Strategic Planning Director

Fluent360; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision insurance

Paid gym membership

17 paid holidays

Job summary

fluent360 is seeking a Strategic Planning Director to lead multicultural strategy across key accounts in our Chicago office. You will provide strategic leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and insight-driven oversight to ensure impactful campaigns.

You will guide multicultural experts, collaborate with creative teams, and translate syndicated research into actionable brand strategy. English and Spanish language skills are a plus for this role.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business or Communications or related coursework.
• 10+ years of strategy/planning experience in an advertising agency setting with multicultural focus.

Responsibilities

• Provide multicultural and Gen Z thought leadership to clients and agency partners.
• Leverage storytelling to understand audiences and drive multicultural recruitment and financial/home lending goals.
• Inspire the team and maintain focus on relevant creative output.
• Collaborate with creative partners to ensure work aligns with brand and culture.
• Develop audience journey maps and culturally relevant communications frameworks.
• Explain consumer nuances and behaviors to clients and partner agencies.
• Present research results effectively to customers and team.

Skills

Multicultural strategy

Storytelling

Presentation skills

Team leadership

POVs & persuasion

Education

BA/BS Marketing or related

Tools

Syndicated research

Job description

The Strategic Planning Director will be responsible for leading multicultural strategy and planning efforts across a portfolio of key client accounts, including Wells Fargo, U.S. Army, and other brands when needed. Based in our Chicago office, this role will provide strategic leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and oversight to ensure impactful, insight-driven work.

What You Will Do

• Provide multicultural and Gen Z thought leadership to clients and agency partners
• Leverage storytelling to build deeper audience understanding, trust, relatability and drive multicultural recruitment and financial and home lending goals
• Generate a high level of passion among the entire team
• Work to keep simplicity and focus over time - always with an eye toward relevant creative output
• Use syndicated research tools to interpret and analyze propriety data through a multicultural lens
• Develop audience journey maps and culturally relevant communications frameworks
• Serve as a voice for our multicultural consumer and provide insight on brand alignment and strategy
• Collaborate with creative partners to ensure that all work is on plan, brand, and in culture
• Serve as a teacher and consultant to our creative team for strategy alignment
• Analyze data and create actionable insights for creative team
• Explain and communicate consumer nuances and behaviors to clients and partner agencies

Your Experience

• BA/BS Marketing, Business, Communication degree, or relevant area of coursework
• 10+ years of experience as a strategist or planner in an advertising agency environment
• Must have multicultural advertising experience targeting the Hispanic or African American consumer
• You are a passionate storyteller who loves bringing the consumer to each conversation
• You possess great ability to provide POVs (verbal and written), which are persuasive and inspiring
• Bilingual (Spanish/English) is a plus
• Demonstrates the ability to manage and energize teams around common goals
• Experienced using and interpreting syndicated research
• Ability to analyze and interpret information from a variety of sources, such as trade journals, research reports, white papers and cross-tabulated survey data
• Exhibits intense curiosity about human nature and the world we live in: Is observant, open-minded and receptive to new experiences
• Ability to effectively present research results to customers, clients and other agency employees.
• Self-directed and able to work independently

About Us

fluent360™ is one of the foremost agency leaders shaping the multicultural marketing industry. Equal parts integrated marketing agency and cultural hub, we specialize in giving brands a resonating voice to effectively speak to various cultural segments- both ethnic and consumer niche followings. As a multi-talented, multicultural agency, we offer a full spectrum of communication services. Find out more about us at fluent360.com

• fluent360 offers a comprehensive benefit package including medical, dental and vision insurance, company paid life/AD&D, short-term and long-term disability, and a generous PTO and sick leave policy.
• In addition, we have some amazing agency perks including paid gym membership, summer hours, 17 paid holidays, and flexible schedules.

fluent360 is an Equal Opportunity Employer, EEO, AAE, MF/Disability/Vet.

Our organization participates in E-Verify. For more information visit https://www.uscis.gov/e-verify. E-Verify is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee’s Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment eligibility.