Senior Strategist

Who We Are:

At VML, we are a beacon of innovation and growth in an ever-evolving world. Our heritage is built upon a century of combined expertise, where creativity meets technology, and diverse perspectives ignite inspiration. With the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, we have forged a new path as a growth partner that is part creative agency, part consultancy, and part technology powerhouse.

Our global family now encompasses over 30,000 employees across 150+ offices in 64 markets, each contributing to a culture that values connection, belonging, and the power of differences. Our expertise spans the entire customer journey, offering deep insights in communications, commerce, consultancy, CRM, CX, data, production, and technology. We deliver end-to-end solutions that result in revolutionary work.

Who we're looking for:

The Senior Strategist is expected to have an expert understanding of the planning process and be able to educate and sell that value to the client. Senior Planners generate ideas and insights that drive new business opportunities with existing and perspective clients. A successful Senior Planner will be trusted by creative teams for passion for great work and ability to inspire it, embraced by the account teams for support in leading the client to better business-building and brand building ideas, and valued by the client for insightful perspective on the customers’ relationships with the brand at the highest levels of both agency and client organizations. Business leadership, senior client partnerships and strong agency commitment are necessary.

What you'll be doing:

Customer and Industry Trends

• Gather information and synthesize it meaningfully
• Be aware of cultural and social trends that affect the client’s business
• Create presentations on trends, research findings, ad testing, etc.
• Be aware of all available information resources, from quantitative syndicated info to qualitative secondary sources
• Identify important emerging trends that add value to the client that lead to new business opportunities for the agency
• Attending client briefings
• Determining strategic direction with Account Management and Creative
• Contributing to the creative brief
• Attending creative briefings
  
  
  

Client and New Business Research

• Must be able to maintain senior level relationships on multiple client assignments and must be viewed by these clients as a significant contributor on their business
• Be seen as the primary planners for big agency accounts
• Oversee Planners in the design and development of primary and secondary research from start to finish
• Confirm recommendations for preferred vendor relationships
• Manage research process from screener development to research facilitation
• Lead the distillation process – in conjunction with Planners, draw insights and recommendations from primary/secondary research findings for strategic and creative platforms and brand plans (Phase 1 and Phase 2)
• Deliver ideas grounded in consumer insights to the creative teams and account teams for current and perspective clients
• Assist the account team in developing selling strategies for the work and provide appropriate research support
• Act as a consultant for clients in designing their own research objectives and projects
• Facilitate workshops, work sessions, brainstorms, etc. and synthesize outcome into useful formats
  
  
  

Strategy Development and Ideation

• Vision and drive to set the course for brands and internal teams
• Be a steward and catalyst for great ideas and creative work
• Establish strong relationships with account and creative teams
• Demonstrate a high level of proficiency in all skills and knowledge demonstrated over an extended period of time in varied assignments and on various teams
• Guide Planners and Associate Planners through the process
• Inspire and champion great agency work
• Lead the team in developing brand/message briefs for current and perspective clients
• Create strong and effective briefs and lead the briefing process in a creative and inspirational way
• Aid development of strategic recommendations for all brand plans – making sure all plans and supporting tactics are grounded in client’s overall business objectives, while addressing key customer insights
• Think of new ways, techniques, programs, etc. to elevate the value of the planning team internally and externally·
• Providing input at the concept stage
  
  
  

Management

• Provide regular updates to internal team members and facilitate ongoing communications with direct reports
• Responsible for managing all team accounts, with an active role in the bigger accounts
• Be an inspirational leader within the department as well as in the greater agency
• Champion and exemplify the attitude and culture of the agency
• Develop ideas that go beyond the day to day scope of tasks and brands assigned and must successfully implement them
• Getting involved in formulating the case for the presentation, participate in writing it and attend client presentations to support the case
  
  
  

General

• Must interact with and influence the highest levels of client and agency teams
• Maintain awareness of the overall state of client needs and assist in defining internal and external growth opportunities
• Work with research agencies to ensure relevant results through proper briefing and also with research managers when presenting to clients
• Monitor consumer trends and maintain information sharing facility and library within the department that is accessible to all
  
  
  

What you'll need:

• University graduate in advertising, design, graphic design, sociology, market research or similar subject.
• Min 4 years of experience as market researchers, account managers, copy writers, sociologists or similar field.
• Ability to monitor sources of information on the markets occupied by our clients, and provide information and insight to the account team and client as appropriate
• Thorough understanding of major industry categories to be able to help in new business pitches and other activities to be able to respond to client or perspective needs
• Team player
• Passion for advertising
• Good imagination, foresight and intuition
• Combination of creativity, curiosity and analytical capabilities
• Personality is key (must get along with everyone, quickly gain respect and empathize with everyone in the Agency, especially Creatives.)
  
  
  

At VML, we are committed to fostering an all-inclusive work environment that is both rewarding and career-forward. Our Inclusion, Equity & Belonging initiatives, alongside the VML Foundation, reflect our dedication to giving back and making a positive impact in our communities and beyond. Our people are the heartbeat of our organization—creators, doers, innovators, makers, and thinkers—who drive not just marketing, but meaningful experiences that resonate in every action and interaction.

VML is a WPP Agency. For more information, please visit our website, and follow VML on our social channels via Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.

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