We9re looking for a Lead Brand Strategist to join our growing Strategy team. In this role, you9ll help shape how organizations define who they are and how they show up in the world - through thoughtful brand strategy and compelling digital experiences. You9ll lead collaborative strategy engagements that span brand discovery, positioning, messaging, and digital expression. You9ll translate research and insight into clarity - guiding brand frameworks, website strategies, and content architectures that inspire and engage.

You9ll work with mission-driven organizations - like the American Kidney Fund, Rainforest Trust, Urban Institute, CFP Board, Operation Smile, and The Wilderness Society - helping them build brands and digital experiences that move people and drive results.

Responsibilities

You9ll lead strategic engagements from discovery through execution, collaborating with a cross-disciplinary team of UX designers, writers, developers, and project managers. We are looking for individuals who are skilled in the full spectrum of brand strategy skills who will:

• Lead brand discovery process through stakeholder interviews, workshops, brand research, and deliverables.
• Conduct user and market research to uncover audience motivations, perceptions, and unmet needs.
• Translate insights into actionable brand strategy deliverables - such as audience personas, brand narratives, voice guidelines, user journeys, value propositions, and brand messaging strategies.
• Craft brand platforms that define mission, vision, values, personality, tone, and messaging hierarchy in conjunction with creative leads.
• Collaborate with digital strategy, content, marketing, and design teams to express the brand visually and experientially through sitemaps, wireframes, and content frameworks.
• Consider new strategic approaches that integrate AI, storytelling, and data-informed insights across channels.
• Serve as a strategic voice throughout creative development - ensuring alignment between brand intent and user experience.
• Build strong, collaborative relationships with clients - facilitating workshops, presenting ideas clearly, and guiding decisions with confidence and empathy.
• Contribute to business development by helping shape proposals, presentations, and new strategic offerings.
• Continuously identify opportunities to evolve our process and strengthen our strategic impact.

Qualities you bring to the table...

• Strategic Vision. You connect the dots between brand identity, audience insight, and digital experience - always grounded in purpose and clarity.
• Brand Storyteller. You articulate ideas that move hearts as well as minds, weaving strategy into powerful narratives.
• Analytical Curiosity. You thrive on research - diving deep into data and human insight to inform every decision.
• Collaborative Spirit. You bring others into your process - inspiring designers, writers, and developers to bring strategy to life.
• Empathetic Leader. You listen first, synthesize complexity, and lead with emotional intelligence.
• Confident Communicator. You9re at ease facilitating workshops, writing briefs, and presenting to clients with clarity and poise.
• Creative Energy. You balance analytical rigor with imagination and enthusiasm, fostering an inclusive and inspired team culture.

Requirements

We9re looking for someone with talent and a passion for strategy work, including the following experience:

• 10+ years of experience developing comprehensive, integrated brand strategies.
• Agency experience is a plus!
• Experience conducting user research, including online surveys and focus groups.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Experience developing strong client relationships and account growth strategies.
• Experience generating strategy documentation, including personas, user journeys, competitive analysis, sitemaps, and wireframes.

Benefits

We have a simple motto when it comes to company culture, 4Everyone deserves to come to work and be happy.4 This means a few things:

(1) we care as much about quality as we do about budgets

(2) we find the strengths in each employee and nurture them

(3) we encourage a culture that values innovation and creative freedom

(4) we want you to have fun. We understand that you have a life outside of work.

We allow our employees creative freedom. We treat them with respect. We value their opinions. In that spirit, we offer the following benefits:

• Company-sponsored health, vision and dental insurance
• Pre-tax Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Profit sharing
• 4 weeks of PTO to start, 5 weeks at year 3
• Company-paid short-term and long-term disability
• Company-paid life and AD&D insurance
• 11 paid holidays
• 401k with company match
• New business referral bonus
• Professional development opportunities
• Flexible work schedule
• Pre-tax DC Metro SmartBenefits

Salary Range

$110,000 - $130,000 (commensurate with experience)