Strategy & Innovation Director

Job Type: Permanent

HoursFull-time

EmployerAgency

LocationCentral London

Salary£80,000 - £120,000 plus benefits

BenefitsExcellent

Posted26 February 2020

Closing Data16 March 2020

Job RefRare 267/10

DisciplinesInnovation

SectorsB2C, Technology

Job FunctionsConsultant/strategist

This position is now filled

Strategy & Innovation Director 

In broad terms our client combines elements of marketing, innovation and communications to unlock fresh opportunities and approaches for their exciting range of clients. Their hybrid approach, melds the rigour of management consultancy, the creativity of a brand agency with the speed of a start-up. Both in the people they hire and in the work they do, they always have this blended perspective of culture, commerce and creativity. They are a relatively small agency but growing fast as their distinctive approach gains traction with clients. Their long-term goal is to build a strong, hybrid consultancy brand in this very exciting and growing space, with a small but stellar team that can solve complex problems for the worlds’ A-list brands.

About the work

They tend to solve big, complex, juicy problems for which an immediate solution isn’t obvious, and quite often they don’t know where they’ll end up at the beginning of a journey. They’ve done a wide range of projects; from very strategy-led to more execution-led, from short-term interventions to long-term partnerships. Broadly speaking projects cover or include elements of:-

  • Uncovering actionable insights
  • Building creative propositions
  • Developing strategic agendas
  • Unlocking organisational silos

 

About the role

This role sits on the crossroads of various disciplines, and we would expect any candidate to combine a mixture of skills. Their work spans across digital and content strategy, service design, commercial and business strategy, product and service innovation and org design / change management. We don’t expect you to be a deep expert in each of these areas, but are looking for talent that can comfortably switch across some of these areas.

What you can bring to the party

In your role as strategy director, the aim is that you gradually evolve into the key contact and business lead for some of their most important clients. This means that you’ll be tasked on both running and overseeing existing projects as well as nurture new projects and business from these accounts.

Ultimately we need someone who gets how successful brands operate in today’s technologically and social driven world. It doesn’t mean you have to be a digital nerd but a very good grasp of how consumer behaviour is shifting will be critical. A fascination for business, technology and culture is a head start.

We need someone who is not a jargon monkey and who can articulate solutions in simple and precise ways. Who can write compelling arguments as well as present to a room full of executives.

 

You will need to bring a sound attitude to the team and be willing to truly get stuck into problems and navigate clever ways through them. We tend to be drawn to people who aren’t cookie cutter, who have an interesting edge about them. We like a little flavour and character in the team. We all learn from each other and would love to equally learn from you.

Skills:-

  • Constructive team leader, with the ability to guide and motivate full-time and part-time team members
  • Ability to spot emerging client questions and needs and translate them into project scopes
  • Develop bespoke project proposals for emerging new business opportunities
  • Articulate storyteller (presenting arguments and strategies in engaging ways)
  • Comfortable and natural presenter
  • Deep understanding of how changes in culture, technology and commerce are impacting human behaviour
  • Deep knowledge and understanding of different frameworks and methodologies in the innovation space
  • Able to reframe problems revealing new ways to solve/approach them
  • Able to synthesise data and articulate findings simply
  • Able to articulate the business and organisational implications of proposed solutions

Responsibilities:-

  • Lead and inspire project teams
  • Be main liaison and go-to person on key accounts
  • Scope new projects or opportunities, and (help) convert them
  • Design, prepare and lead collaborative workshops
  • Explore, conceive, develop and implement new solutions, both short-term and long-term
  • Develop and fine tune set of strategic tools in key areas
  • Oversee writing of reports and presentations
  • Write business case for proposed solutions
  • Craft, hone and evaluate briefs

This is a rare opportunity to join a fascinating business in its growth phase and to play a key role in its expansion.

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