Brand Strategist: Insight-Driven Creative Partner

Zambezi; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 75,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance (100% employer-paid)

Life insurance

Disability insurance

401(k) matching

Open PTO policy

Wellness stipends

Continuing education stipend

Job summary

Zambezi is an independent, women-owned agency recognized as Ad Age Small Agency of the Year 2026. We’re seeking a Brand Strategist in the Los Angeles area to drive audience insights, cultural relevance, and impactful briefs across client projects.

The role emphasizes collaboration with creative, media, and account teams, with a focus on strategic grounding for breakthrough work and active participation in new business and AI-informed diagnostics.

Qualifications

• Approximately 3+ years of brand strategy or similar experience in marketing or advertising.
• Capacity to distill information to what’s most interesting.
• Excellent verbal, written and collaboration skills.
• Ability to present information clearly and concisely.
• Highly organized and have high attention to detail.
• Proficient with data tools like MRI and Waldo.
• Well-versed in social media, including experience across key platforms - TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.
• Excited to create the best work of your career.
• Eagerness about strategic planning and brand development, with a desire to grow within the field.

Responsibilities

• Research & Insights: Hunt for what’s interesting and fresh; keep team up-to-speed on trends; build audiences by running MRI data; organize resources; gather insights from social listening; leverage AI tools as a source of information.
• Brief Development: Research cultural trends and client backgrounds; distill to what’s most important; unlock opportunities; bring a point of view on breakthroughs; write narratives, not just briefs.
• Shaping the Work: Partner with account and creative teams to digest client input and guide ideas; ensure strategic grounding for breakthrough work; present in the strongest media context for target audiences.
• New Business Support: Assist with data and thinking for new pitches; run data/analysis for proprietary AI diagnostic The Brand Performance Gap.

Skills

Brand strategy

Audience insights

Collaboration

Presentation

Tools

MRI

Waldo

Gemini

Meltwater

Job description

Zambezi is an independent, women-owned agency recognized as Ad Age Small Agency of the Year 2026. We’re seeking a Brand Strategist in the Los Angeles area to drive audience insights, cultural relevance, and impactful briefs across client projects.

The role emphasizes collaboration with creative, media, and account teams, with a focus on strategic grounding for breakthrough work and active participation in new business and AI-informed diagnostics.