Vice President of Strategy

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Overview:

At Smith Design, we build brands that move people — through strategy, design, and execution that drive measurable impact for some of the world’s most iconic CPG companies.

We’re looking for a Vice President of Strategy to lead the strategic vision that fuels our creative excellence. This role sits at the intersection of business insight, human understanding, and design intelligence — shaping how our clients show up in culture, on shelf, and in people’s lives.

As a key member of our leadership team, you’ll guide and grow our strategy discipline, partnering closely with Creative and Client Services to define the “why” behind the work — ensuring every design decision ladders up to a meaningful brand truth and market opportunity.

What You’ll Do:

Lead Brand & Design Strategy

• Define and evolve Smith Design’s strategic point of view — one that connects brand purpose, consumer insight, and design excellence.
• Lead development of brand positioning, portfolio architecture, naming, innovation, and go-to-market strategies that inspire creative teams and drive client growth.
• Translate cultural and category insight into actionable design direction — helping brands find relevance and distinction in competitive, fast-moving markets.

Inspire and Partner

• Partner closely with creative leadership to ensure strategy and design are seamlessly integrated from start to finish.
• Act as senior strategic partner on key accounts, building trusted relationships with C-suite and senior brand leaders at major CPG companies.
• Facilitate workshops and co-creation sessions that unlock insight, alignment, and inspiration.
• Lead strategic storytelling across presentations, proposals, and pitches.

Grow the Business

• Collaborate with business development to identify new opportunities, shape proposals, and elevate our strategic narrative in the marketplace.
• Identify whitespace and innovation opportunities for both existing and new clients — connecting emerging consumer behaviors with brand growth potential.
• Contribute to thought leadership efforts that position Smith Design as a strategic and creative authority in brand and packaging.

Build and Elevate the Team

• Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing strategy team — fostering curiosity, rigor, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
• Create structures and tools that scale strategic excellence across the agency.
• Champion a culture of insight-driven creativity and client partnership.

What you Bring:

•  8+ years of experience in brand strategy, innovation, or marketing within a design agency or brand consultancy (CPG experience required).
• Proven ability to translate business objectives and consumer insights into clear, inspiring creative briefs.
• Deep understanding of CPG categories, consumer trends, and the evolving retail landscape.
• Skilled communicator and storyteller — able to influence and inspire across creative, client, and executive audiences.
• Strategic thinker with creative empathy: you can zoom out to the brand platform and zoom in to the pack detail.
• Collaborative leader who balances vision with action and elevates everyone around you.

Who You Are

You’re a strategic leader who believes in the power of design to shape culture and drive business. You’re as comfortable in the boardroom as you are in a brainstorm — bringing clarity to complexity and inspiration to every conversation. You thrive in a creative environment where insight fuels imagination, and you’re driven by the belief that great strategy leads to even greater design.

Benefits:

Smith Design offers excellent benefits: medical, dental, vision, life insurance, voluntary long-term and short-term disability plans, hospital, accidental, and cancer protection insurance plans, 401 (k) plus profit sharing, training opportunities, WFH Fridays, and 12 flexible WFH days of your choice each year. There are 15 paid time off days plus five floating holiday days (pro-rated) immediately, and healthy snacks are always available.

We are committed to Equal Opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.

Please send resume to jobs@smithdesign.com