Senior Strategist (Brand and Social)

Who we are looking for:

VML is seeking a Senior Strategist to join our team. This is a hybrid role that combines strategic thinking, social media expertise and creative execution. The ideal candidate is a strategist who lives at the intersection of culture, human behavior and social platforms and can produce culture-driven insights that lead to scroll-stopping, brand-building work.

In this role, you'll lead social strategy across multiple consumer brands for one of the world's most recognized CPG portfolios. From crafting long-term content ecosystems to identifying real-time cultural hooks, you'll shape how each brand shows up and stands out online. You won't just chase trends, you'll help brands create ownable, culturally relevant content.

You'll collaborate closely with creatives, account teams, analysts and clients to bring insights to life through clear strategic points of view, platform-native thinking and performance-informed content strategies. You'll be a key partner to the Brand Strategy team, Creative team and maintain a close working relationship with the Connections (Social) team to ensure ideas are grounded in culture and behavior. This role reports into the Brand Strategy Lead and requires someone who can see both the big picture and the daily scroll and move fluidly between the two.

This is a unique opportunity to build and own the social strategy across multiple brands in this CPG portfolio.

What you'll do:

• Bring socially intelligent thinking to every brief, connecting human behavior, platform trends and brand relevance
• Surface cultural insights, competitive intel and creator trends that inspire work with both creative impact and strategic intent
• Write sharp, inspiring briefs rooted in human truths and cultural tension
• Develop messaging frameworks, strategic points of view and agile playbooks to guide ongoing work
• Use tools like GWI, social listening platforms and performance data to uncover insights and inform strategy
• Lead the development of social-first strategies across multiple brands, blending real-time cultural responsiveness with long-term planning
• Build and evolve content strategies that include always-interesting, reactive and campaign moments
• Define and evolve brands' social personas through storytelling, world-building and strategic cultural participation
• Understand how paid and organic content work together and advise on optimization strategy across both
• Stay on top of platform updates and competitor behavior to ensure our brands stay ahead of the curve
• Work hand-in-hand with the Connections (Social) team to ensure strategies are grounded in cultural and platform intelligence
• Collaborate with creatives to develop ideas that resonate with audiences and deliver on brand goals
• Partner with account teams to communicate strategy clearly and persuasively to clients
• Lead the day-to-day strategy workflow—running writer's rooms, managing timelines, building decks and keeping cross-functional teams aligned
• Bring curiosity, flexibility and initiative to everything you touch. You're here to help shape how brands show up in culture.

What You'll Need:

• A minimum of 5 years' experience in a social-first brand strategy role at a creative, digital or integrated agency
• Proven experience developing social-first strategies across multiple brands or verticals
• Finger firmly on the pulse of culture, with socially intelligent instincts and a strong understanding of what makes content resonate
• Deep understanding of platform behavior, content formats, trends and social best practices across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and emerging platforms
• Strong working knowledge of social listening, performance analytics and audience research tools (e.g. GWI, Trendpop, Sprinklr, etc.)
• Experience using cultural and behavioral insights to inform content strategy and brand storytelling
• Skilled in building decks, presenting strategic work and translating insights into clear recommendations for clients and internal teams
• Familiarity with influencer and creator ecosystems and how to incorporate them into broader content strategies
• Comfortable working across multiple workstreams in a fast-paced, collaborative environment
• Strong writing, communication and critical thinking skills
• A proactive, curious mindset with a passion for culture, creativity and continuous learning

What we offer:

• Passionate, driven people | We champion a culture of people that do extraordinary work.
• Consciously cultivated culture | We aim to embody the behaviors to build an inclusive community that is in it together, bringing both positivity and active listening into the workplace as we simultaneously strive to empower creative bravery.
• Competitive benefits | What we offer full time hires ranges from the full spectrum of group health coverage options (medical, dental, vision) to a generous 401k match (100% dollar-for-dollar match, up to 5% of salary contribution), and a variety of paid time off offerings that reflect our investment in all aspects of your overall life balance and wellness.