Associate Strategy Director

*MUST BE ABLE TO BE BASED IN SEATTLE AREA FOR 3X WEEK HYBRID SCHEDULE*

ASSOCIATE  STRATEGY DIRECTOR

Who We Are

Mekanism is an award-winning, independent, full-service advertising agency made up of creative entrepreneurs. With offices in San Francisco, New York and Seattle, we are collaborative business partners with some of the world’s best brands including Alaska Airlines, Harmless Harvest, and Charles Schwab. Our creative approach to brand building is best described as “The Soul & Science of Storytelling” - communicating a brand’s purpose with ideas informed by data and rooted in human truths.

What is a Mekanista you ask? Being a Mekanista requires a rare combination of being a weird, fearless and wonderful person who enjoys birthday cakes, well behaved dogs, and shared sensibility of family, respect and not taking ourselves too seriously.

Mekanism has been named to Ad Age’s “Agency A List” and twice to their “Best Places to Work”. We have also been listed on Creativity’s “The Creative 50” and have been recognized by Effie as one of the “Most Effective Independent Agencies”. We have been profiled by The New York Times, Fast Company and ABC’s Nightline.

The Role

Mekanism’s Strategy Department is made up of creative-minded brand leaders who understand people as much as we understand business. Our belief is that Strategy is the practice of being openly obsessive to help brands and businesses become the most iconic version of themselves. We are part anthropologist, part business thinker, part planner, part new business insights creator and part trend watcher. It is our job to connect the dots between human behavior, creative development and business strategy. 

The Associate Strategy Director is responsible for managing multiple internal, new business and client projects and is expected to effectively collaborate with Mekanism’s internal teams. The Associate Strategy Director will take the reins on projects large and small, for active clients and on new business opportunities. They will become the trusted voice on the strategy and the work, earning the respect and trust of their clients. They will collaborate actively with all other Mekanistas in true back-and-forth fashion. And mainly, they will work to develop strategies that are truly insightful, break a rule, and inspire teeth-gnashing, award-winning creative work.

Key Areas of Responsibility

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Creative Brief Development & Strategic Leadership

• Transform client briefs into compelling creative briefs by distilling research, information, and insights into singular strategic ideas that inspire creative teams and drive results
• Collaborate with internal teams to develop integrated brand strategies with clear performance objectives and measurable outcomes
• Take ownership of both tactical details and strategic vision, demonstrating strong executive function and project management skills

Research, Insights & Thought Leadership

• Lead primary research initiatives including concept development, discussion guides, survey design, and segmentation studies while managing third-party vendor relationships
• Uncover unique insights through creative secondary research across diverse sources, from social media trends to annual reports
• Author thought leadership pieces and POVs that elevate both Mekanism and the Strategy Group's industry presence
• Synthesize complex information into clear, actionable strategies that resonate with both creative teams and clients

Brand Strategy & Client Partnership

• Lead high-level brand strategy development, campaign planning, and engagement strategies for key accounts
• Demonstrate mastery of Scope of Work development and management
• Drive proactive brand workshops to evolve client thinking and align on business objectives
• Balance multiple clients simultaneously while maintaining high quality of work and meeting tight deadlines
• Partner with Brand Managers to identify and develop revenue-driving opportunities through strategic projects

Business Growth & Innovation

• Take accountability for new business development, volunteering to lead strategic thinking on pitch opportunities
• Identify and propose strategic project opportunities, including processes, tools, and deliverables
• Guide creative ideation throughout the process to ensure breakthrough work that drives business results
• Shift from peer feedback to peer development, helping to grow the team's capabilities

Embody the Mekanism Values

• Believe in bold
• Bring your weird
• Practice optimism
• Have each other’s backs
• Pursue what’s next
• Give a sh*t

Core Requirements

• You must be curious, confident, and articulate, as well as have excellent instincts with regard to human behavior, business strategy and general marketing theory. And you should be able to do this quickly, with minimal supervision. 
• You should think of yourself as openly obsessive, nerdy even, with a passion for creativity, culture, understanding how people think/interact, brands, and problem solving. 
• You should have, but not be constricted by, a process for building brands and finding insights.
• You must have excellent instincts both broadly across industries and deeply within any given capability or function. 
• You should have at least 6 years of relevant advertising/marketing experience. Graduate degree in communications, advertising, brand planning or business a plus. 

Salary: up to $110,000 annually depending on experience. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on relevant experience, job-related qualifications/skills, and geographic location. The Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. For this role, Benefits include: health/dental/vision insurance, matching 401(k), FSA and HSA accounts, responsibly unlimited vacation policy, sick time, paid parental leave, paid medical leave, STD/LTD insurance benefits, and generous holiday calendar.