Senior Strategy Director (Corporate Folio)

McCann Manchester Limited; London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading branding agency in London seeks a Senior Strategist to oversee and deliver high-level brand strategy projects. The role requires deep expertise in corporate strategy, strong leadership skills, and the ability to drive positive change within the team. This position offers a hybrid work model and a range of benefits, including private medical insurance and flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

Private Medical Insurance

Life Assurance

Pension

25 days of annual holiday

Enhanced parental leave pay

Qualifications

• Deep expertise in corporate strategy and brand architecture.
• Experience leading strategy projects across multiple industries.
• High-level communication skills for client presentations and team leadership.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and deliver strategic projects while mentoring team members.
• Drive positive change and improve collaboration across teams.
• Identify revenue opportunities and develop client relationships.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic Thinking

Brand Strategy

Communication

Education

Degree in Business, Marketing, or related field

Job description

Job Description

Hybrid (3 days in our Bishopsgate, London office)

We’re FutureBrand - the flagship branding agency within the multi-award-winning global advertising agency network McCann Worldgroup.

FutureBrand:

24 years young with a head full of big brand experience and a gaze fixed firmly on the future, our work over the last two decades has changed the brand landscape today. What we do next will change tomorrow.

We’re based in some of the most exciting and vibrant cities on the planet, balancing global scale with cultural connection. That means we’re on the doorstep of many of the world’s biggest brands, and within reach of the very best talent around.

Together, we are a diverse brand, experience and design community who believe that brand is how a company’s people, products and services behave wherever and whenever they show up in the world. Our work focuses on measuring and maximizing brand behaviour by connecting corporate purpose with everyday lived experience.

It's through this work that we deliver our purpose: To transform the future of businesses by changing how their brands behave today.

And because we believe strongly that the future our brands create must be a future for us all, our shared values - Progressive, Adaptable, Collaborative and Empowering - put difference and diversity at our core.

The Strategy team is a key part of FutureBrand London’s ongoing success. We’re 10+ strong with a good balance from junior’s up to senior directors - all sharing a strong desire to deliver fantastic work and have fun doing it.

This is a chance to be part of it. We’re looking for two things. Firstly, a rockstar strategist that’s got their head around the brand strategy basics (immersion, architecture, positioning, purpose, naming, messaging...) and had the chance to deploy those skills across a good mix of corporate brands.

Secondly, a charismatic leader that wants to establish a profile and put their mark on FutureBrand London by (one day) leaving the team stronger than when they found it. Someone that wants to lean in. Create something. Build something. Improve something. Fix something. Write something. Run something.

So in brand archetype terms, that’s probably a mixture of Sage, Hero, Creator and Caregiver, with a dash of Outlaw and a reassuring touch of Everyman.

Easy, right?

Responsibilities

• This is a senior role in the team and will see you both ‘overseeing’ and ‘doing’, meaning you will simultaneously be expected to provide senior strategic oversight on projects being delivered by others in the team, while also rolling your sleeves up and taking responsibility yourself for delivery on others
• A true strategic lead, challenging the way we do things and driving positive change so we produce our best strategy work and improve collaboration across strategy, creative and client services
• A regular pitch team member in new business opportunities, bringing your experience and skills to bear to deliver high level, hypothesis-led strategic thinking within reduced timeframes while taking responsibility for pitch team planning, cohesion and morale
• Know FutureBrand’s offer and approach and understand when and how to bolster our capabilities with internal (IPG) or external agencies, introducing, getting to know and fostering strong relationships with trusted partners that can benefit our team
• Identify revenue opportunities from existing clients and from the application of new methodologies, proactively developing plans to extend client relationships and spotting opportunities to establish new products or practice areas within the strategy team
• Exercise your curious mind by bringing in leading edge thinking from the world around us, building a profile as a thought leader and sparking great conversations internally and helping enhance our reputation externally
• Proactively suggest ideas to shape team meeting, inspire the team and contribute to the philosophy of leaving the team stronger than when you found it
• Contribute to a highly collaborative and energized agency atmosphere in which inclusion, collaboration and positive disruption are encouraged

Skills and Competencies

• At this level you’ll be expected to use your knowledge and expertise to confidently lead a full breadth of strategy projects (i.e. brand analysis, architecture, naming, purpose, positioning, experience, etc) across multiple industries
• This particular role requires deep expertise in corporate strategy and the discipline of brand architecture (i.e. proficient at architectural strategy, navigation frameworking, organising principles, migration strategy, nomenclature, decision trees, etc)
• As a senior leader, you will also be expected to have a firm grasp of the commercial side of agency performance, taking responsibility for driving efficiency and profitability (i.e. scoping, cost proposals, margin, utilisation, etc) in the delivery of strategic work across the team
• You will be a high-level communicator able to effectively manage upwards and downwards, comfortable and confident in any scenario whether that’s presenting to clients, writing copy, facilitating workshops, critiquing design work or delivering feedback to peers and colleagues
• As a manager with direct reports, you’ll champion team members and support their development through hands on support and mentoring. You’ll use your experience to advise, guide and inspire while identifying and addressing development areas and providing bespoke performance development plans

FutureBrand London

We’ve got everything from cycle racks and showers to our own bar and rooftop terrace. Our in-house Culture Club ensure there’s always something going on to inspire, enlighten and connect us, and being next-door to Eataly and a mere salivatory glance from Spitalfields market means lunchtimes are never dull. We offer a great range of benefits that include Private Medical Insurance, Life Assurance, Pension, Group Income Protection, 25 days of annual holiday (which increases with service), enhanced maternity, paternity and shared parental leave pay, an Employee Assistance Programme and more. There are also a range of flexible benefits to boost your lifestyle, support good health and protect your future.

There’s around 85 of us here working across some of the worlds most coveted brands. To stay ahead of the game, we’re pretty keen on fostering collective cultural curiosity around the things shaping the corporate, consumer and brand landscape today and tomorrow (we call it FutureFocus). So whether the focus is on disruptive technologies, geopolitical developments or societal cultural trends, you can expect events, guest speakers and workshops in the studio on a regular basis – with drinks and snacks of course.

We believe that ideas get better when they are inherently diverse and shared in highly inclusive ways and we want to hear from those who think differently from us. We truly believe in the strength of diversity and the richness it can bring. By bringing different people together great things happen.

FutureBrand is an equal opportunity employer (EEO). We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.

FutureBrand is a disability-confident committed employer and will guarantee an interview to any disabled candidate who meets the minimum criteria for the role. Exceptions may apply if due to the volume of applications, we are not able to interview all eligible candidates who qualify under the scheme. If you have a disability, we want everyone to feel at ease when going through our recruitment process. We are working to make our website and processes more accessible, if you encounter any issues and would like this information in an alternative format, or if you need further support with your application, please contact us at [e-mail] for any adjustments you may need to perform at your best.

FutureBrand is a brand-led business transformation company. We believe that brand is behaviour. For too long, brand has been thought of as intangible when in fact, it is a highly pragmatic business tool that ensures products, services, environments, and employees show up in the world in ways that are consistent with their organisation’s purpose and ambition. We exist to make brand tangible for our clients by connecting brand to experience and design creativity that in turn connects to marketing and business outcomes. This ensures that our work stands out and endures over time.