Associate Director Strategy

About the role

Who We Are VML is a global creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce to create connected brands that drive growth. Guided by a  Human First philosophy, VML is known for its innovative work for brands and consistently ranks among the world’s leading creative companies, including the WARC Creative 100. VML’s global network spans 55+ markets with principal offices in Buenos Aires, Kansas City, London, New York, São Paulo, Shanghai and Singapore.  VML is part of WPP, the trusted growth partner for the world's leading brands. Powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform WPP Open, WPP unites cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, creativity, production, enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel.  For more information, please visit  and follow along on   LinkedIn  #WeAreVML. Who we are looking for:   VML is seeking an Associate Director, Growth Strategy to lead the interrogation of data to fuel strategy, insights and direction for our clients. You are an experienced people leader and a senior "strategic analytics voice" within the agency, orchestrating the daily strategic output for assigned accounts. Working in close collaboration with Strategy, Client Engagement, Creative, and Media teams, you will provide a consultative perspective on brand objectives, identifying growth opportunities and translating consumer and shopper insights into actionable strategy.   Key Responsibilities:   Individual     Strategic Product     Growth Mining & Consulting:    Interrogate and connect disparate data sets - including first party client data, shopper panels, and retailer-specific platforms - to uncover core business problems and  identify  emergent growth opportunities in partnership with senior leadership.   Strategic Craft & Storytelling:     Translate disparate data sets and complex insights into clear, compelling, and actionable storylines. Focus on  identifying  the "Why" behind the data to inform communications and retail initiatives,  and actionable "jobs to be done" for brands,  retailers  and key channels.   Opportunity Sizing:     Size a brand's market opportunity based on client briefs and  objectives, providing data-driven estimations and "Growth Mining" outputs.     Audience Intelligence:     Support audience growth strategy by  leveraging  data sources (MRI Simmons,  Circana, Numerator) to develop comprehensive audience personas that contextualize consumer behavior  and inform strategic planning.   Strategic Contribution:      Support the  deep-dive  into  Business (problems to solve), Culture (emergent trends), and Human (behaviors and barriers) to  identify  clear opportunities for growth.   AI Engineering & Prompting:      Integrate VML and WPP Open’s proprietary AI tools and emerging technologies into the strategic workflow to increase speed-to-insight and creative innovation.   Research Tools  & Strategic Intelligence:      Conduct thorough market research and competitive audits using database tools such as MRI Simmons, Mintel,  Infegy, and  YPulse  to  identify  trends and potential threats.   Leverage sales and shopper panel data (e.g.,  Circana, Nielsen, or Numerator) to uncover core business problems and  size  market opportunities.   Execute detailed  competitive analysis to understand gaps in strategy and performance versus  the competition.   Support broader regional or global strategic asks, ensuring consistency in strategic analytics  method o logy  and app ro ach across diverse markets.   Awards & Recognition:      Identify  and draft compelling case studies for industry awards (e.g.,  Effies, WARC, Cannes Lions) to  showcase  the agency’s best-in-class work and the impact and effectiveness for our clients       Strategic Process     Business Development Contribution:      Identify  and  communicate  opportunities to grow client business, contributing to the  overall success of the agency. Supports new business pitches by developing strategic insights,  contributing to  pitch  presentations, and providing strategic inputs for RFIs/RFPs.   Briefing & Ideation:     Partner with Strategy and Creative leads to ensure the briefing process is fueled by rigorous data, ensuring ideas are grounded in measurable  consumer  realities.   Time Management Support:      Oversee and effectively manage timelines and deliverables for multiple projects simultaneously, following up on outstanding issues to remove blockers and obstacles to move work forward.       Management     People Management     Client Engagement:       Serve as a key  strategic  analytics and growth consulting  point of contact for   clients  by presenting data-driven growth opportunities and explaining the “why” behind  consumer  behavior to ensure strategic alignment.   Internal Collaboration:       Act as  a  "strategic analytics voice" within the agency, evangelizing data-driven insights and collaborating closely with Client Engagement, Creative,  Media  and Strategy teams to ensure analytical rigor  are  integrated throughout the strategic process.   Work closely with Creative and Media teams to provide the strategic "proof points" and retailer insights needed to bridge the gap between creative ideas and  business outcomes.   Mentorship & Guidance:      Manage and provide oversight to junior resources on the team,  providing day-to-day oversight and guidance, supporting their workload and career development.   Set the bar for what "great" looks like by providing consistent, actionable feedback and lead the necessary conversations to course-correct when needed.   Support the translation of raw data into actionable insights for the wider strategy team.   Promote a culture of analytical curiosity, accuracy, and positive team environment.   Qualifications:   Education:   Bachelor’s degree in a quantitative field (e.g., Business Intelligence, Statistics, Economics), Marketing, Social Sciences, or related field.  An advanced degree in a quantitative field such as Statistics, Social Science Research, or  Economics  a plus.   Leadership Experience:  Demonstrated experience (or clear readiness) to formally manage and develop direct reports, including performance management and career pathing.   Strategy  & Analytics  Experience   6 – 8  years of progressive work experience performing strategy and consumer insights.   Industry Background:   Experience within an agency, CPG company, research company, or consulting firm is preferred.   Technical Skills:   Applied experience with database tools (MRI Simmons, Mintel) and sales/panel data platforms ( Circana, Numerator, Nielsen)  is strongly preferred, or experience with retail-specific data platforms (e.g., Walmart Scintilla).   Communication:   Exceptional storytelling skills; ability  simplify  complex data, handle difficult client questions, and translate complex strategy into clear business logic for senior audiences.   Additional Considerations:   Active participation in industry organizations and events.     We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process. WPP (VML) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.   When you click "Submit Application", this will send any information you add below to VML. Before you do this, we think it's a good idea to read through our  Recruitment Privacy Policy. California residents should read our  California Recruitment Privacy Notice. This explains what we do with your personal data when you apply for a role with us, and, how you can update the information you have provided us with or how to remove it.