Strategy Director (Contract)

ROLE: STRATEGY DIRECTOR

TEAM: THE KITCHEN NORTH AMERICA

LOCATION: CHICAGO (HYBRID - 2 DAYS ONSITE)

COMPANY OVERVIEW:

The Kitchen brings together a range of disciplines and capabilities. It’s a team of creatives, producers, data analysts and social experts working together to deliver remarkable ideas that live in a variety of mediums, from everything from social to TV. This team moves at the speed of culture. It is built to respond to trends and events as they happen, coming up with ideas that transcend social media to capture the spirit of the moment, earn media impressions, and get the country talking.

Are you ready to join an award-ambitious team that's making waves in the advertising industry? Our incredible team has been recognized internationally by industry giants like Cannes, One Show and was named Campaign's Global ‘In-House Agency of The Year’, further solidifying our position as a leader in the industry. Join us and be a part of something truly special - a team that's dedicated to creating ground-breaking work and pushing limits.

At The Kitchen, we're not just looking for individuals who want to be a part of the advertising industry - we're looking for trailblazers who are ready to lead the way to the next big thing! We want individuals who are passionate about producing award-winning work and have an innate drive to their craft and are eager to generate innovative ideas both within and outside of the brief.

POSITION OVERVIEW: 

The Strategy Director is a senior leadership role within The Kitchen, Kraft Heinz's integrated creative function, reporting into the Group Strategy Director. This individual will serve as the day-to-day strategic lead across assigned brands within The Kitchen, owning the full arc of brand and social strategy with increased responsibility for team management and strategic operations. The Strategy Director will help set the standard for briefs, insight development, and cross-functional collaboration and act as a trusted strategic partner to creative and brand teams.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership

• Lead brand and social strategy across multiple brands or a high-priority portfolio, ensuring work supports long-term brand positioning and business goals.
• Define strategic direction with the Group Strategy Director, connecting brand ambition, cultural insight, and creative opportunities into actionable plans.
• Translate audience, cultural, business, and performance insights into clear briefs, strategic narratives, and recommendations.
• Maintain strategic frameworks, playbooks, and brand voice guidance that raise the quality and consistency of work across the pod.

Team Management & Mentorship

• Manage, mentor, and develop the strategy team within assigned pods, fostering a culture of strategic excellence, collaboration, and curiosity.
• Provide structured feedback, coaching, and growth opportunities for junior team members, connecting their work to overarching brand strategy.
• Drive accountability by setting clear goals and performance expectations for pod team members.
• Contribute to onboarding new strategists, grounding them in The Kitchen's ways of working, brand fundamentals, and strategic approach.

 Cross-Functional Partnership & Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the senior strategic partner to Creative, Brand, and Comms leaders, ensuring social strategy aligns to marketing and business priorities.
• Represent Strategy in senior-level brand and pod discussions, shaping direction through clear, confident, insight-led storytelling.
• Partner with Brand, Creative, Media, and Analytics to deliver integrated thinking across channels and workstreams.
• Build trusted relationships across The Kitchen and brand teams, positioning Strategy as a high-value, action-driving function.

 Culture & Process Leadership

• Set and uphold high standards for briefs, insights, and strategic deliverables across the Strategy team.
• Lead planning processes and workflows that improve clarity, consistency, efficiency, and cross-functional integration.
• Capture and share campaign learnings, best practices, and toolkits that strengthen strategic capability across the organization.
• Foster a culture of continuous learning, proactive thinking, and strategic ambition while surfacing opportunities ahead of business needs.

 Consumer Insights & Brand Planning

• Monitor market trends, cultural shifts, and consumer behavior to proactively inform brand and social strategy.
• Partner with Insights and Analytics to ground recommendations in data, research, and performance learnings.
• Identify opportunities for cultural relevance by connecting social trends, consumer behavior, and brand purpose.
• Oversee measurement planning and ensure reporting leads to actionable strategic and creative improvements.

 

REQUIREMENTS: 

Education & Experience

• 7–10 years of experience in brand strategy, creative strategy, social strategy, or integrated marketing roles, preferably within a Fortune 500 CPG company or top-tier creative/in-house agency.
• Demonstrated experience leading strategy across multiple brands or a complex brand, with a track record of driving brand relevance and business impact.
• Proven ability to manage and develop junior strategists and cross-functional team members.
• Experience leveraging data-driven insights, cultural trends, and consumer behavior to build compelling, actionable strategies.
• Comfort operating with autonomy in a fast-paced, matrixed environment, setting direction without waiting to be told.
• Strong communication and influence skills, with the ability to present strategic thinking with clarity and conviction to multiple stakeholder groups.
• Experience in social-led and integrated strategy across owned, earned, and paid media channels preferred.

 

The Kitchen and Kraft Heinz. are committed to Equal Employment Opportunity and to attracting and retaining the most qualified employees regardless of race, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age, or disability

The anticipated annual base salary range for this position is $120,000–$140,000. Individual compensation within this range is determined based on job-related factors such as experience, skills, level of responsibility, internal equity, and business needs. This range represents the expected base salary for this role and does not include other elements of The Kitchen’s total rewards program.