Senior Strategist - The Kitchen at SALT XC | Chicago, IL | $100K/yr – $120K/yr

SALT XC

Senior Strategist - The Kitchen

Chicago, IL (On-site)

$100K/yr – $120K/yrSenior Level5+ years expFull time

Posted 3 months ago

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Job Summary

Drive brand strategy across multiple brands at The Kitchen, guiding creative thinking, social strategy, and culture-driven activations.

Must-have: 5+ years in brand/creative/social strategy.
Standout: Direct management of two Social Media Managers within a pod.
Standout: Ability to translate research and social listening into big, culture-driven ideas.

Job Description

Responsibilities

The Senior Strategist at The Kitchen is responsible for serving as the day-to-day strategic lead across multiple brands.
Maintain a deep understanding of the brand, audiences, business priorities, competition, and industry trends. You will work on creative briefs, comms plans, campaign rollouts, and thought leadership, among other things, ensuring strategic thinking is incorporated in all aspects of the agency’s work.
Translate the events, trends, and conversations surrounding our brands into inspiring creative opportunities and proactive briefs that allow these brands to participate in culture quickly and effectively. Identify the passion points and topics a brand should engage in, delivering insights that will inspire creative teams and meaningfully impact businesses.
Work closely with the Creative team to brainstorm, generate thought starters, and actively help them hone their work.
Stay updated on the latest social media platforms and trends, ensuring that Creatives and Brand Partners understand how to operate in a constantly changing social media landscape.
Understand ad units, media opportunities, and post content options in a complex multi-platform online environment to make strategic recommendations for creating and amplifying work that reaches the right audience, with both paid and owned media.
Oversee social media playbook development with an eye for solid brand DNA, voice, and platform strategy.
Translate social listening data and media insights into strategic recommendations that help inform brand activations and social content.
Strong communication skills, excellent writing ability, and enthusiastic presentation skills. Translate big and complex ideas clearly and effectively into simple, compelling stories and presentations to help get ideas approved by Brand Partners.
Work with a pod structure consisting of Creatives, Social Copywriters, and Content Creators, and directly manage two Social Media Managers. Help your Social Media Managers develop planned and reactive social briefs, deploy daily content, and manage the relationship with Brand Partners.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in a brand, creative, or social strategy role.
Proven track record of managing brands with a significant following, ideally for a CPG or lifestyle brand.
History of working with Creative teams, providing expertise and influencing creative ideas.
Proficiency in creating presentations (PowerPoint, Google Slides).
Ability to translate research and data into meaningful insights that inspire big ideas.
Solid understanding of the tools and frameworks that support strategy development (e.g., social listening).
Love and deep understanding of culture and social trends.
Excellent presentation and communication skills in a group environment.
A university or college diploma in marketing, advertising, or a related field is preferred.