Senior Strategist (Portfolio/Retail)

SALT XC • Chicago, IL

12d • $100,000 - $120,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Strategist at The Kitchen is responsible for serving as the day-to-day strategic lead across multiple brands, supporting Portfolio Marketing. We seek someone who thrives in a fast-paced, creative environment. This role demands a unique blend of strategic thinking, cultural curiosity, and, channel expertise to deliver 360 campaigns that win shoppers, from above the line to below the line. Day-to-day responsibilities include developing strategies for occasion-based multiple brand campaigns, and delivering channel strategic plans that unlock business growth. We seek someone with a proven track record of successful campaigns, strategic brief development, and framework building. The ideal candidate understands the full marketing funnel and ecosystem, with particular emphasis on retail, shopper, and portfolio marketing.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in a brand, comms, shopper, or retail strategy role.
• Proven track record of managing national brands, ideally for a CPG or lifestyle brand.
• History of working with Creative teams, providing expertise and influencing creative ideas.
• Proficiency in creating presentations (PowerPoint, Google Slides).
• Ability to translate research and data into meaningful insights that inspire big ideas.
• Solid understanding of the tools and frameworks that support strategy development (e.g., social listening).
• Strong background in channel or comms strategy, unlocking the right message at the right moment.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills in a group environment.

Nice To Haves

• A university or college diploma in marketing, advertising, or a related field is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Maintain a deep understanding of the brands, audiences, business priorities, competition, and industry trends.
• Work on creative briefs, comms plans, campaign rollouts, and thought leadership, ensuring strategic thinking is incorporated in all aspects of the agency’s work.
• Define strategies for our Kraft Heinz portfolio of brands to drive cross-sell and incremental purchase during power windows, understanding how to drive situational salience at the moment of purchase/truth.
• Identify how our brands best show up together in these key occasions and shopper moments, delivering insights that will inspire creative teams and meaningfully impact businesses.
• Work closely with the Creative team to brainstorm, generate thought starters, and actively help them hone their work.
• Understand ad units, media opportunities, and post content options in a complex multi-platform online environment to make strategic recommendations for creating and amplifying work that reaches the right audience, with both paid and owned media.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how to plan campaigns for a shopper mindset.
• Think about all channels where our shopper will intersect with our message, and how to effectively communicate to resonate across our brands.
• Translate big and complex ideas clearly and effectively into simple, compelling stories and presentations to help get ideas approved by Brand Partners.
• Work with a pod structure consisting of Creatives, Account, Production.
• Own relationships with Central Marketing Portfolio team for your assigned campaigns.

Benefits

• 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Associate degree