Sr. Director, Brand Strategy (Consumer & Lifestyle)

Merge Storytelling and Technology

We bring together the minds and passions of creative pioneers, tech innovators, and data explorers to help ambitious clients solve business challenges and rise to the top. MERGE has enduring client partnerships with American Express, T-Mobile, LG, Subway, Kate Spade NY, Coach, The North Face, Meta, Adobe, BlueCross BlueShield, Abbott, Astellas, Supernus, CSL, GE Healthcare, Broward Health, Indiana University Health, Nationwide, and Morgan Stanley. With offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Kansas City, Montreal, New York City and Los Angeles. MERGE uses a talent-to-task process that enables clients to think higher and feel deeper about their customers. 

Promote Health, Wellness & Happiness

We are committed to promoting health, wellness and happiness in the world by partnering with purpose-driven clients in purpose-driven industries in healthcare, life science, and consumer products. Our deep vertical expertise and category insights stem from decade-long partnerships with our top clients.

Emerge to the Top of Your Career

At MERGE, we strive to create a superior work experience where talented and ambitious people grow. An experience that encourages people to think higher and feel deeper. An experience where people engage their minds and hearts to do the best work of their careers.

As our Sr. Director, Brand Strategy you will…

Lead and innovate across key strategic areas within our consumer & lifestyle business, driving brand positioning, portfolio architecture, audience definition and segmentation. You will architect shopper-centric and path-to-purchase strategies while developing comprehensive approaches that drive both brand consideration and consumer conversion.

Your primary focus will be reducing friction across the consumer journey in partnership with our Experience Strategy team, creating seamless experiences from consumer-driven awareness through shopper-driven consideration and purchase. You will connect brand strategy with shopper expertise across the full marketing ecosystem, spearheading omnichannel brand and shopper strategies with particular emphasis on the intersection of eCommerce, in-store retail, and digital transactional touch-points.

You will apply strategic principles across different business models and leverage data-driven insights to drive tangible business results for our consumer & lifestyle clients. Your role will be instrumental in bridging the gap between brand strategy and shopper behavior, ensuring our clients achieve measurable success in today's complex retail landscape.

Be Accountable and Responsible 

• Develop and maintain deep understanding of client business, market, customer, and brand information to support strategic solutions, with specialized focus on shopper path-to-purchase across consumer, retail, and B2B contexts
• Demonstrate consistent curiosity and learning about new products, technologies, and MERGE offerings that support client work
• Identify collaboration opportunities across strategy roles and the broader MERGE organization to maximize client value
• Direct research and analysis, synthesizing qualitative and quantitative data (audience segmentation, POS/sales data, loyalty insights, eCommerce analytics) to uncover actionable insights that fuel strategy
• Lead and facilitate critical workshops and client sessions, presenting strategic outputs from creative briefs to comprehensive deliverables like brand planning strategies, path-to-purchase playbooks, and annual shopper marketing roadmaps
• Stay current on retail technology, e-commerce trends, Retail Media Networks (RMNs), and shopper marketing innovations, applying insights and thought leadership to drive client success
• Translate consumer brand-building and shopper marketing principles to B2B environments
• Mentor junior strategy personnel and champion collaborative mindset across the organization to integrate services for clients
• Champion and innovate upon Brand Strategy discipline principles at MERGE and with clients
• Author and present strategic narratives to senior and C-level clients, integrating data and storytelling to deliver compelling visions for brand growth and omnichannel success
• Leverage AI technology and relevant software, tools, and templates applicable to Brand and Shopper Strategy

These are the qualifications we’re looking for

• Minimum 7 years of relevant professional experience in an ad or marketing agency setting, with a focus on shopper and brand strategy; experience in B2B is a plus!
• At least 2 years in a project leadership role, with proven experience collaborating with and presenting to executive leadership.
• Bachelor's degree prefer