Director, Brand Storytelling

Responsibilities

• Vision-setting and strategy: Establish brand narratives and develop content strategies for each account as well as new business pitches, grounded in audience research, insight and relevant creative inspiration.
• Build and maintain the throughline for each account as work develops: the central idea, conversation, tone, and integrated architecture for the content ecosystem, so all teams are aligning around the same strategic goals.
• Based on audience segmentation strategies, develop messaging/social strategy frameworks by persona.
• Ensure all strategies pass the “will this audience actually pay attention and care?” test.
• Vision orchestration across departments: Author or co-author briefs for creative, media, and social so every department starts from the same throughline.
• As deliverables are developed, act as orchestrator and curator across strategy, creative, media, social, and community, translating the narrative into direction specific to each department and acting as an arbiter for taste.
• Provide critical feedback during the development process to ensure the work delivers on or exceeds the strategic promise. Does it cut through the noise and will it engage target audiences?
• Ensure the overall ecosystem vision is brought to life across paid, organic, earned, and owned with special attention to how audiences respond to channel context.
• Team Leadership: Build and lead a mixed team of full-time staff and freelance subject-matter experts.
• Recruit, brief, and evaluate freelance SMEs directly: define the expertise a pitch or program needs, source and vet candidates, and assess quality and fit before and during an engagement.

Requirements

• 8+ years in storytelling, content strategy, or social-first brand strategy, including at least [3+] years at a director level or equivalent, managing people and, ideally, freelance talent.
• Direct experience leading storytelling for new business pitches, comfortable building a story fast and under pressure.
• A track record of directly turning audience research and insight into brand, social and content strategy.
• Experience recruiting, briefing, and managing freelance subject-matter experts or contractors, including evaluating their quality and fit for a specific client or category.
• Personal experience authoring creative, social, and media briefs, not just reviewing them.
• A collaborative leadership style, with evidence of bringing out strong work from cross-functional teams.
• A current, fluent point of view on paid, organic, social, community, content, and brand, and how to use them to capture attention, drive engagement, and build long-term trust and equity.
• Real social-first instincts: hands-on experience with community growth and creator content, and a habit of working from social listening.
• BA

Preferred

• New business or pitch leadership experience at an agency.
• A career that spans more than one of brand strategy, creative, social, and research/insights.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision; company-paid life and AD&D; voluntary supplemental insurance and EAP
• 401(k) with company match and immediate vesting; HSA and FSA options
• College savings and student loan repayment programs
• Paid parental leave; generous PTO, nine company holidays, and one floating holiday
• Cell phone stipend; well-being and professional development programs
• Benefits are subject to applicable plan terms and eligibility requirements.