Associate Director - Brand Strategy

Associate Director – 2 roles

We are working on two exceptional briefs for experienced brand strategy consultants, one of who should have a weighting towards marketing / strategic communications.
Our client is an exciting new consultancy bringing together a blend of insight, strategy and imagination to high profile clients across the globe. If you are an AD or an experienced Strategy Consultant looking to move up to AD level, are genuinely passionate about brands and brand strategy, then we would like to talk to you. You’re someone who must have an appetite for understanding how businesses run and have a proven ability to use brand to make an impact on their performance. With an acute eye and natural flair for finding opportunities, you are flexible, rigorous and resourceful and adept at establishing valuable long-term relationships.

Your skills & experience

You are likely to have extensive business experience, either client or consultancy side. You are fluent in research disciplines, either coming from a research background yourself or adept at integrating research into strategy programmes. You have a strong working knowledge of and experience in brand strategy and associated frameworks. You are used to building strong client relationships, generating revenue and developing business, whilst delivering great work. As well as being a great storyteller, your financial fluency and strong commercial acumen makes you a force to reckon with. Your clients will trust you and you will have the respect of your peers. But you want more.

The role 

Your specialism will be in strategy, but you will have an interest in everything else that our client does, from market research and insight to data analytics, design and innovation. You will be given responsibility from day one, working with the team to set the strategic vision on a project, as well as scoping and selling in new projects (i.e. challenging the brief, setting objectives, defining activities, deliverables, fees and timings). You are persuasive and bold, creating compelling narrative arguments to sell in recommendations and you will have a creative flair, working with the Creative team to generate fresh ideas and ensure the creative work supports the strategy and agreed objectives. The overall aim is to produce outstanding client work.

Key Skills
Overview:

• Extensive business experience, gained either on the client or consultancy side
• Genuine passion for brands and branding
• Strong working knowledge of brand strategy programmes
• Track record in leading successful business development, both new and organic
• Versatility to work in management of hybrid roles e.g., copywriting, design direction, insight
• Financial fluency and strong commercial acumen – proven ability to run the commercial side of projects
• Fluent English speaker with persuasive communication skills (oral and written) 
• A knack for building and leading valuable long-term client relationships.

Outstanding client work

• Leading strategic programmes of work – with clients and teams
• Scoping and selling in new projects. This covers: challenging the brief, setting objectives, defining activities, deliverables, fees and timings.
• Developing new product offerings, tools or approaches in a client context.
• Using distilled insights to guide development of original ideas and points of view.
• Creating a compelling narrative argument to sell in recommendations.

New business and long-term relationships

• Leading on pitching, proposal writing and converting new business opportunities.
• Growing the client relationship by acting as the trusted go-to person, ensuring all work meets or exceeds expectations and is delivered on time and on budget. 

What can our client offer you?

A dynamic and growing place to work, flexible working, competitive salary, generous holiday allowance, and flexible benefits package.