Brand Strategist

Title: Brand Strategist / Brand PlannerLocation: Chicago, IL (hybrid)Alternate locations: McLean, VA or Richmond, VAPosition OverviewWe are seeking a strategic marketing contractor to support an ongoing business integration and brand alignment initiative within our client's financial services division. In this role, you will lend your strategic marketing expertise to develop, guide, and activate comprehensive marketing plans. You will collaborate closely with market insights teams and line-of-business partners to facilitate cross-functional alignment and ensure the successful execution of these plans.What You’ll DoProject Manage Research Agendas: Partner with market insights and business leads to deliver and manage an extensive research learning agenda that informs future marketing planning and activation.Synthesize Data & Performance: Support leadership in assessing progress toward marketing goals by facilitating the collection of key metrics, research results, and marketplace activity to build a contextualized narrative that guides future investments.Build Cross-Functional Relationships: Develop strong working relationships with internal partners and stakeholders, operating with a deep understanding of their unique business goals and objectives.Consult on Marketing Execution: Advise line-of-business marketing and channel partners on the development, refinement, and alignment of their marketing objectives.Day-to-Day ResponsibilitiesThis integration operates in an exciting, fast-paced environment where navigating ambiguity and white space is critical. Your day-to-day will involve:Providing ongoing project management and execution support for marketing integration and planning milestones.Helping define overarching business questions, strategic objectives, and key knowledge gaps that need to be solved via the research agenda.Offering strategic thinking as questions surface throughout the integration process, connecting implications between the newly acquired business and the existing commercial portfolio.Supporting research teams on deliverables, including contributing to research briefs and materials.Applying a business lens to data-driven insights to formulate actionable strategic recommendations.Partnering with insights teams to package research findings into a compelling, cohesive storyline that influences business outcomes.Working closely with the Integration Office to maintain status updates and track progress on key deliverables.Who You AreAn Evidence-Based Marketer: You possess endless curiosity and a passion for continuous learning.Adaptable: You are flexible and thrive in a fast-paced environment where change is constant.Insights-Driven: You have proven experience partnering with research teams, supporting learning agendas, and synthesizing data into actionable recommendations.Collaborative: You confidently share your point of view while actively listening to seek out missing perspectives.Persistent: You bring big ideas to the table and understand that the best ones are driven by proof, persistence, and patience.A Storyteller: You excel at simplifying complex information to compel your audience to act.EEO: “Mindlance is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in employment on the basis of – Minority/Gender/Disability/Religion/LGBTQI/Age/Veterans.”