Manager, Strategy

Business Overview

We believe in the power of media to reshape our industry and orchestrate a brand's entire consumer experience, by balancing both what unites people and what makes them different. When brands unite people in culture, they build Fame, and when brands connect individuals to their unique journeys, they build customer Flow. Initiative builds Fame & Flow for brands like Nike, Amazon, Merck, and T-Mobile. Media responsibility is at the forefront of everything we do, whether it's creating media plans that reflect the diversity of our communities, promote brand safety, and foster sustainability. Our agency celebrates diversity in an inclusive environment where all of our 6,000+ strong talent across 90+ markets feel seen, heard, and valued. Our vision is to create not only a better media company, but also a better media industry, and maybe even a better world.

We make a promise to our people that we double down on seeing, celebrating & elevating all the things that make you, uniquely you. And just as we do for our brands and clients, we connect our people to the journeys that matter in building a meaningful career.

There are four I's in Initiative and these represent our core values and behaviors.

• INDIVID[YOU]ALITY - you bring your genuine and unique self to and into the work, every day.
• INSTINCT - you're tuned in and armed with intelligence; you have a bias for action - shit happens when you're around.
• IMPACT! - you care deeply about the impact you have on our clients, their customers, our community, the media landscape and our world at large.
• IMAGINATION - your ability to imagine and bring to life the ideas, solutions, and the future of Initiative, makes us THE create media agency in the world.

Position Overview

As a Strategy Manager, you are responsible for the creation of the strategic direction a brand will take in communications to achieve their business goals. You are responsible for helping to strategize, produce and make sense of the key cultural, consumer and market intelligence required to design the best possible holistic communications plan to deliver on that task.

You are responsible for creating the strategic recommendations and engaging with the client in an advisory capacity. It is not your responsibility to manage the client relationship & you will - by Brief - report to the Client Lead to deliver brilliant strategic thinking for the client team.

Responsibilities

• Maintain excellent client relationships & understanding of the clients' key business and challenges; identify, develop & oversee the delivery of unique and innovative strategies to deliver the client's desired results
• Make valuable contributions during client meetings with the ability to challenge others' opinions in the right forum/manner
• Arm the client team with knowledge & expertise to speak confidently about the strategic direction where required; understand and speak to clients confidently about key proprietary product offerings
• Clearly and confidently enrich strategic thinking with data (of all kinds) underpinned by a compelling story
• Lead Velocity Planning for the team and client base
• Bring fresh thinking & inspiration into the Strategic Process to help the teams springboard to better Strategic thinking
• Drive usage of the Cultural Analytical Process/Tools to help teams find new insights that unlock growth
• Write cohesive communications architectures that deliver on the platform and give guidance for how the brand will play in culture
• Train, guide & assist the Strategy & Client teams in development and packaging of ideas
• Partner with Analytics to develop new tools, inputting into the development of new & cutting edge proprietary planning, research and reporting models for Initiative

Required Skills

• Proven ability to think in innovative and creative ways
• Proven ability to understand consumers & their behaviors
• Experience working with clients and/or managing client relationships

Desired Skills and Experience

• 6+ years in integrated planning role in media, creative, innovation or communications discipline (digital, content, invention, social, activation)
• Ability to think differently: creative & adaptive, entrepreneurial, independently-minded

Business Overview

KINESSO is the technology-driven performance marketing agency that provides actionable growth for both our agency partners and clients. We turn 'action' into 'outcome' for our clients, leveraging our unique capabilities in optimization, analytics, AI, and experimentation. KINESSO has brought together the collective power of what was formerly Matterkind, Reprise, P3, and Kinesso under one collective entity that will serve as the most powerful delivery engine in the industry. We have extensive offerings spanning across performance marketing and data and technology. Fueled by a deep understanding of consumer behavior, we offer an end-to-end engine of planning and optimization while also delivering on data-driven strategy for social platforms, actionable growth in e-commerce, and creating curated marketplaces specific to each client's function and needs. The company has more than 6,000 employees operating in more than 60 countries. Learn more at www.KINESSO.com.

Position Overview

The Associate Director, Paid Social is a strong strategic contributor with ability to provide social thought leadership, strategic and data-driven recommendations and manage a team of social buyers across a complex client with multiple lines of business or multiple clients. The Associate Director, Paid Social will strengthen andbroadeningclient relationships by applying paid socialexpertiseto the client's business to drive results and ensure the client is up to date with the social industry. In this position, you will drive the social process across teams and clients, ensuring all paid social recommendations and strategy isclosely integratedwith other disciplines and the social team is working together in support of the business. The Associate Director should have a mastery of the paid social industry and how this channel integrates and influences other channels.

Responsibilities

• Understands client goals and business needs and acts as a strategic partner toprovideinsightful, innovative, and data-driven paid social recommendations; Provides strategic recommendation for media budget allocation and managing partner endeavors, negotiation deals or ensuring agency rates are applied.
• Oversees all elements of social campaigns to ensure executional excellence, implementation of best practices, and channel innovation.
• Provide guidance on new Paid Social opportunities as the subject matter expert for all assigned clients, translating industry jargon and concepts for clients and internal stakeholders to understand and champion.
• Evolves team process and aligns and ensures the paid social strategy and team is working with other channel disciplines in support of the assigned clients; Key participant in strategic media planning and execution.
• Plays an active role in conflict resolution.Identifies, manages, and resolves problems before they escalate.
• Budget and Financial:Ultimately responsibleto ensure billing and budgetaccuracytroubleshooting issues and escalating if needed.
• Serve as a resource for Managers, SeniorAssociates and Associatesfor advice and counsel as well as career development, training and motivating the team
• Oversee Asana for task management and team collaboration
• Responsible for QA ofinitialcampaign build outs (ensure tracking, budgets, audiences, creatives, and timing are correct)
• Oversee client budgets to ensure plans do not exceed Media Authorizations; Responsible for reporting budget plans and commissions to internal finance teams

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Directly managesManagersas well asSr. Associatesand Associates,dependingonteam structure.
• EnsuresManagersnew to managing employees are providing actionable feedback and help set goals andidentifygrowth opportunities for the team.
• Provides mentorship, client managementguidanceand ensures a positive working environment across the team.
• Shares best practices and shortcuts learned through industry experience.
• Delegate and manageworkloadto ensure fairness and growth opportunities. Helps other members of the team and lets juniormembers'shine.
• Share input for promotions, oversee performance improvement plans/on track plans, keep department leads updated with wins and watchouts.

Qualification - Required Skills

• Software:Proficiencyin MS Office applications (Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, etc.)
• Knowledge of all social platformsa must. This includes understanding of buying& reportingwithin platforms at this level for QA and training for teams.Previousexperience executing multiple campaigns in Meta (Facebook and Instagram) and one other platform. (X (formerlyTwitter), Snapchat, Pinterest, TikTok, Reddit and LinkedIn)
• Mastery of said social platform capabilities across campaign type.
• Communication: Comfortable providing feedback and direction through various forms of communication (video, email,etc.). internally and externally.
• Soft Skills: Strong organizational skills, ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment,
• Ability to prepare presentations andmaintaina level of professionalism suitable for senior client leadership, including executive and C-Suite
• Strong analytics skills, thorough understanding of paid social measurement and experienceutilizingmultiple native measurement tools.
• Ability to oversee a team in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple deadlines.
• Team player, willing to jump in where needed to get the job done and manages paid social as part of the broader media strategy and avoids channel siloes.
• Stay informed of the latest developments in paid social and changes to the broader media landscape. Understandimplicationsof data and privacy regulations and when to consult with experts across the organization.

Qualifications - Desired Skills

• 5+years of experience of paid social experience
• Experience managing 2+ direct reports.
• Agency experience preferred
• Passion for social media and advertising
• Proven ability to collaborate and work well with others in a high-pressure environment.

Wage and Benefits

We offer a Total Rewards package that includes medical and dental coverage, 401(k) plans, flex spending, life insurance, disability, employee discount program, employee stock purchase program and paid family benefits to support you and your family.

The salary range for this position is posted below. Where an employee or prospective employee is paid within this range will depend on, among other factors, actual ranges for current/former employees in the subject position, market considerations, budgetary considerations, tenure and standing with the Company (applicable to current employees), as well as the employee's/applicant's skill set, level of experience, and qualifications.

Employment Transparency

It is our policy to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, citizenship, genetic information, veteran status, disability, or any other basis prohibited by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

The employer will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the American with Disabilities Act of 1990. The job description will be reviewed periodically as duties and responsibilities change with business necessity. Essential and other job functions are subject to modification. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

For applicants to jobs in the United States: In compliance with the current Americans with Disabilities Act and state and local laws, if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation to apply for a position, please emailaccommodation@mbww.com.