Group Director, Brand & Demand Strategy (Remote US)

Overview

The Role in One Sentence Own the strategic thesis for every new client engagement at Directive — the why and the how behind how we're going to hit the client's actual business goals — and use that thesis to drive pilot‑to‑retainer conversion across our Performance, Communications, and Commerce divisions.

Responsibilities

What You’ll Own

• The first‑30‑days strategic thesis for every new engagement.
• Diagnose the business, define the strategy, sequence the work, and align the channel teams on a coherent integrated plan that ties directly to the client’s commercial outcomes.
• Track the pilot‑to‑retainer conversion rate and own this metric.
• Ensure cross‑capability strategic coherence across Paid, SEO, Content, Creative, Programmatic, RevOps, and Comms.
• Collaborate with channel SMEs to pressure‑test the thesis against executable tactics and earn their trust.

What You Will Not Do

• Do not manage client relationships; account directors and the client strategy team own the relationship.
• Do not produce deliverables or run audits, write briefs, or own the workback.
• Do not manage channel strategists day‑to‑day; influence through high‑quality thinking.

The First 90 Days

Shadow the CEO during the first 90 days to learn how he diagnoses client business, decides which capabilities matter, sequences work, and sets the bar for “good strategy” at Directive.

Qualifications

The non‑negotiables

• 10+ years in agency or in‑house B2B marketing, with at least the last 5 years in a senior strategy role spanning brand/communications and performance/demand.
• Demonstrated technical fluency in at least four of the following: Paid Search, Paid Social, SEO, Content, LLM/AI search, Creative, Programmatic, Lifecycle, RevOps.
• A track record of setting strategy for B2B clients across multiple verticals, ideally services, industrial/manufacturing, SaaS, and B2B commerce.
• Comfort operating as a high‑leverage individual contributor without a team underneath you.

The Signal We’re Looking For

• Can articulate a strong opinion on the difference between a marketing strategy and a media plan in one sentence.
• Think in terms of the client’s P&L, not the client’s marketing P&L.
• Have killed your own ideas more than once because the data didn’t support them.
• Feel energized, not threatened, by sitting in a room with subject‑matter experts who know more than you in their channel.
• Have opinions about AI’s role in B2B strategy and have used it to do real work.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary + performance bonus.
• Medical, dental, vision plans, disability, and life insurance coverage for you and your family.
• Benefits to support the whole person:
  • Access to certified therapists through Spring Health; membership to Headspace.
  • Physical therapy through Omada; thousands of Aaptiv virtual workouts; complimentary One Medical membership for primary and virtual care.
  • Unlimited PTO (2‑week minimum), paid company holidays, your birthday off, end‑of‑year recharge (closed Dec 24‑Jan 1), paid parental leave.
  • Traditional and Roth 401(k) with a 3% company match.
  • Annual bonus based on tenure, scaling in total amount over time.
  • Annual company‑wide retreat.

Work Environment Requirements

As a remote‑first company, you’ll work from your home office. The role is open to employees in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the U.K.; you must have current work authorization and permanently reside in the country where you are based. You will need a laptop, access to our software platforms, and reliability in virtual collaboration tools such as Zoom and Slack.