Strategy Director

About UnitedUs

UnitedUs is a Brighton-based brand agency that works with clients to unite their people, find their purpose, and realise their potential. Approaching ten years in the game, our work has won international awards for design, strategy, communications and effectiveness, and we’re proud to be Great Place to Work-Certified™.

All of our projects are informed by solid strategies - whether that’s identifying the gap in the market where a brand can flourish, grounding a campaign in the needs and desires of the audience it's trying to reach, or understanding the business levers that would help our clients to achieve their potential. Our strategists are integrated with account management, planning and experience design to ensure that we not only understand our clients, but can foster a candid relationship - asking them deep questions and challenging each other's perceptions.

Strategy informs everything we do. Over the past year we’ve undertaken a variety of projects across Europe and North America from devising a brand strategy and market positioning for a multinational and multilingual employer of over 3,000 people, provided a clear market positioning for Aon when it comes to ESG, and helped Annie Lennox reimagine the identity and ambitions of her global feminist charity, and so much more.

We actively seek projects where we know brand can make an impact - not just to the financial performance of our clients, but to the people who work there and the communities they serve. As such, we are guided by strong ethical principles and are proudly building an agency that retains the power to say ‘no’ to projects that run counter to our values. The only brands worth building are ones that are fit for the future - relevant, sustainable, and socially responsible.

People

We are searching for a Strategy Director to build out our discipline - someone who not only relishes being in the throng of meaty challenges with C-Suite clients, but wants to take an active role in shaping and nurturing a team of strategic thinkers, planners and designers. At UnitedUs, strategists are the linch pins between commerce and creativity - helping our clients to leverage the power of brand to overcome challenges and ignite their potential. If you’re the kind of person who is deeply curious, an intuitive connector, and can take the reins leading the team and our clients with compassion, this might well be the role for you.

Purpose

The person we’re looking for in this role will be able to identify business and human insights, unite client teams around clearly articulated brand purpose and inspire them with imaginative creative solutions. You’ll lead a small team of strategists, whose backgrounds span creative and experiential approaches to brand, and will look to you for guidance and mentorship in their own development. Strategy is far from a back office offering at UnitedUs, and as such you’ll be at the forefront of new business development - fostering relationships and getting to know our clients from the get-go.

Potential

There is huge potential in this role to shape impactful brands, develop people, and be a fundamental part of defining our future while making your own mark. This role doesn’t exist in isolation, as you’ll form part of the emerging leadership team alongside digital and creative directors, and our Partners - who’ll support you and your own development.

We’re looking for someone who wants to claim their place in our team. By investing in our people we are able to help each person craft the role they want at UnitedUs, and equip them with the tools and skills they need to get there.

Some of the great reasons to work at UnitedUs include:

• Up to two additional weeks off at Christmas
• Summer Time (Fridays off in August)
• Work in a Great Place to Work-Certified™ agency
• Flexible working between the studio and your home
• Be part of our agency rituals - Bacon & Waffles, Foodie Fridays, Book Club, house parties, and away days
• Complimentary use of the UnitedUs Palm Penthouse for one weekend a year
• Personal development budget

Job role

• Create and lead the brand and marketing strategies for our clients, bringing brands to life through creative campaigns in a variety of media.
• Work very closely with clients to establish trusted and long-term relationships.
• Get to know as much as possible about the client's businesses, aspirations and goals to better inform the overall project for UnitedUs - and spot new business opportunities along the way.
• Work with our clients to set KPI and measure campaign performances over extended periods of time, using those to make incremental changes that improve client outcomes.
• Lead projects from start to finish both locally and internationally as needed.
• Ensure the whole team are developing strategies that inform compelling creative.
• Ability to leverage brand language, develop key messaging and deliver storytelling frameworks.
• Be an active participant in the lifecycle of our accounts, from briefing the creative team to being on hand at all points in the project to offer strategic insight.
• Lead and create workshops and training for our clients.
• Develop client relationships and nurture account growth.
• Collaborate with peers across the agency to deliver best-in-class, impactful brands
• Write strategy documents and compile new and engaging ways of delivering the business and creative strategy to clients that not only impress them with the depth and content, but also the creative presentation as well.
• Nurture a growing strategy team, ensuring their personal wellbeing and career development.
• Work alongside the Partners to design the UnitedUs approach to brand strategy.
• Be a positive influence on the organisation, be prepared for and welcome the creative and strategic challenges that the role will present and maintain a positive approach to resolve them.

Required skills and experience

• 10 years experience working in a senior brand strategy, service design, business consultancy or similar role, with a track record of leading growing teams.
• Demonstrable experience in delivering award-winning and/or impactful brands and creative campaigns.
• A deep understanding of how business objectives and brand strategy are intrinsically linked.
• Outstanding client relationship management and a rich network of multidisciplinary contacts.
• You are adept in long term organisational transformation - and skilled at providing impetus, inspiration and unity throughout.
• A solid grip of resource management and strategic planning, both internally and for clients.
• A diverse portfolio of B2B and B2C client experience with an international footprint.

Desirable

• The ability to bring candour, humility and joy throughout your work
• A burning desire to develop a thriving team, married with the patience to do it with kindness.

Additional information

• You can explore our work and portfolio at unitedus.co.uk
• Find out what we’re looking for, and what it’s like to work at UnitedUs via our Wired Sussex Meet The Team session
• We particularly welcome applications from under-represented groups in the creative industry including Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates
• Applicants must have the existing right to work in the United Kingdom as we are currently unable to sponsor work visas at this stage
• Whilst we offer flexible working this isn’t a remote role
• No recruiters… pretty please.