Senior Strategist

Senior Strategist 

Company: VML
Working Model: Hybrid working
Location: Sea Containers office, London, SE1

At VML, we are a beacon of innovation and growth in an ever-evolving world. Our heritage is built upon a century of combined expertise, where creativity meets technology, and diverse perspectives ignite inspiration. With the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, we have forged a new path as a growth partner that is part creative agency, part consultancy, and part technology powerhouse.

Our global family now encompasses over 30,000 employees across 150+ offices in 64 markets, each contributing to a culture that values connection, belonging, and the power of differences. Our expertise spans the entire customer journey, building connected brands that drive growth for our clients. We do this by leveraging our three core practices: Brand Experience, Customer Experience and Commerce. Within these practices, we offer expertise across communications, commerce, consultancy, CRM, data, production and technology. We deliver end-to-end solutions that result in revolutionary work.

The Role

As a Senior Strategist, you'll be an important strategic voice within the team, working closely with Client Services, Creative, Data, Media and other specialist disciplines to turn business and customer challenges into clear, effective solutions.

You'll work on one of our major Pan-European automotive accounts, helping develop strategy across the customer journey — from brand consideration and lead generation through to lifecycle CRM, digital experiences and retail activations.

You'll be involved from brief through to delivery, using customer understanding, data, research and cultural insight to develop strong strategic thinking and give creative teams a clear direction. You'll also help ensure the work remains connected to the client's wider commercial objectives.

This is a hands-on role, with the opportunity to take ownership of projects and workstreams while working closely with senior members of the strategy team. You'll have regular exposure to clients and will be expected to build trusted relationships, present your thinking confidently and contribute to conversations with stakeholders at different levels.

There will also be opportunities to contribute to wider strategic projects, proactive thinking and new business, giving you the chance to bring your perspective to different challenges and develop your experience across the agency.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop strategic thinking across projects and workstreams, from understanding the brief through to creative development, client sell-in and measuring effectiveness.
• Turn business, customer, cultural and behavioural information into clear, actionable insights and strategic recommendations.
• Develop compelling strategic and creative briefs that give creative teams a clear direction and space to do their best work across CRM, digital, social, search and dealership assets.
• Support end-to-end CRM communications across Passenger and Commercial Vehicles, including automated and triggered reminders, such as maintenance, MOT and servicing, seasonal promotional campaigns and ad-hoc owner messaging.
• Develop consideration and conversion activations for individual vehicle nameplates across UK and European markets, ensuring communications ladder seamlessly into wider global brand positioning.
• Contribute to the development of digital servicing journeys, helping increase consideration for official servicing through effective content and customer experience.
• Apply an understanding of modern search behaviour, including Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) and LLM-ready content, to relevant communications and digital experiences.
• Work closely with Client Services, Creative, Data and Media partners to develop connected and effective solutions.
• Build strong working relationships with clients and become a trusted and credible strategic partner.
• Present strategic thinking and recommendations clearly and confidently to clients and internal stakeholders.
• Use data, research and customer understanding to inform recommendations and strengthen the work.
• Challenge briefs and thinking constructively when there is an opportunity to make the work better.
• Contribute to pitches, proactive strategic projects, quarterly thought leadership and opportunities to grow existing and new client relationships.
• Support more junior members of the strategy team, sharing knowledge and helping raise the quality of strategic output.
• Bring curiosity and new thinking into the team, keeping up with changes in culture, technology, customer behaviour and the wider industry.

Who You Are

• Strategically strong: You can get to the heart of a problem, identify what really matters and turn it into a clear point of view.
• Commercially minded: You understand how strategic thinking connects to client business objectives, customer acquisition, lead generation and long-term retention.
• Confident but collaborative: You're comfortable presenting your thinking and contributing to senior conversations, while being open to challenge and different perspectives.
• A strong communicator: You can make complex thinking feel simple, whether you're presenting to a client or briefing a creative team.
• Customer curious: You genuinely want to understand what makes people tick and how behaviours, needs and motivations can influence the work.
• Low ego: You care more about getting to the right answer than getting credit for having it. You enjoy working with different people and bringing the best out of those around you.
• Adaptable: You can move comfortably between different types of briefs, from brand and communications strategy to CRM journeys, digital experiences and retail activation.
• Culturally and technologically curious: You're interested in what's happening in the world and know how to turn those observations into useful strategic thinking. You're also interested in emerging technology, AI, LLMs and evolving search behaviours.
• A team player: You enjoy working alongside Client Services, Creative and specialist teams and understand that the best work rarely comes from one person working alone.

What You'll Need

• Proven experience working as a Strategist or Senior Strategist within an agency environment. Automotive, mobility or Pan-European client experience would be a strong advantage.
• Experience developing strategic thinking from brief through to creative development and delivery.
• Strong understanding of customer behaviour, customer journeys and how different communications and experiences work together.
• Experience across some combination of brand, communications, CRM/lifecycle marketing, digital, social, search or customer experience.
• Confidence presenting strategic thinking and recommendations to clients and internal stakeholders.
• The ability to interpret data and research and turn it into meaningful insight.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to make complex information clear and compelling.
• Experience working collaboratively with Creative, Client Services, Data, Media or other specialist teams.
• Experience contributing to pitches and/or proactive strategic projects would be beneficial.
• Experience supporting or mentoring more junior team members would be advantageous.
• An understanding of modern search trends, AI, LLMs and Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) would be beneficial.

What Success Looks Like

• Strategic thinking that is clear, compelling and rooted in genuine customer and business insight.
• Work that gives creative teams a strong strategic foundation and a clear opportunity to respond to.
• Clients who value your thinking and see you as a trusted strategic partner.
• Strong collaboration across Strategy, Creative, Client Services and specialist teams.
• Strategic recommendations that contribute to meaningful client and business outcomes.
• The ability to take ownership of projects and move them forward with confidence.
• A positive contribution to the development and quality of the wider strategy team.
• Bringing clarity, curiosity and momentum to complex challenges.

What's in It for You?

• The opportunity to work on high-profile clients and commercially meaningful challenges.
• The chance to work alongside talented people across Strategy, Creative, Client Services and specialist disciplines.
• A genuinely collaborative environment where different perspectives are encouraged.
• The opportunity to work across a broad range of strategic challenges and develop your experience.
• A culture that values good thinking, curiosity, collaboration and people who aren't afraid to challenge the status quo.
• Strong learning, development and career progression opportunities.
• A competitive package, hybrid working and access to the full suite of company and group benefits.