Strategic Communications Director

New York, USA (Hybrid)

$110K/yr – $120K/yrSenior Level8+ years expFull time

Posted 3 months ago

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Job Summary

Lead strategic communications for luxury fashion clients, shaping brand narratives, executive voice, and new-business thinking; 8+ years in communications with strong, written output focus.

  • Must-have: 8+ years in communications with strategic, written output emphasis.
  • Standout: Senior-level executive coaching and messaging for luxury brands.
  • Standout: Cross-functional leadership across fashion, beauty, lifestyle teams.

Job Description

Responsibilities

  • Strategic Narrative & Messaging
  • Develop communications architecture for clients — brand narratives, messaging hierarchies, positioning platforms, and creative communications frameworks
  • Build strategic communications playbooks and long-form planning documents that set the direction for how clients speak across all channels
  • Lead executive and founder voice development, including op-eds, Q&As, content, speeches, and media briefing narratives
  • Cross-team collaboration with our fashion, beauty, lifestyle and design departments to shape messaging and storytelling for key client projects
  • Participate in client meetings and calls, acting as a senior strategic counsel
  • Go beyond traditional media relations to identify where culture is moving and how to engage in ways that are unexpected, relevant, and effective
  • Stay ahead of shifts in media consumption, platform evolution, and audience behaviour in the luxury and fashion space
  • Recommend and develop strategies across new and emerging formats, including creator partnerships, editorial newsletters, podcasts, video-first platforms, and beyond
  • Bring unexpected angles and reference points that elevate client work above category norms
  • Ground all strategic recommendations in research and a deep knowledge of the cultural conversation
  • Be a central voice in how the agency structures its thinking for credentials, pitches, and strategic proposals
  • Own the quality of the agency’s written strategic output and ensure our point of view comes through with clarity and conviction

Requirements

  • 8+ years in communications, PR, brand strategy, or editorial — with a clear emphasis on strategic and written output
  • Demonstrable experience developing brand narratives, positioning documents, and messaging frameworks
  • Experience working with senior executives or public-facing leaders
  • Deep knowledge of the luxury and/or fashion media landscape
  • Strong new business instincts - comfortable leading or significantly contributing to pitches and strategic proposals
  • A genuine point of view on where media is heading and the ability to articulate it clearly
  • Intellectually curious, widely read, and able to bring cultural reference and research into client work
  • Restless with convention and excited by formats, platforms, and collaborators that sit outside the traditional PR model
  • Exceptional written communication skills - precise, considered, and adapted to audience
  • Creative and strategic thinker with strong presentation skills
  • Proven experience in a fast-paced environment with excellent prioritisation and time management

Benefits

  • Medical, Dental, and Vision plans
  • 401K Employer Match program
  • Commuter Benefits
  • Paid Time Off including Vacation Days, Personal Days, Sick Days, and additional Comp Days
  • Company-wide closure last week of the year
  • 10 Federal Holidays Observed
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The Independents

5.0 Glassdoor

The Independents is a global ecosystem of 21 best-in-class partner agencies crafting extraordinary brand experiences that captivate audiences worldwide. In collaboration with its clients across the luxury and lifestyle industries, The Independents creates meaningful connections between people and the brands they love.The Independents’ curation reflects an expansive roster of industry pioneers, including 2 x 4, Atelier Athem, Atelier Lum, Bureau Béatrice, Bureau Betak, Bureau Future, Ctzar, Inca Productions, k2, Karla Otto, Kennedy, Kitten Production, Kitty Events, Lefty, Lucien Pagès Communication, MA+Group, Prodject, Sunshine, Terminal 9 Studios, The Qode and We Are Ona. The group’s capabilities span research, core strategy, communications strategy, design, production and distribution, a scope that adapts to every creative challenge.The group translates strategic insights into creative concepts, which are developed into personally relevant experiences that engage local and global audiences by way of its presence in Milan, Paris, London, Munich, Barcelona, New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha and Riyadh.In March 2025, The Independents launched L’Incubateur, a pioneering initiative conceived to identify, support and accelerate the next wave of talent, entrepreneurs and creative agencies on a global scale. Since June 2023, The Independents has been backed by Banijay Group and TowerBrook Capital Partners.

Founded in 2017
Paris, Île-de-France, FRA
78 employees (7 in marketing)
0% recommend to a friend

Traffic Signals

Monthly Visitors
7.6K
Traffic Source Mix
Search
32.6%
Direct
35.2%
Referral
6.7%
Social
24.2%
Paid
1.2%

Headcount Trend

Current headcount: ~80

Marketing Team

Marketing Team Size
4 (5% of company)
Median Tenure
1.2 years
Marketing Roles Posted (Last 30 Days)
2

Funding

Last Raise
Series Unknown, 9 years ago

Funding History

  • Sep 2017
    Series Unknown