MarketPro has partnered with a Dallas-based marketing agency ready to hire their new strategic planning leader. The SVP of Strategy and Planning reports to the COO and supports the entire organization in acquiring new clients, while expanding/retaining existing relationships. Defining, building and leading a strategic planning discipline is essential, as well as leading the media discipline across all channels with heavy emphasis on digital, until the group is able to deliver consistently.
In contributing to agency growth, this individual will collaborate with leadership on all areas necessary to assist in the agency’s go-to-market growth strategy. As a member of the executive-level Strategic Pitch Approach (SPA) team, the SVP of Strategy and Planning will provide critical guidance, inspire creative thinking throughout the agency and develop compelling and innovative solutions that effectively communicate the agency’s brand promise of better client experiences through core teamwork behaviors of transparency and trust. The SVP will establish credibility and authenticity in company communications as a point of differentiation, intriguing and compelling prospects to engage and ultimately convert into clients.
This position is remote, with frequent travel to Dallas.
Responsibilities: Senior Vice President – Strategy and Planning
-
- Serving as primary agency storyteller of all new business and key organic growth initiatives, outlining the narrative needed and holding the team to it
- Taking the lead in generating ideas and selling of all new business and key organic growth initiatives. Must understand that clients don’t just buy services, but also ideas. As such, the SVP will design and develop a proactive idea generator for his/herself, while obtaining input from agency team members.
- Working as primary, cross-disciplinary agency collaborator ensuring stories and ideas are aligned with opportunity and execution, potentially operating out of comfort zones
Developing future storytellers, idea generators and concept sellers, including conducting training sessions - Developing and managing team of strategic “Account Planners” and “Communications Planners”—develops and follows through on career matrix
- Assigning the right client, job, client partner—monitors and assigns strategic planning resources
- Until the Media team is consistently delivering, the role has an additional core requirement that the individual inspire confidence in our clients and new business prospects regarding media through:
- Proactive and innovative thinking being shared with client teams, clients and prospects across media channels
- Ensuring the agency doesn’t fall into the delivery trap of rinse-and-repeat with media reports and status updates; projecting to clients that our value is constantly increasing versus remaining static
- Ability to proactively identify insights and craft stories from media efforts and data that compel clients and prospects to act
- Leading the Strategic Planning discipline, currently consisting of four (5) Theorists and, for an interim period, media discipline (planning and buying, SEO) consisting of seven (10) Theorists
- Rolling up sleeves and engaging in the work from day one within the following areas:
- Strategic Planning
-
- Analyzing marketing data (existing research, campaign results, conversion rates, traffic, etc.) to help identify deficiencies and opportunities that inform strategies, goals and objectives
- Identifying customer segments, developing customer personas and creating customer journeys, experience maps and messaging plans that are grounded in data insights
- Leading collaboration with analytics, technology, media and creative teams to create test plans for new creative, copy and channels, constantly optimizing the performance of the campaign and the customer experience
- Strategic Planning Execution
- Translating research, strategy and brand goals into direction for innovative and relevant customer-facing visuals, written copy and media experiences
- Crafting insightful, compelling and clear creative briefs and lead handoff to designers and copywriters, when necessary; otherwise review and enhance briefs from the team
- Agency Efforts/New Business
- Managing direct reports as assigned matrixed agency resources are needed; this includes the review and discussion of constructive feedback of work efforts, assisting with conflict resolution, creating developmental and career goals, etc.
- Leading new business efforts with insights and strategic recommendations
- Running point-on-pitch materials, including developing pitch story outlines, collaborating with SMEs for content creation and coordinating with creative for design support
- Media – In addition to helping the media team and leadership to develop the skills listed above in key/core responsibilities, the candidate should be ready to roll up their sleeves and deliver on following as needed:
-
- Strategic Planning
Skills & Qualifications: Senior Vice President – Strategy and Planning
- 4-year degree in Marketing, Advertising, Business, Communications, English or other relevant discipline
- 10+ years experience in marketing, advertising and/or product development
- 10+ years experience in team management
- Detail AND big-picture thinker who is good at identifying and drawing connections
- Ability to thrive in fast-paced, dynamic, collaborative and deadline-driven work environment
MarketPro Inc. is the leading high-end marketing executive search firm delivering top performing innovative marketers. As a team of former marketing professionals, we are uniquely qualified to source and retain the best marketing talent to transform businesses of all sizes across all industries. Celebrating our 26th year, we are a certified woman-owned business with headquarters in Atlanta and clients worldwide. Visit us on LinkedIn.
Posted by Melissa Van Rossum.