Strategy Director

The Role

You take the strategic lead on active projects, running the day-to-day thinking and turning what matters to a client's business into a real creative opportunity. You're the kind of strategist who's rationally optimistic about what a brand can do, and you hold the work to that standard from first brief to final delivery.

You take the strategic lead on active projects, running the day-to-day thinking and turning what matters to a client's business into a real creative opportunity. You're the kind of strategist who's rationally optimistic about what a brand can do, and you hold the work to that standard from first brief to final delivery.

You are hands-on in the work, owning the development and execution of strategy while bringing the confidence and judgment to lead clients through it. You work shoulder to shoulder with Design through the creative phases, shaping and articulating territories and ensuring the strategic thread holds all the way through.

Reporting to our Senior Strategy Director, you have the autonomy to lead your accounts and projects while contributing to the continued growth of our strategy practice.

• You develop, refine, and deliver outstanding brand strategies. You can get deep into a client's business, audience, and culture, distilling complexity into a clear and compelling strategic opportunity. You bring both rigor and imagination to the work and know how to turn strong thinking into something creatively useful.
• You take strategic ownership of several live projects  are hands‑on in your work and accountable for its quality from brief through delivery, while directing more junior strategists and external collaborators as needed. You understand the time, people, and inputs excellent work requires and manage scope, calendars, and expectations accordingly.
• You are excellent in the room with clients. You build sharp, compelling presentations and deliver them with confidence, clarity, and authority. You know how to bring clients along in the thinking, read a room, respond thoughtfully in the moment, navigate challenging conversations, and build conviction around a strategic direction.
• You become a trusted advisor to your clients. You develop a strong understanding of their business and ambitions, build relationships grounded in trust, and identify opportunities beyond the immediate brief. Clients value your perspective and look to you for guidance, not just deliverables.
• You partner closely with Design throughout the creative process. You help shape and articulate creative territories, give useful strategic perspective as the work develops, and ensure the thinking translates into a distinctive and meaningful brand experience. You understand that great strategy doesn't stop when the brief is written.
• You bring deep fluency in brand and a strong point of view. You understand how brands create value for businesses and connect with people and culture. You're excited by the opportunity to work across established global businesses and ambitious founders, and bring curiosity about what's changing in the world around them.
• You make the people and work around you better. You collaborate generously across disciplines, share your expertise and practical skills with more junior strategists, and contribute to a high bar for strategic thinking across the studio. You seek out and act on feedback from Strategy leadership, taking ownership of your continued growth and impact.
• You are willing to work in person at our New York studio, contribute meaningfully to our studio culture, and are open to global travel.
• You have a strong working knowledge of Figma/Fig Jam, Pitch, and Notion.

• We will ensure you have meaningful and regular access to your manager to support your personal development and career trajectory.
• We will actively reward performance with promotions, pay increases, and a discretionary annual bonus of up to 10% of salary to all employees.
• We ensure Koto is an equal environment for all its employees.
• We will support you in taking family leave and offer significant paid maternity and paternity.
• We will actively encourage you to take 25 vacation…