Senior Strategist (Consumer Insight)

VML South Africa; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

VML South Africa is seeking a Strategist to lead analytics-based insights and develop impactful communications initiatives. The role involves data analysis, competitive assessment, and collaboration with various internal teams, requiring strong critical thinking and communication skills.

Qualifications

• 1-3 years of experience in strategy and consumer insights.
• Experience in agency or market research is ideal.

Responsibilities

• Uncover core problems and emergent opportunities through data.
• Support audience growth strategy and develop audience personas.
• Perform competitive analysis and present findings to clients.

Skills

Critical Thinking

Data Storytelling

Relationship Building

Communication

Project Management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a quantitative field

Advanced degree in Statistics, Social Science Research, or Economics

Tools

Sales data platforms (e.g., IRI/Nielsen)

E-commerce sales data and digital analytics tools

Job description

At VML, we are a beacon of innovation and growth in an ever-evolving world. Our heritage is built upon a century of combined expertise, where creativity meets technology, and diverse perspectives ignite inspiration. With the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, we have forged a new path as a growth partner that is part creative agency, part consultancy, and part technology powerhouse.

Our global family now encompasses over 30,000 employees across 150+ offices in 64 markets, each contributing to a culture that values connection, belonging, and the power of differences.Our expertise spans the entire customer journey, offering deep insights in communications, commerce, consultancy, CRM, CX, data, production, and technology. We deliver end-to-end solutions that result in revolutionary work.

Who we are looking for:

VML is seeking a Strategist to lead analytics-based strategic insights and direction, aiding in the development of impactful communications initiatives for our diverse client portfolio. Working in close collaboration with Creative Strategists, Account Management, Creative, and Media teams, this position provides both an internal and client-facing consultative perspective on brand objectives, identifying growth opportunities, and translating consumer insights into actionable strategy.

What you’ll do:

• Leverage shopper and panel data to uncover the core problem our brand needs to solve and to mine for emergent opportunities.
• Size a brand's market opportunity based on client briefs and established objectives, providing data-driven estimations.
• Support audience growth strategy development by leveraging robust data sources such as MRI Simmons, shopper/panel data (Circana, Nielsen/Numerator), and other relevant syndicated and proprietary resources.
• Develop comprehensive audience personas to help contextualize consumer behavior and inform strategic planning.
• Conduct competitive analysis to understand gaps in our strategy and performance versus competition
• Support senior strategic analytics team members in delivery and integration of conclusions and/or recommendations and actionable insights, including creating compelling visualizations for data
• Present findings and strategic recommendations to clients and internal stakeholders with clarity and conviction.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of our strategic analytics methodologies and tools, including the use of WPP’s AI tools.
• Keep a pulse on cultural trends and how they can be leveraged in strategic work

Who you are:

• Critical Thinking: Possess a strong ability to draw logical conclusions, identify creative solutions to complex problems, and apply a structured problem-solving approach.
• Data Storytelling: Proven ability to translate complex data sets into clear, compelling, and actionable storylines that resonate with diverse audiences.
• Relationship Builder: Demonstrated ability to build strong, collaborative relationships across internal teams, departments, external vendors, and clients.
• Exceptional Communicator: Possess exceptional oral and written communication skills and comfortable presenting and conversing with clients
• Project Management: Ability to effectively manage timelines and deliverables for multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring high-quality outputs.

What you’ll need:

• Bachelor’s degree in a quantitative field (e.g., Statistics, Economics), Communications, Marketing, or Social Sciences. An advanced degree in a quantitative field such as Statistics, Social Science Research, or Economics a plus.
• 1-3 years of progressive work experience performing strategy and consumer insights, ideally within an agency, market research, or consulting environment.
• Experience working with sales data (e.g., IRI/Nielsen/Retail Link) and shopper panel data (e.g., IRI/Nielsen Panel, Numerator) is strongly preferred, or experience with retail-specific data platforms (e.g., Scantron, Kroger 84.51).
• Experience working with e-commerce sales data and digital analytics tools a plus.

The base salary range for this position at the time of this posting is indicated below. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including location, business needs, level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package, click WPP Benefits for more details.

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$70,000 — $140,000 USD

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

WPP (VML) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

When you click "Submit Application", this will send any information you add below to VML. Before you do this, we think it's a good idea to read through ourRecruitment Privacy Policy . California residents should read ourCalifornia Recruitment Privacy Notice . This explains what we do with your personal data when you apply for a role with us, and, how you can update the information you have provided us with or how to remove it.

When you click "Submit Application", this will send any information you add below to VML. Before you do this, we think it's a good idea to read through our Recruitment Privacy Policy . California residents should read our California Recruitment Privacy Notice . This explains what we do with your personal data when you apply for a role with us, and, how you can update the information you have provided us with or how to remove it.