Associate Director, Creative Strategy

WHY DEPT®?

We are a Growth Invention company built to help the world’s most ambitious brands grow faster. Operating at the intersection of technology and marketing, we create what is next by pioneering ideas, acting fast, and moving further because standing still just is not in our DNA.

We are drawn to people who stay curious, move with intent, and never stop inventing. Our culture runs on three values: better together, relentlessly curious, and get sh*t done. It is how we work, how we grow, and how we make things that matter.

At DEPT®, you will find the freedom to explore, the space to collaborate, and the trust to make a real impact for our clients, for each other, and for the world we are helping to build.

THE ROLE:

We’re looking for an Associate Director of 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.

Crossfunctional 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 BRING:

• 7+ years of experience in creative strategy, brand strategy, content/comms strategy, or performance marketing (agency experience preferred).
• 2-3+ years of experience managing a team
• 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.

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

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 identity, background, beliefs, lifestyle or disabilities. 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 Growth Invention company built to help the world’s most ambitious brands grow faster. Operating at the intersection of technology and marketing, our 4,000+ specialists deliver growth invention across Brand & Media, Experience, Commerce, CRM, and Technology & Data. We’re 50|50 tech and marketing, partner-led, and first to move. Clients include Google, Lufthansa, Coach, eBay, and OpenAI.

Learn more about DEPT®

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION

At DEPT®, we take pride in creating an inclusive workplace where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive. We actively seek to recruit, develop, nurture, and retain talented individuals from diverse backgrounds, with varying skills and perspectives.

Not sure you meet all qualifications? Apply, and let us decide! Research shows that women and members of underrepresented groups tend not to apply for jobs when they think they may not meet every requirement, when in fact they do. We believe in giving everyone a fair chance to shine. 

We also encourage you  to reach out to us and discuss any reasonable adjustments we can make to support you throughout the recruitment process and your time with us.

Want to know more about our dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion? Check out our efforts here.

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