Director, Strategy

Keplergroup; Baltimore (MD); Remote; USD 140,000 - 176,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare/Dental/Vision

Unlimited PTO

401k Contributions

Wellness stipend

Mobile phone stipend

Internet stipend

Annual learning stipend

Annual tuition stipend

Home office equipment stipend

Parental Leave - 16 weeks primary / 6

Annual Work From Anywhere 4 weeks

Job summary

Kepler, a leading marketing partner, seeks a Director of Strategy to guide client growth and strategic vision across four B2B business lines. You will diagnose performance trends, mitigate risks, and align Kepler's media capabilities with client goals. Transition to portfolio oversight from single-account management.

You will coach teams, co-author long-term growth plans, and develop strategy talent across your portfolio, driving cross-channel excellence and innovative testing.

Qualifications

• 8-10+ years of digital media experience.
• 3+ years in a leadership role managing multi-sector accounts with large-scale spend.

Responsibilities

• Design integrated media plans across digital and traditional channels.
• Own senior client relationships and executive conversations across your portfolio.
• Inform strategic decisions using Kip and testing frameworks to drive growth.

Skills

Cross-channel media planning

Executive communication

Strategic thinking

Tools

Kip platform

NMI

YouGov

Pathmatics

Job description

Kepler executes engineered marketing, where every message and ad delivered helps create a more personalized and productive relationship between brands and their consumers. We do this by acting as clients' agency of record, as their in-house team, or some hybrid of the two - and by harnessing data and technology across all paid digital media and data-driven CRM channels.

Kepler prides itself on being a great place to work. In fact, we're proud to share that AdAge recognized Kepler among the Best Place to Work in 2022, validating our investment in our team and our clients.

We're transparent with our employees. You'll hear updates on company financials, how we're performing against bonus goals, and how we're responding to challenges we face.

We're growing. For you, that means unparalleled growth opportunities and a role in shaping the direction of the company.

We're fun. You'll work with and learn from the smartest people in the industry and have a blast doing it.

Role Overview

The Director of Strategy serves as a portfolio strategist and trusted advisor responsible for guiding overall client growth and strategic vision. Operating within a global IAT, the role manages senior executive relationships across four distinct B2B business lines. Transitioning from single-account management to portfolio-level oversight, you will diagnose performance trends, mitigate systemic risks, and align Kepler's media capabilities with client business goals. In this role, you set the standard for client excellence, co-author long-term growth plans, and develop strategy talent across your portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

• Portfolio Strategy & Full-Funnel Planning: Design integrated media plans across digital and traditional channels. Connect campaign tactics to upper-, mid-, and lower-funnel KPIs while translating business briefs into strategic media frameworks.
• Client Excellence & Executive Relationships: Own senior client relationships across your portfolio. Serve as the primary point of contact for executive conversations, performance alignment, and high-impact account escalations.
• Innovation & Proprietary Tools: Leverage Kepler's proprietary Kip platform (including audience segmentation, competitive research, and cultural insight toolsets) to inform strategic decisions. Partner with Activation teams to drive testing frameworks, AI tool adoption, and public case studies.
• Financial & Operational Health: Partner with senior leadership to monitor contract deliverables, scope alignment, and portfolio margin health. Spot cross-account operational friction and improve execution processes.
• Talent Development & Leadership: Coach and mentor your direct reports, Associate Directors, and your full team on strategic thinking and client management. Foster a culture of continuous learning, team engagement, and succession planning.

Core Competencies

• Deep knowledge of cross-channel media planning, flighting, and budget optimization.
• Proficiency with external planning tools (e.g., NMI, YouGov, Pathmatics) and proprietary platform capabilities (Kip suite).
• Strong executive presentation, brief writing, and strategic communication skills.
• Proven ability to navigate client categories, identify industry trends, and lead multi-disciplinary teams.

What We're Looking For

• 8-10+ years of digital media experience, with 3+ years in a leadership role managing a multi-sector account with large-scale spend ($50M+).
• B2B Strategy: Proven track record in Account-Based Marketing (ABM) and B2B lead generation media campaign strategies.
• Growth Mindset: Motivated by client partnerships, team mentoring, and adept at providing a strategic vision that solves business challenges.
• Channel Agnostic: Holistic media understanding across Social, Programmatic, Search, Video, Audio, and Direct IO.
• Strong Communicator: Ability to distill complex media strategies into clear growth narratives for C-suite executives.

Total Compensation

Base Salary: $140,000 - $160,000

Target Annualized Discretionary Bonus: 10% ($14,000 - $16,000)

Target Total Cash: $154,000 - $176,000

Benefits

• Healthcare/Dental/Vision
• Unlimited PTO
• 401k Contributions
• $75/mo Wellness Stipend
• $100/mo Mobile Phone Stipend
• $50/mo Internet Stipend
• $500/yr Annual Learning Stipend
• $2,000/yr Annual Tuition Stipend
• One-time $200 New Hire Home Office Equipment Stipend
• Parental Leave - 16 week primary caregiver / 6 week secondary caregiver leave
• Annual Work From Anywhere 4 weeks per year

Company Culture

Kepler is a people first organization.