Associate Director, New Business Strategy (Influencer Marketing)

Viral Nation specializes in building social-first ecosystems for brands to connect with modern consumers. The Associate Director, New Business Strategy will lead senior-level strategy work, turning culture and data into actionable strategies that drive growth and client success.

Responsibilities:

• Independently lead senior-level strategy work end-to-end across client and business growth opportunities and ongoing account delivery
• Turn qualitative and quantitative insights into clear, actionable recommendations that drive measurable outcomes for clients and the business
• Own the quality and delivery of strategic work across major projects or workstreams within larger accounts or business contexts
• Architect integrated, social-first strategies with fluency across Influencer, Community Management, Earned, Experiential, and Owned, with a clear POV on how each lever drives audience, business, and brand outcomes
• Partner with clients to define the true nature of the business problem before solutioning, translating data-backed recommendations into clear direction that drives real creator performance
• Define KPIs, measurement frameworks, and success metrics for strategic recommendations in alignment with Business Intelligence, and continuously adapt strategy based on performance and market shifts
• Recommend strategic direction and help guide key decisions on assigned accounts, pitches, and workstreams
• Drive constant strategic innovation by introducing new frameworks, tools, and points of view that elevate the team’s output
• Serve as a strong day-to-day senior client partner, alongside client services, presenting and selling strategic thinking confidently to mid-senior and executive client stakeholders
• Lead strategy across major RFPs, proposals, pitches, and existing client expansion opportunities
• Identify and capitalize on client expansion opportunities through deep account intimacy and a clear view of client business challenges
• Translate complex business challenges into innovative, social-first solutions that demonstrate clear client and commercial value
• Partner with Sales, Client Service, Business Intelligence, and senior leadership to articulate Viral Nation’s competitive advantages and shape compelling strategic narratives
• Mentor junior strategists and support the development of strategic upleveling across the department
• Manage direct reports as assigned, with accountability for performance, growth, coaching, and quality of output
• Contribute to the evolution of ways of working, strategic frameworks, templates, and team standards
• Support resourcing, capacity planning, and workflow management in partnership with department leadership and the PMO
• Participate in recruitment, onboarding, and continuous learning initiatives that elevate team capability
• Partner cross-functionally with Creative, Talent, Accounts, Paid Media, Community, and Measurement to ensure strategic alignment across delivery
• Lead and participate in internal strategy reviews and QA checkpoints, ensuring sharp, on-brief, on-strategy output before it reaches clients
• Act as a connector and expert across Viral Nation’s full suite of solutions, creating frameworks that enable productive collaboration across COEs
• Contribute to Viral Nation’s external strategic presence through thought leadership, POVs, and competitive intelligence shared across the organization and, selectively, with clients

Requirements:

• 8+ years of agency or in-house experience across social, creative, content, influencer/creator, business development, and/or strategy
• Proven track record independently leading senior-level strategy work on Fortune 500 and enterprise brands
• Extensive experience developing integrated, social-first strategies that drive both client and business growth
• Strong track record leading RFPs, proposals, pitches, and client expansion plans end-to-end
• Demonstrated ability to mentor junior talent and manage direct reports
• Visionary mindset with the ability to turn thought-starters into fully integrated strategies, pitch decks, and campaigns
• Experience interfacing and presenting to c-suite executives
• Fluency in AI tooling, measurement platforms, and emerging social/creator tech, with a clear POV on how to apply them to elevate strategic output
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with strong senior client-facing presence
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple major workstreams simultaneously in a fast-paced environment
• Entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for innovation
• Experience working directly with brands and at agencies
• Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, or a related field