Head of Strategy

About Elmwood 

We’re a globally recognised, award-winning strategic brand design consultancy with studios in London, New York, Singapore and Shanghai. Every day, we partner with some of the world’s most ambitious consumer, corporate, and healthcare brands to craft high-impact creative that moves people and markets. 

Rooted in purpose and powered by creativity, our mission is simple: get our clients from intent to impact — faster. 

As proud members of the MSQ Group and B Corp certified, we unite strategy, design, and experience to shape brands that are not only standout but stand FOR something.

“The world doesn’t need more brands, it needs better ones.” Daniel Binns – Elmwood Global CEO 

About the Role

At Elmwood, we believe in building brands with intent. Finely tuned it reveals the real questions, unlocks untapped potential, and builds meaningful and memorable brands.

As we continue to grow our client portfolio, we have an exciting opportunity for a Head of Strategy to join us in our New York studio.

You will be a Head of Strategy with extensive experience across healthcare, corporate and consumer-led brands, who will be managing the strategic delivery across key accounts and raising the quality of strategic output at Elmwood NYC. You understand how big ideas relate to brand success and will drive points of view that build iconic brands in this client-facing role. You will lead the strategic direction of the agency, guiding teams and clients through the development of compelling, insight-driven brand, product, and service strategies.

You will be a core part of the NY leadership team working to grow and develop the business. This role is critical in aligning creative excellence with business objectives and growth, ensuring that all strategic work enhances the agency's offering and contributes to measurable client success.

Requirements

Strategic Growth

• Contribute to the commercial success of elmwood through identifying farming and new business opportunities
• Contribute to raising the profile of elmwood in NA through thought leadership and industry involvement
• Help define long-term goals, new service offerings, and innovation roadmaps.
• Monitor KPIs and assess the impact of strategy on business performance.
• Drive the creation and implementation of integrated strategies for clients and internal teams.
• Identify key insights, market trends, and behavioral data to inform strategic recommendations and unlock our clients’ potential

Client & Project Leadership

• Serve as a senior strategic advisor for key client relationships
• Lead the strategic development of pitches and proposals in partnership with creative and account leads
• Lead priority strategic workstreams, and workshops that guide client engagements
• Ensure excellence across all strategy outputs – from pitches to work to thought leadership
• Ensure strategy is effectively integrated into the design process and final outputs

Team Development & Collaboration

• Manage and mentor a team of strategists across brand, digital, and experience disciplines.
• Collaborate with creative, research, and business development teams to foster cross-functional thinking.
• Promote a culture of strategic excellence and continuous learning.
• Develop tools and training where identified and needed

About You

• We are small but mighty, with big growth plans so you will be able to contribute to and drive the vision in the long term, whilst being comfortable with being scrappy and resourceful in the short term
• You are a true team player who knows their way around brand and creative strategy but retains a passion for learning and trying new ideas for the benefit of both the team and clients
• Strong knowledge of design thinking, human-centered design, and integrated marketing.
• You are a brilliant collaborative communicator, able to connect with clients and quickly win their trust and confidence, talking their talk to provide solutions to their brand challenges
• You are passionate about making a difference in your role with a maturity that allows for balance in your life and your support of colleagues
• You are excited to be part of a growing agency, equally comfortable leading c-suite clients and rolling up your sleeves where needed
• Passionate about the future of branding and wanting to create something different in our industry

Benefits

What We Offer (NYC Studio) 

We care about our people, and that’s why we create a collaborative culture where new thinking is celebrated, ambition is supported, and people are rewarded for their contribution. Whilst a competitive package, professional development and the opportunity to shape our next chapter is all standard here at elmwood, we thought we would highlight a few of our favourite benefits:

• Salary $200,000 - $240,000 DOE
• 15 vacation days
• 12 paid holidays
• 5 paid sick/wellness days
• 2 paid personal days
• A comprehensive medical, dental and vision plan (including family coverage)
• Life and disability insurance
• Flexible spending account for medical expenses
• Commuter benefits program
• 401k plan with company matching up to 4.5%, employees start receiving matching contributions after 3 months of employment.

Let’s Build Better Brands — Getting them from Intent to Impact Faster

If you're ready to help shape the future of brand consultancy by growing purposeful, performance-driven partnerships, we’d love to hear from you. 

Our Commitment to Inclusion 

Elmwood is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate and value difference, and we’re committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels they belong. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences — including underrepresented groups. 

Need adjustments to support your application? Let us know. We’re happy to provide alternative formats, remote interviews, or any other support you might need to show your best self.