Sr. Creative Strategist

Loblaw; Toronto; On-site; CAD 100,000 - 132,000; Full time

Job summary

Loblaw Agency seeks a Senior Strategist who dives deep into people, culture, and the forces shaping brands. You’ll blend research with strategic thinking to uncover opportunities across markets, translating insights into compelling viewpoints, white papers, and trend reports.

You’ll lead AI-driven initiatives responsibly and partner with brand teams to drive growth through sharp briefs and strategic recommendations.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to conduct research, synthesize sources, and present evidence-based perspectives.
• Hands-on experience applying AI to research and strategy workflows.
• Strong writing and presentation skills to deliver clear, actionable recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Lead ongoing research across consumer behavior, culture, markets, and platforms.
• Develop proactive strategic content: POVs, white papers, trend reports, briefs.
• Shape AI adoption within the strategy department with practical workflows.
• Translate insights into briefs and recommendations that guide creative work.
• Present findings clearly to cross-functional teams to drive decisions.
• Use data to assess impact and refine strategic thinking.

Skills

Strategy

Insights

AI-native

Creative strategy

Storytelling

Education

Post-secondary education in marketing, business, social sciences, communications, or related field

Job description

Come make your difference in communities across Canada, where authenticity, trust and making connections is valued – as we shape the future of Canadian retail, together. Our unique position as one of the country’s largest employers, coupled with our commitment to positively impact the lives of all Canadians, provides our colleagues a range of opportunities and experiences to help Canadians Live Life Well®.

At Loblaw Companies Limited, we succeed through collaboration and commitment and set a high bar for ourselves and those around us. Whether you are just starting your career, re-entering the workforce, or looking for a new job, this is where you belong.

About us

At Loblaw Agency, we translate our customers’ needs into attention-grabbing, engaging work that speaks to Canadians and builds brand love. Join our growing team to help shape original, effective creative for some of Canada’s most loved and trusted brands.

The role

We’re looking for a Senior Strategist who is deeply curious about people, culture, and the forces shaping how brands grow. Part researcher, part strategic thinker, and part provocateur, you’ll connect emerging signals across markets, categories, consumers, and social platforms to uncover insights and opportunities others may not yet see.

This role goes beyond responding to briefs. You’ll help set the strategic agenda for Loblaw Agency by developing proactive perspectives, identifying emerging opportunities, and turning research into compelling points of view, white papers, trend reports, and other thought leadership. You’ll share what matters, explain why it matters, and show what brands should do about it.

You are AI-native, not simply interested in experimenting with new tools. You have a clear, informed perspective on how AI can strengthen research, insight development, strategic output, and team workflows. You’ll help shape and lead the practical adoption of AI within the strategy department, balancing ambition with critical judgment and responsible use.

You’ll also remain a strong creative strategy partner, translating business challenges into human insights, sharp briefs, and strategic recommendations that inspire effective creative work.

What you’ll do

• Lead ongoing research and intelligence gathering across consumer behaviour, culture, markets, categories, competitors, and emerging social platforms; distinguish meaningful shifts from passing noise.
• Identify and interpret cultural signals, changing audience behaviours, platform dynamics, and category developments, translating them into clear implications and opportunities for Loblaw businesses and brands.
• Own the development of proactive strategic content, including POVs, white papers, trend reports, opportunity briefs, and presentations, that provokes new thinking and helps guide future work.
• Build a consistent approach to sharing relevant insights and emerging trends with strategy, creative, and brand teams, making intelligence accessible, timely, and actionable.
• Help refine the department’s approach to AI: identify high-value applications, test and refine workflows, establish practical ways of working, and champion thoughtful adoption across research and strategy.
• Apply sound research methods and critical judgment to AI-assisted work, ensuring outputs are credible, useful, and appropriate for the business (zero AI hallucinations).
• Partner with brand teams and key functions, including Customer COE, Data & Insights, social, media, and PR, to connect available evidence with business challenges and new growth opportunities.
• Develop compelling creative briefs, communications strategies, brand and audience frameworks, and integrated recommendations grounded in strong human insight.
• Present complex findings and strategic recommendations with clarity and conviction; facilitate discussions that challenge assumptions and move teams toward decisions.
• Use campaign, brand, consumer, and platform performance data to assess effectiveness, identify learning, and inform future strategic thinking.

What you’ll bring

• 5+ years of experience in strategy, planning, insights, or a related role, ideally within a creative agency or similarly fast-moving brand environment.
• A demonstrated ability to conduct research, synthesize diverse sources, spot emerging patterns, and turn findings into original, evidence-based perspectives.
• Strong knowledge of consumer behaviour, cultural trends, category dynamics, and the evolving social and digital platform landscape.
• A portfolio or track record of thought leadership, strategic narratives, trend analyses, research reports, or proactive recommendations, not just campaign briefs.
• AI-native fluency: hands-on experience applying AI to research and strategic work, plus a distinct point of view on how to operationalize it within a team. The ability to evaluate tools critically and introduce better ways of working is essential.
• A strong foundation in creative strategy, brand positioning, communications planning, and advertising effectiveness.
• Excellent writing, storytelling, and presentation skills, with an ability to make complex information simple, compelling, and actionable.
• Intellectual curiosity, independent thinking, sound judgment, and the confidence to challenge conventional approaches constructively.
• The ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders, manage competing priorities, and operate effectively within a complex organization.
• Post-secondary education in marketing, business, social sciences, communications, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

Our commitment to Sustainability and Social Impact is an essential part of the way we do business, and we focus our attention on areas where we can have the greatest impact. Our approach to sustainability and social impact is based on three pillars – Environment, Sourcing and Community – and we are constantly looking for ways to demonstrate leadership in these important areas. Our CORE Values – Care, Ownership, Respect and Excellence – guide all our decision-making and come to life through our Blue Culture. We offer our colleagues progressive careers, comprehensive training, flexibility, and other competitive benefits – these are some of the many reasons why we are one of Canada’s Top Employers, Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, Canada’s Greenest Employers & Canada’s Top Employers for Young People.

We have a long-standing focus on diversity, equity and inclusion because we know it will make our company a better place to work and shop. We are committed to creating accessible environments for our colleagues, candidates and customers. Requests for accommodation due to a disability (which may be visible or invisible, temporary or permanent) can be made at any stage of application and employment. We encourage candidates to make their accommodation needs known so that we can provide equitable opportunities.

Please Note

Candidates who are 18 years or older are required to complete a criminal background check. Details will be provided through the application process.

Hiring Range / Échelle salariale à l’embauche :

$100,000.00 - $132,000.00 / 100.000,00$ - 132.000,00$ (per year / par an)

A candidate’s experience and knowledge as well as the geographical region in which the position is located may be factored into the pay a candidate receives for this position. This posting is for an existing vacancy. The Company uses artificial intelligence for the purpose of screening, assessing and/or selecting applicants for this position. / L’expérience et les connaissances d’un candidat ainsi que la région géographique dans laquelle le poste est situé peuvent être prises en compte dans la rémunération qu’un candidat reçoit pour ce poste. Cette offre d’emploi concerne un poste vacant existant. L’entreprise utilise l’intelligence artificielle dans le but de filtrer, d’évaluer et/ou de sélectionner les candidats à ce poste.