Manager, Strategy

We believe in the power of media to reshape our industry and orchestrate a brand’s entire consumer experience, by balancing both what unites people and what makes them different. When brands unite people in culture, they build Fame, and when brands connect individuals to their unique journeys, they build customer Flow. Initiative builds Fame & Flow for brands like Nike, Amazon, Merck, and T-Mobile.

Media responsibility is at the forefront of everything we do, whether it’s creating media plans that reflect the diversity of our communities, promote brand safety, and foster sustainability. Our agency celebrates diversity in an inclusive environment where all of our 6,000+ strong talent across 90+ markets feel seen, heard, and valued. Our vision is to create not only a better media company, but also a better media industry, and maybe even a better world.

We make a promise to our people that we double down on seeing, celebrating & elevating all the things that make you, uniquely you. And just as we do for our brands and clients, we connect our people to the journeys that matter in building a meaningful career.

There are four I’s in Initiative and these represent our core values and behaviors.

• INDIVID[YOU]ALITY – you bring your genuine and unique self to and into the work, every day.
• INSTINCT – you’re tuned in and armed with intelligence; you have a bias for action – shit happens when you’re around.
• IMPACT! – you care deeply about the impact you have on our clients, their customers, our community, the media landscape and our world at large.
• IMAGINATION – your ability to imagine and bring to life the ideas, solutions, and the future of Initiative, makes us THE create media agency in the world.

As a Strategy Manager, you are responsible for the creation of the strategic direction a brand will take in communications to achieve their business goals. You are responsible for helping to strategize, produce and make sense of the key cultural, consumer and market intelligence required to design the best possible holistic communications plan to deliver on that task.

You are responsible for creating the strategic recommendations and engaging with the client in an advisory capacity. It is not your responsibility to manage the client relationship & you will – by Brief – report to the Client Lead to deliver brilliant strategic thinking for the client team.

• Maintain excellent client relationships & understanding of the clients' key business and challenges; identify, develop & oversee the delivery of unique and innovative strategies to deliver the client’s desired results
• Make valuable contributions during client meetings with the ability to challenge others’ opinions in the right forum/manner
• Arm the client team with knowledge & expertise to speak confidently about the strategic direction where required; understand and speak to clients confidently about key proprietary product offerings
• Clearly and confidently enrich strategic thinking with data (of all kinds) underpinned by a compelling story
• Lead Velocity Planning for the team and client base
• Bring fresh thinking & inspiration into the Strategic Process to help the teams springboard to better Strategic thinking
• Drive usage of the Cultural Analytical Process/Tools to help teams find new insights that unlock growth
• Write cohesive communications architectures that deliver on the platform and give guidance for how the brand will play in culture
• Train, guide & assist the Strategy & Client teams in development and packaging of ideas
• Partner with Analytics to develop new tools, inputting into the development of new & cutting edge proprietary planning, research and reporting models for Initiative

• Proven ability to think in innovative and creative ways
• Proven ability to understand consumers & their behaviors
• Experience working with clients and/or managing client relationships

• 6+ years in integrated planning role in media, creative, innovation or communications discipline (digital, content, invention, social, activation)
• Ability to think differently: creative & adaptive, entrepreneurial, independently-minded