Strategy Director

Unlock Health; Chicago, Nashville (IL, TN); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Dental, Vision

Life/Disability Insurance

FSA/HSA Options

401K with company match

Unlimited PTO

Hybrid/Remote schedules

Employee Assistance Program

Employee Referral Program

Job summary

Unlock Health is seeking a Strategy Director to lead strategy across healthcare-focused client engagements, shaping insights and strategic frameworks. You will supervise discovery through delivery, partner across disciplines, and translate complex problems into clear, actionable direction that aligns with client goals.

The role blends hybrid work from our Nashville or Chicago offices, with in-person collaboration and remote flexibility.

Qualifications

• 7–10+ years of strategy, consulting, or related field.
• Agency experience with navigating ambiguity and client expectations.
• Healthcare interest and ability to build quickly domain expertise.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence client thinking.
• Strong POV expressed with confidence while remaining open to challenge.
• Track record of improving work quality and pushing for better approaches.
• Ability to connect business objectives to human insight for actionable strategy.

Responsibilities

• Define and guide approaches to solve complex client challenges.
• Own strategy from discovery through delivery, ensuring insight-driven work with clear outcomes.
• Lead client relationships on strategic matters and build trust quickly.
• Facilitate workshops and insight sessions to align teams and progress thinking.
• Identify the human problem behind business challenges and translate audience understanding into strategy.
• Partner with creative teams to develop briefs and provide clear strategic feedback.
• Mentor strategists to strengthen craft and elevate team thinking.
• Collaborate with analytics to define measurement and use data to refine strategy.
• Integrate thinking across media, creative, research, and performance for cohesive solutions.
• Identify growth opportunities within client accounts and help shape the path forward.
• Contribute to new business by shaping proposals and strategic approaches.
• Work with CX and PM as part of core account leadership.
• Foster collaborative partnerships across teams to improve impact.
• Apply healthcare business understanding to brand and marketing strategies.
• Push teams to think differently using emotional intelligence.

Skills

Strategy leadership

Client relationships

Cross-functional leadership

Healthcare industry interest

Job description

The Role

As a Strategy Director, you lead strategy across clients and projects—shaping the thinking that drives meaningful, effective work. You develop insights, build strategic frameworks, and partner across disciplines to bring ideas to life.

At the center of the role is the ability to find the human problem behind the business problem—uncovering the motivations, needs, and behaviors that lead to more resonant brand and marketing strategies. You balance client leadership, strategic rigor, and creative inspiration, translating complexity into clear, actionable direction that aligns business goals with real audience insight.

You set a high bar for the work. You push thinking further, guide teams toward stronger outcomes, and elevate the quality of strategy across every engagement. People look to you for perspective, clarity, and sound judgment.

What You'll Do

• Define and guide approaches to solve complex client business challenges through integrated, insight-driven solutions
• Own strategy development from discovery through delivery, ensuring work is grounded in insight and leads to clear, actionable outcomes
• Lead client relationships on strategic matters, building trust quickly and serving as a credible, confident partner
• Facilitate workshops, insight sessions, and working meetings that align teams and move thinking forward
• Identify the human problem behind business challenges and translate audience understanding into strategic opportunity
• Partner closely with creative teams—developing strong briefs and providing clear, constructive strategic feedback
• Mentor and develop strategists and senior strategists, strengthening craft and elevating the quality of thinking across the team
• Partner with analytics teams to define measurement approaches and use data to assess performance and refine strategy
• Integrate thinking across disciplines, including media, creative, research, and performance, to ensure cohesive solutions
• Identify growth opportunities within client accounts and help shape the path forward
• Contribute to new business efforts by shaping proposals, scopes, and strategic approaches
• Work closely with Client Experience (CX) and Project Management (PM) as part of core account leadership
• Build strong, collaborative partnerships across teams to improve the quality and impact of the work
• Apply an understanding of the business of healthcare and human insight to develop effective brand and marketing strategies
• Push teams and clients to think differently—using emotional intelligence to challenge constructively and align when needed

What You Bring

• 7–10+ years of experience in strategy, consulting, or a related field, with a track record of leading complex work and delivering meaningful impact
• Agency experience, with a strong understanding of how to navigate ambiguity, pace, and client expectations
• Experience in healthcare is preferred; you bring curiosity about the industry and a willingness to build expertise quickly
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence client thinking
• A clear point of view—and the ability to express it with confidence while remaining open to challenge
• A track record of improving the quality of work, identifying better approaches, and pushing teams beyond expected solutions
• Strong ability to connect business objectives to human insight and translate that understanding into actionable strategy

This position operates under a hybrid work model from our Nashville or Chicago office, blending in-office and remote work. Employees are expected to maintain a regular in-office presence while also having the flexibility to work remotely. Exact schedules may vary by team and will be aligned with manager expectations and organizational needs.

Perks and Benefits

• Health, Dental and Vision benefit packages to fit all types of lifestyles
• Life, Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance paid 100% by the company
• FSA / HSA Options
• 401(K) with a generous company match program
• Flexible Paid Time Off (aka- unlimited)
• Hybrid and Remote work schedules available
• Employee Assistance Program (unlimited free telephonic counseling for a variety of issues such as mental health, financial support, and legal advice)
• Employee Referral Program

About Us

Unlock Health is a full-service marketing communication agency, grounded in technology, built for healthcare - and integrated with a managed care consultancy with deep revenue strategy expertise. We brought together leading healthcare firms to solve a core challenge: aligning brand, marketing, technology, and revenue strategy so healthcare organizations can attract and retain patients, grow brand equity, and protect their margins. We help our clients do everything from patient acquisition and brand building, to simplifying complex martech ecosystems, and creating digital experiences. Our work is rooted in clarity, authenticity, and a deep understanding of what moves healthcare forward.

Equality Opportunity Employer Statement

Unlock, and its affiliate companies, is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to building an inclusive and diverse workforce. We provide equal employment opportunities without regard to an applicant's race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Notice Regarding Automated Tools & AI

Unlock Health uses automated tools and AI technology to assist our Talent Acquisition team with administrative tasks, such as reviewing application materials, identifying candidate qualifications, scheduling, and summarizing interviews. These tools utilize the information you provide during the application process but are used strictly for assistance; all final employment decisions are made by human hiring managers using independent judgment.