Group Strategy Director

Toronto, CAN

Overview

As a Group Strategy Director, you’re accountable for more than brand strategy—you help lead the business. This includes overseeing strategy for clients and new business in a growing office, and partnering closely with account to grow client relationships. Equally important: you play a key role in shaping and growing the office itself. That means leading with vision, modelling collaborative excellence, and helping drive new business and talent development.

This role requires strategic depth, leadership presence, organizational rigour, and the ability to balance doing the work with enabling others to thrive.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

You are the steward and visionary for strategy across clients, new business, and the Canada office—not just writing briefs, but identifying white space, ensuring brand consistency, and unlocking opportunities for growth for your brands and the agency as a whole. 

Management and Collaboration

You identify needs for talent and collaborate across functions, ensuring strong work and connective tissue across McKinney. You coach, stretch, and celebrate your team—leading both by example and by intention.  You foster alignment and momentum by building strong relationships, anticipating needs, and uniting people around common goals.

Client & Business Growth

You co-lead client relationships and new business pitches alongside account management and creative. You build trust, expand the remit of strategy, and surface new opportunities. You help scale the office’s reputation and impact to drive growth with new business, thought leadership, and client opportunities. 

Doing the Work
We’re a lean team, and this role includes rolling up your sleeves. Whether crafting briefs, leading research, or shaping narratives, you stay close to the work to lead with relevance and teach by doing.

Operational Agility
You actively manage your bandwidth and that of your team, knowing when to lean in, lead, or step back. You keep a sharp view of your accounts and team, adjusting priorities as needed to meet both creative and business objectives.

Success Measures

You’ll know you’re succeeding when your brands are thriving, the business is growing, and the office is stronger because of your presence.

Core Competencies

  • Systems Thinking: Organises complex ideas into clear, actionable frameworks.
  • Problem Solving: Adapts in real time to team and client needs; calm under pressure.
  • Creative Acumen: Has a distinct creative POV; offers feedback that sharpens the work.
    Emotional Intelligence: Builds trust and rapport across teams and clients; navigates challenges with diplomacy.
  • Storytelling: Strong written and verbal communication; crafts compelling, persuasive narratives.
  • Research Fluency: Comfortable with both traditional and non-traditional research methods.
  • Growth Mindset: Applies lessons from wins and setbacks alike; always learning.
  • Resilience: Brings steadiness and stamina to long-term challenges and change.

Experience

  • 9+ years of strategy experience in a creative agency setting
  • Strong background in brand, communications, digital and/or social strategy
  • Experience with QSR and new business required

Education

Bachelor’s degree preferred; MBA or advanced degree considered an asset

Compensation

Compensation packages are based on the skill level and experience each candidate brings to their role. There may also be a more senior or junior position available that could be a better fit with your expertise. Each level has its own compensation range.

We pride ourselves on competitive salaries, and ensuring pay equity exists across our organization. We benchmark each position against existing employee competencies and 4As compensation data which includes geographic and agency size benchmarks. We also meet with department leaders 3x/year to ensure we are supporting employees in living into their full potential.  Our promotions are not limited to a specific time per year. Promotions are tied to performance.  

You must be authorized to work in Canada for any employer.  At this time, we are not sponsoring or providing assistance with obtaining work authorization.

McKinney is a place where everyone can grow. Studies have shown that marginalized communities  such as women, LGBTQ+ and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. However you identify, and whatever background you bring with you, please apply if this is a role that would make you excited to come into work every day.

We are in the office Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday on a hybrid schedule. We look forward to meeting you!

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