Associate Director, Strategy

Business Overview 

UM is a global media agency committed to Futureproofing our clients' businesses.  We leverage the transformational power of rich business analytics and real-time intelligence to maximize growth and activate the full consumer journey across content and connections. As the leading global media network in IPG Mediabrands, UM operates in over 100 countries, with more than 3,000 people innovating on a roster of global clients including Accenture, American Express, GoPro, Johnson & Johnson, Levi Strauss & Co, Mattel, Sony, and Spotify. UM is globally headquartered in New York, with North American offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, Birmingham, Detroit, Montreal, and Toronto.   

At UM, we know our employees are our greatest asset. We are committed to fostering a culture rooted in Diversity, Equity & Belonging, where everyone feels they belong, and their contributions are valued. We prioritize personal and professional growth, encourage an entrepreneurial spirit to pursue passion projects, and celebrate our people and community with moments of joy and spontaneity. Our leadership is dedicated to building a culture of care that permeates every element of the company from work flexibility to career planning to regular talent reviews, and more. Our DNA, for UM, helps guide us in all that we do:   

Fearless: We bring our authentic selves to work and put our whole selves into the work 

Optimistic: We approach challenges with empathy and curiosity, infusing joy into everything we do  

Relentless: We’re unwavering in our pursuit of the right solution, eager to reimagine what’s possible  

Unified: We band together to accomplish what we could not otherwise do alone  

Masterful: We’re constantly growing in our craft, setting new standards for our industry and our world  

We are proud to be named an AdAge Best Place to Work several times over, a Top Workplace in the US by Great Places to Work, a top 10 FORTUNE 2022 Best Workplaces in Advertising & Marketing and She Runs It’s 2021 Outstanding Company for Working Mothers. But feedback is most meaningful when it comes from our own people: over 90% of our employees say the agency is a great place to work and 95% say they are proud to work at UM. 

Position Summary

This proactive and enthusiastic individual is responsible for developing truly integrated, cross-channel strategic communications strategies for one of the leading home appliance brands in the US. By focusing on why people think, feel, and act the way that they do, the Senior Manager, Strategy helps create media strategies and award-winning ideas that influence perceptions and encourage engagement. The candidate is creative, curious, and has a passion for advertising/media, and an interest in products for the home.

 

Responsibilities

• Maintain a deep understanding of the business, target audiences and wider communications environment
• Write POVs on topics relevant to our key clients and agency
• Identify and build target audiences, test their viability and determine scalability using syndicated and proprietary tools (i.e. MRI, Media in Mind, Helixa, primary research, etc. )
• Identify opportunities to bring in UM’s diversified services (search, social, mobile, etc.)
• Attend technology and emerging media presentations to stay on top of trends
• Understand and integrate client and creative agency research

• Apply syndicated and proprietary data to develop key insights – across culture, competitors, and consumer with actionable media implications
• Support the translation of complex concepts into simple, powerful narratives and present strategic recommendations to the client
• Craft strategic narratives that bring the strategy to life

• Work closely with the Planning Team to translate the campaign strategy and ideas into actionable media implications

Required Skills & Experience

• Proficient in Powerpoint, Word, and Excel
• Experience with research and analyzing data
• UM does not require candidates to have a college degree

 

Desired Skills & Experience

• 4+ years in media strategy, strategic communications, or related rol