Associate Director

We are in relentless pursuit of an equitable and inspiring workplace that is respectful of all, reflects and represents the world in which we live, and fosters trust, collaboration and belonging. Consistent with this approach, we hire the best qualified candidates for all positions. Edelman is looking for an Associate Director, Brand Strategy to join us in making work that becomes part of popular culture. Who we areNot just a PR agency. We move at the speed of PR but are growing as a next generation kind of agency that sits at the intersection of public relations and advertising. At Edelman, its not enough to be culturally relevantour briefs demand that we change culture around us. Our best work stems from uncovering cultural tensions that resonate with people at a human level. We create things that end up on the front page of Reddit, the pages of NYTimes, in Shaqs Twitter feed, and in the award shows, we do that on a regular basis. We generate attention-grabbing ideas while moving much faster than a traditional agency (think weeks, not months). Our growing team of strategists are the minds that uncovered the insights leading to some of 2020s most talked about campaigns, from realizing that a popular ice cream truck jingle had racist roots then writing a new one with RZA from Wu-Tang Clan, to discovering that U.S. fathers dont have access to paid paternity leave then starting a national movement towards a federal paid leave policy. Were looking for a passionate, curious, smart thinker looking for a workplace of doers. Who you areConstantly curious you always want to learn, research what you dont know, and you arent afraid to ask questionsA strong researcher who knows how to find credible information across consumer behavior, culture, competitors, media, social, creators, search, AI and emerging technology.Able to go beyond collecting information to identify the patterns, tensions and implications that matter.A structured thinker who can help get to the root of a business or communications problem before jumping to solutions.Creative by nature and excited to bring cultural stimulus, audience insight and strategic perspective into the creative process.Skilled at translating complex thinking into simple, persuasive stories, whether that means a strategic framework, creative brief or presentation.Energized by collaborative environments and comfortable working across Strategy, Creative, Account, Earned, Social, Data and other specialty teams.Organized, proactive and comfortable managing several fast-moving workstreams at once while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail. Basic Qualifications:At least 6 years of experience working in strategy, account planning, research, account or creative with consumer brandsBachelors Degree or equivalent work experience Preferred Qualifications:Experience in a PR, creative or integrated agency environmentExperience working closely with creative teams to develop creative briefsProven experience developing integrated campaigns for large, well-known technology or consumer brandsStrong presentation-development skills, including the ability to structure an argument, sharpen a headline and build a clear narrative across a deck.Excellent presentation and persuasion skills; ability to argue a point-of-view coherently and concisely; comfortable engaging with senior level clients; quick thinker; able to speak authoritatively, without seeming dogmatic or inflexibleUnderstanding of earned media and ideas that generate headlines; experience working on campaigns that generate headlinesCuriosity about what makes people act and think the way they do; able to find meaningful insights about motivation and craft powerful narratives to deliver that storyExperience supporting workshops and turning stakeholder conversations into clear strategic outputs, recommendations or briefs.Experience working in a collaborative environment and a track record of building rel