Creative Strategist / Account Planner

Creative Strategist / Account Planner - CST hours

Location : Must work CST based hours

Pay : $40-42 / hourly as W2. Full benefits offered.

Duration : Ongoing contract role

The target hiring compensation range for this role is $40-42 / hourly as a W2 employee.

Compensation is based on several factors including, but not limited to education, relevant work experience, relevant certifications, and location.

Additional benefits offered may include; medical health insurance and dental insurance, life insurance, and eligibility to participate in a 401k plan with company match.

Candidates must work CST based hours.

Overview :

This is a great opportunity for a Strategic Account Planner with prior Agency and / or Creative in-house experience.

The core of the role will lead creative strategy development through the ownership of creative briefs (supporting Email / Social Media related work)

This Planner / Strategist will lead creative guidance for their in-house agency teams.

Creative Strategist / Account Planner

The Lead Strategist position is a contractor role responsible for creative strategy within the brand organization, working closely with the in-house agency and brand marketing teams.

Primary Function

We are seeking a creative minded, critical thinker highly experienced in Strategic Account Planning in an advertising agency or in-house agency environment, with a proven ability to engage teams and drive results independently.

A thought leader with a deep understanding of people, culture, and the world, and most importantly, a desire to dig into what makes them tick.

Leverages logic and excels at distilling facts and insights to create a highly impactful understanding of the target audience.

This role will lead creative strategy development through the ownership of creative briefs and the provision of creative guidance for the in-house agency teams.

Must have experience converting marketing strategy, business and channel goals into creative strategy and messaging and communication ecosystems for 360 advertising campaigns, while guiding and maintaining the existing brand standards / guidelines.

This role requires a strategist that tells compelling brand stories that excite, inspire, and help partners see opportunities in new ways.

The Lead Strategist independently champions large scale strategic efforts as assigned with little oversight, supports other strategists as needed, and conducts other strategy related duties as assigned.

Must have experience independently developing creative briefs and message / communication matrices.

The role requires an individual to be in the office 4 days per week. This position is based in the San Antonio, TX office.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Independently develops creative strategy for large-scale integrated projects and programs via clear yet powerful brand / enterprise creative briefs, including but not limited to message / communication matrices, and journey mapping
• Develop inspiring and timely audience profiles, insights and understanding - a critical part of creative briefs targeting suspects, new Members, existing members for initiatives within Marketing / In-house creative agency as assigned
• Communicate effectively while collaborating across creative, brand management and project management teams in support of marketing efforts and advertising campaigns
• Trusted partner to creative teams supporting them throughout creative development, including but not limited to brainstorming, creative concepting and executional development strategic guidance
• Excellent at conveying ideas, highly skilled in writing, and adept at presenting and leading meetings to senior level partners and colleagues
• Champion and bring to life unique military "understanding" in such a way that insights is a critical
• deliverable of the Brand and Creative Strategy team, and an inspiring focal point for creative teams with little supervision.
• Support and uphold alignment to Branding principles via creative briefs and verbal / written guidance during development
• Identify and leverage key military and cultural / societal trends that could impact creative briefs, as well as industry trends for the broader Brand & Creative Strategy team
• Exhibits strategic thought leadership by staying ahead of trends and offering practical inspiration and recommendations expert or experience in leading social media strategy planning, full digital upper to mid funnel campaign cadence resulting in well integrated and successful executions
• Proficient in independently managing and coordinating multiple work streams and deadlines efficiently
• Leads brainstorming sessions to generate breakthrough ideas, as needed
• Develops more tactical project creative briefs, as needed.

Skills & Qualifications

• Ability to harness intuition to guide development and creative work, and interpret data to develop creative insights
• Ability to build relationships and influence the creative process
• Solid presentation and communication skills
• Engaging storyteller
• Curious personality
• Proficient knowledge of the account planning and creative function / discipline and demonstrated application of knowledge, skills, and abilities towards work products required
• Knowledgeable in qualitative and quantitative research and how to leverage it in strategy development
• Knowledgeable in the creative development process and marketing principles

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's Degree required, specifically in advertising or communications or marketing
• 8+ years of related account planning or brand / creative strategy experience required, including developing creative briefs or creative strategies
• Experience working with / partnering with creative teams required
• Experience working in an advertising agency or in-house agency required

About Aquent :

Aquent connects the best talent in marketing, creative, and design with the world's biggest brands.

Our eligible talent has access to amazing benefits like subsidized health, vision, and dental plans, paid sick leave, and retirement plans with a match.

We also offer free online training through Aquent Gymnasium.

Aquent is an equal-opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.

We're about creating an inclusive environment one where different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are valued, and everyone can contribute, grow their careers, and thrive.