Head of Strategy

Thesis•Portland, OR

12h•$160,000 - $220,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Head of Strategy is responsible for defining and leading the agency’s strategic discipline, sitting at the intersection of brand, creativity, technology, operations, and AI. As the agency's senior-most strategic leader, you shape the vision for the discipline while serving as a trusted advisor to executive leadership, clients, and cross-functional teams. You'll lead a multidisciplinary team spanning brand, campaign, social, performance strategy, building the capabilities, frameworks, and talent that move both our agency and our clients forward. This is a role for a builder. Someone who thrives in ambiguity, sees business challenges as opportunities, and instinctively connects strategy, creative, technology, and operations into integrated solutions. You'll lead our most important client relationships, shape winning pitches, mentor the next generation of strategists, and continually evolve how strategy creates value in an AI-enabled world. The role is equal parts strategist, business leader, coach, storyteller, and agency builder, setting the standard for strategic excellence while helping define what's next for Thesis.

Requirements

Deep expertise in brand strategy, campaign architecture, content, and media planning.
Strong grasp of digital ecosystems, consumer behavior, and performance metrics.
Exceptional communication and presentation skills — written, verbal, and visual.
Fluency in insight development, audience segmentation, messaging strategy, and creative brief writing.
Ability to manage ambiguity, synthesize complexity, and bring alignment across teams.
Executive presence and ability to lead high-level client relationships and conversations.
Experience leading a department or organization.
12–15+ years of experience in brand, communications, marketing, or business strategy within an agency or integrated marketing environment.
5–7+ years leading and growing high-performing strategy teams, with a passion for coaching, mentoring, and developing talent.
Proven experience leading integrated strategy across brand, campaign, social, content, CRM, digital, and performance marketing.
Demonstrated success partnering with senior client stakeholders to solve complex business challenges and influence strategic direction.
Experience leading the strategic development of new business pitches and contributing to agency growth.
Strong ability to translate research, consumer insights, cultural trends, and business objectives into actionable strategies and compelling creative briefs.
Experience collaborating closely with Creative, Account, Technology, and Operations teams to develop integrated solutions that deliver measurable results.
A systems thinker who thrives in ambiguity, quickly synthesizes complexity, and brings clarity to evolving client and business challenges.
Curiosity and enthusiasm for emerging technologies, AI, and evolving marketing capabilities, with an understanding of how they can strengthen strategy and agency ways of working.
Exceptional communication, presentation, facilitation, and storytelling skills with the ability to inspire teams and confidently present strategic thinking to clients.
Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, Psychology, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

Responsibilities

Define and champion the strategic vision for Thesis, continually evolving the discipline to meet the changing needs of clients, culture, technology, and an AI-enabled future.
Shape the agency's strategic philosophy, methodologies, and planning frameworks across brand, campaign, content, social, and performance marketing.
Champion the evolution of strategic capabilities, identifying new services, approaches, and opportunities that strengthen the agency's competitive advantage.
Establish the standard for strategic excellence, ensuring every engagement is grounded in insight, clarity, and measurable business impact.
Lead, mentor, and inspire a multidisciplinary team of strategists, fostering a culture of curiosity, collaboration, and continuous growth.
Build the capabilities, expertise, and career pathways that elevate both the team and the discipline.
Create an environment where strategists are empowered to do the best work of their careers.
Serve as the senior strategic partner for the agency's most complex clients, helping solve complex business challenges and unlock new opportunities for growth.
Lead the strategic direction for key pitches and business development opportunities, translating client needs into compelling agency solutions.
Guide positioning, messaging, campaign architecture, and integrated marketing strategies that drive measurable business outcomes.
Elevate briefs, presentations, and strategic narratives that inspire confidence, creativity, and action.
Partner across Creative, Accounts, Operations, Technology, and Innovation to develop integrated solutions that deliver exceptional client outcomes.
Ensure strategic thinking is embedded throughout the entire client lifecycle, from opportunity and briefing through execution, optimization, and measurement.
Build scalable frameworks, playbooks, and ways of working that enable stronger collaboration and smarter decision-making across the agency.
Bring a forward-looking perspective on emerging trends, technology, AI, and consumer behavior, helping evolve how Thesis delivers strategic value for clients.