Associate Director, Creative Strategy & Planning (Advertising)

Wasserman; Los Angeles (CA); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Professional Development

Generous Time Off

Parental Leave

401k Plan with Matching

Healthcare Coverage

Ancillary Benefits

Commuter Benefits

Job summary

The TEAM seeks an Associate Director, Creative Strategy to unlock consumer insights and translate them into compelling brand opportunities. The role is full-time and hybrid, working in-office 3x/week from LA or Dumbo, Brooklyn, with exposure to sports, entertainment, and culture-driven campaigns.

You’ll lead briefs, develop strategic notions, guide ideation, and collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams to drive measurable client impact and business growth.

Qualifications

• 4-6 years of experience in brand, social, digital strategy, or comms strategy.
• Agency experience with national/global brands in tech or QSR.
• Curious, proactive and able to think creatively for strategy.
• Able to spot emerging creators and trends early.
• Strong communication skills, written and verbal.
• Proven leadership in cross-functional teams.
• Experience with trend forecasting and cultural analysis.
• Comfort using AI-powered tools to enhance strategy work streams.

Responsibilities

• Develop insights from consumer, category, culture to create client-facing strategies.
• Lead pitches and new business responses with upfront strategy.
• Identify and translate trends into actionable brand ideas.
• Guide ideation through concept development and presenting to clients.
• Keep projects aligned with client goals and brand values.
• Monitor trends in sports, entertainment, lifestyle, culture.
• Collaborate with teams and clients to drive measurable business impact.

Skills

Brand strategy

Social strategy

Digital strategy

Communications strategy

Tools

AI tools

Job description

THE TEAM is proud to provide representation and marketing services to talent, brands and properties across 28 countries and more than 70 cities worldwide. Our brands and properties group partners with iconic brands and rights holders to turn relevance into revenue through integrated strategy and consulting, creative, live experiences and commercialization. We help clients understand, connect to and inspire global audiences by bringing together brands, properties and talent/creators to build meaningful relationships that drive measurable business outcomes.

Shaped by our belief in the unifying power of sports, music and entertainment, THE TEAM leads with intelligence, ideas and influence. For more information, please visit the.team.

JOB OVERVIEW:

THE TEAM is a global marketing and talent management company where cultural expertise meets strategic excellence. We’re seeking an Associate Director, Creative Strategy who understands how to unlock consumer insights, connect them with cultural and industry trends, and develop compelling strategies that drive impact.

If you’re someone who instinctively understands why certain trends capture audiences’ attention, can predict emerging cultural movements, and can transform these insights into meaningful brand opportunities, this role is for you.

This is a full-time role that is hybrid in office 3x/week from either the LA or Dumbo, Brooklyn office.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

• Creative Brief Development – Work collaboratively with the insights and analytics team, account, and creative teams to lead the distillation of key information from consumer, category, culture, and company into actionable insights and a clear, compelling point of view for substantial client projects. Briefs can and will span across multiple disciplines: IE: Social, Creator, Project and Brand Briefs.
• Business Development – Contribute to new business response development; including preparation and delivery of pitches – particularly around driving the strategic upfront and creative set-up– and the onboarding of new business wins.
• Proactively drive client business growth by anticipating trends and cultural shifts, bringing forward actionable insights and ideas, and evolving brand and communications strategy to strengthen positioning and align with business and campaign goals.
• Develop ideas that push the envelope and push your presentation skills. A winning combination of confidence and intelligence will help you sell great work internally and to clients.
• Stay involved after the briefing process to help guide creative ideation and concepts throughout the process, ensuring that we produce breakthrough work that drives our clients’ businesses forward.
• Understand the landscape for the client business/sector as well as the industry contexts for their investments and their brand values, direction, and big picture objectives.
• Monitor ongoing creative trends across categories and industries; specifically with a concentration within sports, entertainment, lifestyle, and culture, to offer relevant creative recommendations.
• Lead high-level, long-term creator strategy and vision, including campaign planning, creator archetype and tier identification.
• Champion the collaborative approach. Help the agency work more closely with the client and encourage your team to build relationships with account handlers.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

• 4-6 years of experience in brand, social, digital strategy, or comms strategy.
• Agency experience, experience working with national/global brands especially in tech or QSR.
• Innate curiosity, proactiveness, and the ability to think creatively when planning strategy, taking into account client objectives, key insights, and practical parameters.
• Natural ability to spot emerging creators and trends before they break.
• Develop creative strategic solutions that address the client’s business challenges/ goals.
• Possess exceptional communication skills, both orally and in writing. Superior interpersonal skills and the ability to create rapport with people.
• Demonstrated ability to be an effective leader in a cross-functional team environment.
• Proven track record of trend forecasting and cultural analysis that informs strategic recommendations.
• AI fluency- Comfort using AI-powered tools to enhance strategic
• work streams—such as research synthesis, insight development, brainstorming, and presentation development.

What We Offer

• Professional Development: Take advantage of our learning and development programs, mentorship opportunities, and career advancement support.
• Generous Time Off: Enjoy generous paid time off and holiday allowances to recharge and spend time with loved ones.
• Parental Leave: We provide paid parental leave to support your family during important life events.
• Retirement Plan: 401k plan including contribution matching.
• Healthcare: Medical, dental, vision, FSA/HSA, life and disability coverage options.
• Ancillary: Critical illness, identity protection, pet insurance, 529 plans and more
• Commuter Benefits: Access support for travel and commuting needs, where available

Base salary range: $110- $120k, plus bonus potential if applicable for role.

Actual base salary is dependent on several factors including but not limited to; market dynamics, location and region, experience, specialized skills/training (education), level of responsibility, budgetary considerations, tenure at the company (for current employees), etc. The salary range listed is just one component of the total compensation package for employees. Compensation decisions are dependent on circumstances of each role.

THE TEAM does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other reason prohibited by law in provision of employment opportunities and benefits.