Head of Strategy

Sasha the Mensch; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Sasha the Mensch is seeking a Group Strategy Director in Atlanta to lead the agency's strategic function across a portfolio of Fortune 500 brands, shaping direction for business, brand and culture. You'll work with senior client stakeholders, creative leadership and agency leadership, translating insights into briefs and strategic narratives while developing the strategy team.

This senior role requires a strong point of view, hands-on leadership and the ability to balance big-picture thinking

Qualifications

• Significant experience in strategy within an agency, consultancy or comparable environment.
• Experience working with large, complex brands, ideally Fortune 500.
• Understanding of brand strategy, communications and creative development.
• Experience leading strategic engagements from challenge through to execution.
• Experience managing and developing strategy teams.
• Confidence working with senior clients and executive stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong creative instincts and ability to partner with creative teams.
• Commercial awareness and interest in growing client relationships and the agency.
• Ability to work hands-on in a fast-moving environment with hands-on senior leaders.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Strategy Function across the agency's client portfolio.
• Develop brand, communications and creative strategies addressing business needs and long-term ambitions.
• Translate complex business challenges into clear strategic opportunities.
• Write sharp briefs that guide creative teams.
• Distill research, data, culture and consumer behavior into actionable insights.
• Develop strategic narratives and presentations for clear thinking.
• Partner with creative, account and production teams to keep strategy connected to the work.
• Mentor and develop the strategy team.
• Lead senior-level presentations and workshops.
• Shape the work and ensure quality throughout the process.

Job description

We are working with an independent creative agency on a senior strategy leadership opportunity based in Atlanta.

Our client works with some of the world's largest and most recognizable companies, with a diverse portfolio of Fortune 500 brands across a range of industries and categories.

The agency is highly collaborative, with strategy, creative and client leadership working closely together. Senior leaders are expected to be actively involved in both the business and the work, building strong relationships with clients while helping teams deliver thoughtful, culturally relevant and creatively ambitious work.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Our client is looking for a Group Strategy Director to lead the strategic function in Atlanta and play a key role in shaping the strategic direction of the agency's clients and business.

This is a senior leadership role for a strategist who is equally comfortable thinking at the business, brand and cultural level - someone who can understand a client's broader business challenge, identify the opportunity for the brand, and translate that thinking into a clear strategic direction that inspires exceptional creative work.

You'll work across a mix of Fortune 500 clients and categories, partnering closely with senior client stakeholders, creative leadership and agency leadership. The role requires someone who can move comfortably between big-picture thinking and hands-on strategy, from leading senior-level conversations and workshops to developing briefs, shaping strategic narratives and helping teams turn insights into ideas.

We're looking for someone with a strong point of view who isn't afraid to challenge the expected answer and find a more interesting way into a problem.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Lead the Strategy Function

• Set the strategic vision and direction across the agency's client portfolio.
• Lead strategic development across a range of major brands and businesses.
• Establish a high standard for strategic thinking and ensure consistency and quality across the work.
• Develop brand, communications and creative strategies that address both immediate business needs and longer-term brand ambitions.
• Translate complex business challenges into clear, compelling strategic opportunities.
• Develop positioning, brand platforms, audience strategies, cultural insights and creative territories.
• Partner with creative leadership from the earliest stages of a brief through to the final work.

Be a Senior Client Partner

• Build trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders and become a valued strategic partner to their business.
• Lead senior-level presentations, workshops and strategic conversations.
• Help clients identify the right questions to ask, not simply answer the questions they bring to the agency.
• Bring clarity to complex problems and confidently communicate recommendations to senior audiences.
• Understand the client's broader business, competitive environment and organizational dynamics - not just the marketing challenge in front of you.

Develop the Team

• Lead, mentor and develop the strategy team, creating an environment where strategists can do their best work.
• Set clear expectations around strategic quality, collaboration and client leadership.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen the agency's strategic capabilities and expertise.
• Encourage curiosity, fresh thinking and a willingness to challenge conventional approaches.
• Be a hands‑on leader who is actively involved in the development of the work and the team.

Shape the Work

• Write sharp, focused briefs that give creative teams a clear strategic springboard.
• Distill research, data, culture and consumer behavior into actionable insights.
• Develop strategic narratives and presentations that make complex thinking easy to understand and compelling to act on.
• Work closely with creative, account and production teams to ensure strategy remains connected to the work throughout the process.
• Stay close to the details and take ownership of the quality of the final output.

Think Beyond the Brief

We're looking for someone who is naturally curious about what is happening outside of advertising.

You should be paying attention to shifts in culture, technology, entertainment, social behavior, emerging platforms, creators, communities and changing consumer expectations - and understand how those shifts can create opportunities for brands.

The best strategists don't simply respond to briefs. They spot opportunities before the brief exists.

Help Grow the Business

• Partner with agency leadership on new business opportunities and pitches.
• Bring strategic thinking that helps differentiate the agency in competitive situations.
• Identify opportunities within existing client relationships and help expand the agency's impact.
• Build strong relationships with clients and become someone they actively seek out for strategic counsel.
• Represent the agency's strategic point of view in the marketplace.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

We're looking for an experienced strategist who has spent their career solving meaningful business and brand problems and knows how to turn that thinking into work that people actually care about.

You’ll likely bring:

• Significant experience in strategy within an agency, consultancy or comparable environment.
• Experience working with large, complex brands, ideally including Fortune 500 organizations.
• A strong understanding of brand strategy, communications and creative development.
• Experience leading strategic engagements from the initial business challenge through to creative execution.
• Experience managing, mentoring and developing strategy teams.
• Confidence working with senior clients and presenting to executive-level stakeholders.
• A proven ability to lead workshops, facilitate conversations and bring groups toward a clear point of view.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong creative instincts and the ability to partner closely with creative teams.
• Commercial awareness and an interest in helping grow both client relationships and the agency.
• The ability to work comfortably in a fast-moving, collaborative environment where senior leaders are expected to be hands‑on.

THE CULTURE

Our client values people who take charge, get involved, ask better questions, collaborate generously and care deeply about the work.

You should enjoy working closely with clients and colleagues, navigating complex challenges and contributing beyond the immediate requirements of a brief when the opportunity calls for it.

Most importantly, we're looking for someone with intellectual curiosity, entrepreneurial energy and a strong strategic point of view - someone who can bring fresh thinking to established brands and help clients see their businesses differently.