Director - Innovation & Brand Strategy

At a glance Who: Strategic consultant leading brand strategy, innovation, and business development efforts. What: Lead client engagements end-to-end, bringing your own thinking and vision-setting, and be expected to grow accounts over time When: Hiring immediately to support business expansion. Where: Preferably based in the Chicagoland area; with option to be Remote / travel-open. Salary: $140,000–$160,000 (est. base depending on experience) plus discretionary bonus potential If you are a business-minded strategic leader, who thinks outside of the box, doesn’t shy away from ambiguous client challenges, and has a proven track record of growing project opportunities into lasting partnerships… we want to hear from you! What we’re looking for A strategic mind and change agent who knows how to build We are looking for a strategic thought leader who is innately curious about people and craves an entrepreneurial opportunity to help grow the Innovation & Brand Strategy vertical within a fast-growing, global strategic brand consultancy. Someone who won’t just answer the brief—they’ll challenge it. We need a critical thinker to uncover the "problem behind the problem" and have a strong point of view to reframe a problem before solving it. They must be comfortable with ambiguity and open-ended briefs and excel in vision-setting and driving actionable solutions with clarity. Someone with a network of trusted relationships - a true seller/doer With the support of an established client network, inbound pipeline, and a team behind you, our Directors have an annual minimum revenue target, so we are looking for a proactive relationship builder who is comfortable with revenue accountability and highly effective in building, managing, and growing a client portfolio. Someone who mentors and leads with compassion and confidence We’re looking for a leader with a growth mindset to mentor team members on and off projects – help build confidence, expand skillsets, and support their overall growth and professional development. Our Directors invest in people to not only drive better project outcomes but also strengthen the overall success and resilience of the business. What you’ll be doing Business Development & Revenue Ownership: Fully own a set revenue target by identifying new opportunities/categories and growing a book of business through proactive account expansion to positively contribute to the company's annual goals. Build trust and maintain a senior-level presence across the entire lifecycle of a partnership, from initial discovery and "winning" the business to ongoing relationship management. Evaluate all proposals through a cost-benefit lens to ensure strategic solutions are both precise for the client’s marketplace needs and profitable for the agency. End to End Project Ownership Oversee the synthesis of research, data, and trends into story-driven insights that provide effective strategic recommendations from integrated cultural, consumer, category, and commercial perspectives. Guide junior team members in primary and secondary research (e.g., ethnography, desk research, trend scanning) and complex problem-solving, ensuring the creation and delivery of high-quality outputs (e.g., decks, multimedia). Lead high-impact workshops, internal brainstorms, and collaborative client sessions to foster understanding, adoption, drive consensus, and meet company standards under tight deadlines. Innovation & Growth Strategy: Utilize design thinking, whitespace analysis, and market trends to develop actionable roadmaps and bespoke frameworks for growth. Transform complex data and ambiguous client objectives into structured, story-driven narratives and high-value workstreams. Advance agency offerings by integrating AI-informed tools and evolving methodologies beyond traditional research boundaries. What you’ll need Foundational skills: At least 7 years of previous related experience (e.g. strategy, innovation, consulting, planning, design-thinking), with preference 3+ years of hands-on experience at an insight-led strategy consultancy, innovation firm, ad agency, or brand experience agency. Experience designing and delivering insight-led strategic approaches, such as Brand Architecture, Brand Positioning, Innovation Sprints, Market Entry, and Jobs To Be Done. Familiarity with interpreting cultural trends, consumer journey mapping, and facilitating ideation workshops. Ability to drive organic account growth through 'insight-led' business development. Ability to break down a client's business problem to its fundamental truths. Existing long-term partnerships with clients that you can leverage. Ability to lead large accounts under challenging situations; flexible to the constraints and considerations of timelines, internal dynamics and client pressure. Technical Skills: Ability to work with and leverage Qualitative and Quantitative data and insights to inform the development of innovation and strategy projects. Expert skill set in creating tools and frameworks and strength in coaching others to do the same. Strong writing skills are an absolute must – as compelling and impactful storytelling is at the heart of our philosophy. Leadership skills: A commercial and advisory mindset; someone who excels at giving decisive advice, not just presenting options Facilitation and consensus-building, ability to guide large groups through ambiguous conversations. High emotional intelligence and capacity for self accountability. Highly collaborative and works well in groups – lone wolves need not apply 🙂 Courage to voice concerns and leverage radical candor and influence to gain alignment. Culturally-savvy and curious; eager to experiment with new methodologies, inputs and tools. Backgrounds that fit Previous Roles Consultant Planner Strategist’ Innovation Lead Places you’ve been Creative strategy agency Design strategy agency Brand Consultancy Advertising Agency Innovation Agency Insight-Led Strategy Firm Who this role is for Visionary and Courageous...take the lead You possess the foresight to anticipate market shifts before they manifest and the conviction to act on them with authority. Challengers & Contrarians...we’ve saved you a seat You don't just follow the trends; you interrogate them. We want a contrarian who sparks bold strategies as they approach all inputs—cultural, social, and economic—as innovation opportunities. Intrepid and Ingenious…seeks force of nature You are a master of synthesis, capable of connecting non-obvious dots across industries to forge fearless, future-proof strategies. You don’t just follow trends; you redefine categories through ingenious, data-backed innovation. Smart, curious, cheeky and humble…seeks like-minded to change the world Contribute smart as f*ck thinking and support to colleagues on projects, proposals and business development. Have we piqued your curiosity? Sound like the role for you? We’d love to hear from you! Even if you’re not 100% sure about potential fit, we still encourage you to apply. We’re looking for the right person, not the perfect series of checkboxes. Working at The Sound We offer a market-competitive salary anticipated around $140,000 - $160,000 base (dependent on experience and role). Actual salaries will vary depending on a qualified role, candidate’s experience, qualifications, skills, location and internal equity. For all your awesome skills, we reward our team members with… A Total Rewards Package which includes a competitive base salary (above) PLUS… A healthy work/life integration with flexible leave benefits tailored to your needs Generous health and ancillary benefits to support your family needs Retirement match program; Tuition and/or Continuing Education program Constant acknowledgment of your performance with shout-outs, bonus incentives, and recognition along the way! Hybrid-work position - With a flexible work schedule, you can hit the gym, catch your kid's big game, take your fur baby for a walk, or meet with friends for an extended lunch – we treat you like a grown-up! Who we are The Sound is a Global Exploration, Strategy, and Innovation consulting agency located in Chicago, London, and Vancouver. We use leading-edge market research techniques and marketing models in order to solve client brand, marketing, communications and product challenges. But we aren't your average brand consultancy. Made up of strategic researchers, brand experts, idea generators and cultural anthropologists. We're best known for providing our clients with the insight, inspiration and strategy needed to answer the brand challenges most important to their business. We are dedicated to engaging brands with people . Behind the scenes EEO: The Sound values DEI and is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer committed to building a workforce that reflects the spectrum of perspectives, experiences, and abilities of the world we live in. We recognize that our differences make us strong, and we actively seek out diverse candidates through partnerships with organizations, institutions and communities that represent various backgrounds. We champion belonging and inclusion for all identities, including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, ability status, gender, and country of origin, striving to create a culture where all individuals feel valued, respected, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work. AI Use & Data Privacy Notice: We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications or analyzing resumes; however, final hiring decisions are always made by humans. By submitting your application, you acknowledge that BambooHR will process your personal data under applicable data protection laws (including GDPR) to evaluate your candidacy. You may exercise your rights to access, rectification, or erasure at any time by contacting us.