Associate Director, Creative Strategy

WHY DEPT®?

We are pioneers at heart. What this means, is that we are always leaning forward, thinking of what we can create tomorrow that does not exist today. We were born digital and we are a new model of agency, with a deep skillset in tech and marketing. That’s why we hire curious, self-driven, talented people who never stop innovating.

Our culture is big enough to cope and small enough to care. Meaning, that with people across 20+ countries, we’re big enough to provide you with the best tools, global opportunities, and benefits that help you thrive. While acting small by investing in you, your growth, your team, and giving you the autonomy to solve our clients’ problems, no matter where you are in the world. 

ABOUT YOU

We’re looking for an Associate Director, Creative Strategy who is equal parts storyteller and strategist—someone who can translate complex inputs into clear, emotionally resonant creative platforms that drive real business impact. You understand how brand and performance work together, and you bring a point of view that elevates creative thinking across teams.

You’re comfortable operating in ambiguity, navigating senior client conversations, and shaping creative strategy across global markets. You have a strong grasp of paid media platforms (Google, Meta, TikTok, Snap, programmatic) and know how to use performance learnings to inform brand-forward storytelling. You’re also a natural mentor—excited to grow and develop a team of strategists while raising the bar for excellence.

This role sits at the intersection of insight, creativity, and leadership. You’ll be the strategic partner clients rely on and the internal advocate who defines what great looks like.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

Strategic Leadership

• Lead creative strategy from insight to brief, translating audience, category, and cultural signals into compelling storytelling opportunities.
• Translate data, research, and performance learnings into clear, actionable messaging and creative direction for performance creative.
• Own and elevate strategic brief development, setting the narrative, insight, and messaging foundation for all creative work.
• Mentor and manage a team of Creative Strategists and Senior Creative Strategists, fostering craft excellence, consistency, and strategic thinking.
• Shape team-wide standards and frameworks that scale across global campaigns.
• Develop integrated creative platforms and messaging architectures that align to brand objectives while driving measurable performance.
• Stay ahead of emerging trends in culture, digital storytelling, and creator-driven content to inform innovation.
• Partner with research teams to interpret market, audience, and category insights to uncover the “why” behind consumer behavior for creative application.
• Review creative work with a high bar for narrative clarity, craft, and platform resonance.
• Contribute to thought leadership through internal frameworks, case studies, POVs, and client presentations.
• Represent the Creative Strategy discipline in senior-level client conversations and inter-agency forums.

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Serving as the primary strategic point of contact for clients across all creative work.
• Anticipate client needs, proactively identifying opportunities, gaps, and next steps in partnership with account and internal leadership.
• Partner closely with Analytics, Media, and other Associate Directors to align creative testing roadmaps and ensure strategy is grounded in proof points.
• Guide creative teams through ideation, ensuring concepts ladder directly to audience insights and strategic intent.
• Partner with Creative Operations to manage resourcing, workflow, and prioritization across workstreams.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING

• 7+ years of experience in creative strategy, brand strategy, content/comms strategy, or performance marketing (agency experience preferred).
• (insert management experience)
• Strong storytelling skills, with the ability to translate insights into sharp, inspiring creative narratives and messaging frameworks.
• Exceptional client-facing communication skills—clear, confident, and compelling in both written and verbal presentations.
• Deep understanding of paid media platforms, and how creative shapes performance, across Google, Meta, TikTok, Snap, and programmatic environments.
• Experience shaping global campaigns and navigating complexity across multiple markets.
• Comfort operating in ambiguity and bringing clarity, structure, and POV to incomplete inputs.
• A proven track record of cross-functional leadership, team mentorship, and raising the bar for strategic craft.

ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT WOULD IMPRESS US:

• Someone who elevates the room, leads with curiosity, and cares deeply about team and client success.
• Experience building creative platforms that deliver both emotional resonance and strong performance results.
• A bias toward action, experimentation, and continuous improvement.
• A strong POV on creative excellence, and the ability to articulate it.

WHAT DO WE OFFER?

We are a collaborative, open-door, best-idea-wins environment that fosters personal and company growth and has fun doing it. Here is a snapshot of our  benefits package:

• Healthcare, Dental, and Vision coverage
• 401k plan, plus matching
• PTO
• Paid Company Holidays
• Parental Leave

The anticipated salary range for this position is $106,900 – $130,000. Salary is based on a range of factors that include relevant experience, expertise, physical location, and organizational impact. This is based on a 40-hour workweek and leveling. Keep in mind, we’re flexible. 

WE SUPPORT YOU BEING YOU: 

DEPT® is an equal opportunity employer (EOE). We believe our work is its best when our people feel safe and free to be themselves. We’re committed to an inclusive and barrier-free recruitment and selection process and workplace, regardless of anyone’s lived experience, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, and genetic information. So tell us about any accommodations you need. It’s totally confidential and only used to make sure you feel fully supported at every step.

DEPT® participates in E-Verify, meaning your Form I-9 information will be sent to the federal government to confirm you are authorized to work in the U.S. 

We are a B Corp-certified company passionate about purpose-driven work.  Our hope is that you can feel good about the contributions DEPT® is making to the world and we always have an open door for your ideas in making the world a better place. 

DEPT® is a pioneering technology and marketing services company that creates integrated end-to-end digital experiences for brands such as Google, KFC, Philips, Audi, Twitch, Patagonia, eBay and more. Its team of 2,500+ digital specialists across 30+ locations on 5 continents delivers pioneering work on a global scale with a boutique culture. 

Learn more about DEPT®