imagination's longest-standing client relationships: Ford Motor Company and other Imagination clients. We're looking for a creative thinker, storyteller and writer who can move comfortably between strategy and ideas. Someone who can take a complex client challenge, find the opportunity within it, and turn it into a clear creative direction that a team can get excited about. You are part Creative Director, part strategist and part writer. You'll work closely with Ford and other Imagination clients to understand their business, their brands, their audiences and the stories they want to tell. You'll challenge and unpack briefs, identify the real opportunity, and translate them into clear strategic and creative briefs for our teams. You'll also be hands‑on in the work. Depending on the project, you might lead the creative response, develop initial territories and thought starters, write a manifesto, name an experience, shape positioning, develop a film treatment or work alongside a Creative Director to turn a strategic idea into something bigger. Some projects you'll own. On others, you'll be the strategic and creative partner who comes in at the right moments to make the work sharper, clearer and more compelling. This isn't a traditional strategy role. It's a creative role with a strong strategic point of view. We're looking for a high performer who thrives in a fast‑moving, collaborative environment. Someone adaptable, resourceful and comfortable moving between different kinds of challenges, projects and teams. Our best people take ownership, move quickly when needed and aren't afraid to roll up their sleeves and get into the work. You should be energized by variety, comfortable with ambiguity and able to adapt as the brief, the team or the opportunity changes. Key Responsibilities Turn briefs into opportunities You'll work closely with our account and client teams to understand what Ford is really asking for, not simply what the brief says. Deconstruct client briefs and identify the underlying business, brand and audience and challenges Reframe briefs into clear strategic and creative opportunities Develop internal creative briefs that give teams a clear direction and something meaningful to respond to Identify the key thought, tension, insight or cultural opportunity that can unlock the work Bring clarity to complex challenges and help teams understand what we're trying to achieve and why Shape ideas and creative territories You'll be an active contributor to the creative process, not simply the person who briefs the creatives. Develop creative territories, thought starters and early-stage ideas. Work with Creative Directors and creative teams to evolve ideas into compelling concepts. Bring a strong point of view to the work while knowing when to step back and let others build. Help connect strategy to experiences, content, live events, digital and broader brand storytelling. Develop the narrative architecture behind major Ford programs and brand moments. Present and sell creative thinking internally and to clients. Write the story Words will be an important part of your craft. You'll be comfortable writing and developing: Creative briefs Positioning statements Brand and experience narratives Manifestos Concept descriptions Experience and event names Campaign and platform names Audience propositions Objectives and strategic frameworks Presentation narratives Film and content treatments Scripts and voiceover Pitch and presentation decks in Google Slides Case-study and award language when required You'll have a strong instinct for how a story should flow, knowing how to structure and organize a deck, what belongs on the page, what belongs in the room, and how to build a clear narrative that takes an audience from challenge, through opportunity, to the idea. You'll know how to make complex thinking simple, compelling and easy to buy into, whether you're writing a manifesto, shaping a presentation for an executive audience or helping a creative team articulate an idea. You don't need to be a traditional copywriter. But you do need to know when an idea needs fewer words, better words or a completely different story. You're not expected to be a graphic designer, but you should have a strong eye for presentation craft and be comfortable working with designers and creatives to make the thinking look as good as it sounds. Own creative projects On selected projects, you'll act as a creative lead, taking responsibility for the thinking and storytelling from brief through to delivery. That could include: Establishing a creative direction Leading internal creative teams and freelance talent Working closely with production to make sure the ambition can become reality Partnering with digital and content producers on film, social and digital storytelling Guiding the development of decks, treatments and client presentations Presenting work and facilitating creative conversations with Ford Maintaining a clear creative point of view throughout the project On other projects, you'll plug into the team at key moments, providing strategic thinking, writing and creative development where it's needed most Know the Ford brand Ford is a significant part of our business, and this role requires someone who can quickly understand and contribute to the brand conversation. You'll develop a deep understanding of Ford's brands, products, audiences, culture and ways of communicating. You'll be able to recognize what feels authentically Ford, while also knowing when the opportunity is to push the brand somewhere new. You'll bring an understanding of how Ford can show up across culture, entertainment, automotive, sport, technology and people's everyday lives. Skills, Knowledge and Expertise What Makes You Right For This Role: You're a creative thinker who knows how to turn strategy into ideas. You probably have a background in creative direction, copywriting, creative strategy, brand storytelling or some combination of all four. You're equally comfortable staring at a blank page, challenging a client brief, writing a manifesto, shaping a presentation or sitting with a creative team working out what the idea should actually be. You're: A natural storyteller who can make complex ideas simple and compelling A strong writer with an instinct for language, tone and narrative Strategically minded, with the ability to move from business challenge to creative opportunity Comfortable developing ideas and thought starters rather than waiting for fully formed creative concepts Confident structuring and building presentations in Google Slides, with a strong understanding of how to organize information and create a compelling narrative Able to turn strategic thinking into presentations that are clear, persuasive and visually engaging Curious about culture, audiences, brands and the world around them Able to understand a client's business and translate that understanding into creative work. Confident presenting to senior clients and defending a point of view Comfortable collaborating with Creative, Account, Production and Digital teams Able to lead when the project requires it and contribute when someone else is leading Comfortable managing freelance creative talent when required Rigorous enough to know when an idea is interesting and when it is actually useful Generous in collaboration and able to make the people around you better Experience using AI image-generation tools or other rapid visualization tools to create concept visuals, moodboards, storyboards or early-stage creative explorations is a bonus. You're not expected to be an AI specialist, but you should be curious about emerging tools and know how to use them to help make an idea tangible, quickly. Most importantly, you don't see strategy and creativity as separate disciplines. You see them as two parts of the same process. What Success Looks Like: Success in this role means making the work better. It means Ford trusts you to help them articulate what they're trying to achieve. It means our creative teams receive briefs that give them clarity, inspiration and room to make great work. It means our ideas have a strong strategic foundation without feeling like strategy documents. And it means the final work is distinctive, relevant, creatively ambitious and unmistakably right for the client. You’ll be successful when you can move fluidly between the client conversation, the strategic challenge, the creative idea and the words that bring it all to life. Benefits What we can offer you: Work with a state-of-the-art product and deliver it to exciting and innovative brands Learning and development opportunities that contribute to professional growth A fun, engaging work culture Be part of a mission-driven team that values agility, integrity, and excellence Opportunity to contribute to large-scale, high-impact projects from day one Dedicated personal growth & development through our GrowForward programme Benefits and perks offered: Comprehensive paid time off benefits Hybrid work model, where our team comes into the office a minimum of 3 days per week Generous parental leave Up to 4% safe harbor company 401k match Comprehensive, low-cost health benefits #J-18808-Ljbffr ImagiNation