Growth Strategy Director — Data-Driven Insights

Socket.dev; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

VML is seeking an Associate Director, Growth Strategy to lead data-driven strategy and growth for clients. You will guide senior leaders, collaborate across Strategy, Client Engagement, Creative, and Media, and translate consumer and shopper insights into actionable strategic directions.

You will drive growth opportunities through data interrogation, audience intelligence, and market-sizing, while mentoring junior staff and integrating AI tools to speed insights and innovation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a quantitative field (e.g., BI, Stats, Economics)
• Advanced degree in quantitative field a plus
• Agency/CPG/Consulting background preferred (industry)
• Strong storytelling and data-to-insight translation skills
• Experience leading / developing junior team members

Responsibilities

• Interrogate and connect disparate data sets to uncover growth opportunities.
• Translate data and insights into clear, actionable storylines for brands and channels.
• Size market opportunities based on briefs and objectives with data-driven estimates.
• Develop audience personas using MRI Simmons, Circana, Numerator details.
• Provide strategic analytics voice across Strategy, Client Engagement, Creative and Media teams.
• Integrate AI tools to accelerate insight generation and innovation.
• Conduct market research using MRI Simmons, Mintel, Infegy, YPulse, and competitor analyses.
• Support regional/global strategic asks with consistent analytics methodology.
• Draft compelling case studies for industry awards.

Skills

Growth Mining & Consulting

Strategic Craft & Storytelling

Opportunity Sizing

Audience Intelligence

Strategic Contribution

AI Engineering & Prompting

Research Tools & Strategic Intel

Awards & Recognition

Business Development

Briefing & Ideation

Time Management

Client Engagement

Internal Collaboration

Mentorship & Guidance

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a quantitative field

Advanced degree in quantitative field (plus)

Tools

MRI Simmons

Circana

Numerator

Nielsen

Mintel

Infegy

YPulse

Job description

VML is seeking an Associate Director, Growth Strategy to lead data-driven strategy and growth for clients. You will guide senior leaders, collaborate across Strategy, Client Engagement, Creative, and Media, and translate consumer and shopper insights into actionable strategic directions.

You will drive growth opportunities through data interrogation, audience intelligence, and market-sizing, while mentoring junior staff and integrating AI tools to speed insights and innovation.