Group Strategy Director

n n nnAt Wunderman Thompson we exist to inspire growth for ambitious brands.

Part creative agency, part consultancy and part technology company, our experts provide end-to-end capabilities at a global scale to deliver inspiration across the entire brand and customer experience.nn nnWe are 20,000 strong in 90 markets around the world; our people bring together creative storytelling, diverse perspectives, inclusive thinking, and highly specialized vertical capabilities to drive growth for our clients.

We offer deep expertise across the entire customer journey, including communications, commerce, consultancy, CRM, CX, data, production, and technology.nn n Who we are looking for: n nnWunderman Thompson is seeking a Group Strategy Director to partner with our longstanding client the United States Marine Corps to continue to help achieve their recruitment effort and brand building missions.

This is a unique opportunity for a civic minded strategist with knowledge of the military to work with one of America’s most respected institutions, helping the Marines translate their culture, ethos and story to grow interest in service among a broad cross-section of Americans across multiple, evolving platforms.

The ideal candidate is an innately innovative strategist with a solid foundation in brand planning and proven cross channel communications planning expertise.

The role demands a visionary leader who thrives in structured organizations while maintaining an entrepreneurial mindset.nn n What you’ll do:  n Lead | Lead, inspire, motivate, mentor and retain an outstanding planning and strategy team dedicated to long term client success.

Review, manage and deploy team resources in a way that supports client, business, and personal team goals.

Command the room in client meetings when discussing the challenges and opportunities of the day, building trust and confidence in how we think and support our client.

Work | Uncover novel insights and develop innovative communications and experience ideas.

Constantly separate signals from noise in a large quantity of information and rapidly distill it for key stakeholders and creators.

Share perspectives and recommendations clearly and persuasively (both orally and in written form), demonstrating a strong storytelling capability.

Develop strategic deliverables that include research synthesis, creative briefs, prospect/audience journeys, competitive analysis, content strategy, and compelling brand positioning.

Contribute business and technical knowledge related to client business, consumer behavior, and digital transformation.

Client Partnerships| Partner with agency and client counterparts to develop the annual marketing strategy and plan, while effectively leading the evolution of brand strategy.

Consult with client partners and agency leadership on strategy, while promoting and encouraging the appropriate application of research and customer data to assist in decision making.

Monitor the recruitment-aged youth and recruiting landscape, to understand and inform client goals.

Collaborate | Work with the data, creative and account management teams to ensure all client deliverables are flawlessly executed and on strategy.

Engage academia, journalists, researchers, and social theorists to stay ahead of trends and issues central to American ideas of military service.

Thought Leadership | Immerse yourself in the culture, literature and doctrine of the Marine Corps.

Explore the civic and political-cultural landscape affecting attitudes, beliefs and behaviors associated with the military.

Apply a civic-first (not market-first) perspective to ignite new ideas that help attract recruitable youth.

Use your experience and knowledge to inspire and motivate the client and the team.

Growth | Utilize the wide-ranging, WPP/WT network to identify clear areas of opportunity, introduce new capabilities, and convert them into solutions to add value to client propositions.

Be a trusted partner to the client and strengthen client relationships.

n Who you are: n A builder | Entrepreneurial attitude coupled with strong business acumen.

Ability and appetite to bring people together.

Innate ability to marshal people and create gravity around ideas.

Open and collaborative | Our team is close-knit and supportive and we’re working with a lot of unknowns – you must be a champion of team environments that are comfortable, inclusive and encouraging.

Optimistic, confident and resilient | Dig in and figure out how to work around problems.

Exemplify a “Yes and why not?” posture.

Takes care of self and team.

Balance needed to maintain stamina and positivity.

Ego-less | We all wear the hats that need wearing, it’s a mentality that makes the team successful.

Relentlessly Curious | An avid reader and thinker.

Always on the hunt for new information to form hypotheses and reinforce agency recommendations with compelling data, perspectives and evidence.

n What you’ll need:  n 20+ years of strategic planning experience in an agency, marketing or consulting environment.

Deep interest and experience studying political-cultural issues, and strong command of generational attitudes about these issues.

Ability to inspire and nurture great ideas that live across channels and platforms.

Mine provocative insights that form the basis of creative strategies and marketing plans.

Deep knowledge of the technology and media landscape with an ability to identify unmet needs and inspire human-centric experiences.

Strong leadership skills and a history of partnering with senior clients to achieve business and marketing goals.

Understanding of available research and data resources, with the ability to apply the right method and tool to the right learning objective.

Primary and secondary research capabilities, with the ability to design research methodology and interpret results for executive level stakeholders.

Experience presenting to diverse audiences and stakeholders, including government policymakers, leaders, and partners.

Track record of working in collaborative, fast-paced environments, while navigating the demands to structure and process.

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