We're hiring a Strategy Director to lead strategic thinking across a genuinely mixed portfolio: health, road safety, FMCG, sustainability, health and wellness, sport, entertainment and travel.
Corporate, government and consumer clients, all in the same week.
alt/shift/ is a national independent creative communications agency with offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
This role sits in Melbourne and works across all three.
What the role looks like:
Setting the direction and quality of strategic output across the agency
Building strategy from scratch, then staying involved while the work is made
Working shoulder to shoulder with account, PR, social and creative teams
Presenting and pitching to clients, and contributing to new business
Building process and strategic capability, with scope to grow a team around you
What we're looking for:
5 or more years in agency or in house strategy
Strong research and insight skills, including survey design and qualitative interviewing
Someone who can build a strategy unaided and then sell it well
Brand planning or behavioural science background, either is welcome
About alt/shift/
alt/shift/ is a national independent creative communications agency made up of thinkers, doers and makers.
Our work is intentional, meaningful and industry leading.
With offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, our specialties span:
Creative and strategy
Public relations
Behaviour change
Social media
Content and production
Experiential and events
Partnerships and sponsorships
Ambassador and influencer
The role
We're looking for a Strategy Director to lead strategic thinking across a mixed portfolio of corporate, government and consumer clients.
Sectors include health, road safety, FMCG, sustainability, wellness, sport, entertainment and travel.




The role is based in our Melbourne office and works with clients and teams across all three cities, with occasional interstate travel.
You'll run several projects at once, shape the quality of strategic output across the agency, and play a visible role in client relationships and new business.
What you'll do
Strategic leadership
Set the direction and lift the quality of strategic output across the agency
Work alongside account leads from brief through to execution, with shared accountability for the outcome
Build strategic processes and get them adopted across teams
Help grow the agency's strategic capability, with scope to build and lead a strategy team over time
Balance new business activity with existing client work
Strategy and planning
Apply best practice in advertising and communications to solve client problems
Set achievable communications objectives and build the frameworks that support them
Carry briefs from inception to delivery in close collaboration with account teams
Run market analysis with internal and external partners to understand audience behaviour, category trends and competitor activity
Research and insight
Draw on adjacent disciplines when relevant, including psychology, behavioural science, business strategy and the social sciences
Interpret data to inform strategic recommendations, creative briefs and channel plansDesign and run mixed-methods research, from small scale surveys and interviews to focus groups and workshops




Work with audience insights analytics and brand tracking tools
Guide and mentor other strategists, creative teams and junior team members, including intern placements
Provide strategy support to PR, social and account teams so campaigns land as one integrated idea
Work with creative, production and external partners to keep solutions strategically sound
Review and refine creative concepts, messaging and content for strategic alignment
Clients and new business
Build and hold solid client relationships
Present and pitch strategic directions and campaign ideas with confidence
Brief and get the best out of creative, production, research, media and subject matter experts
Contribute to new business pitches
What you'll bring
Degree or further study in comms, marketing, applied psychology or strategic planning
5 or more years in an agency or in house strategy role
Proven ability to build comms strategies from scratch through to implementation
Strong command of the fundamental tools and practices of a communications strategist
Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills
Research skills including survey design and qualitative interviewing
A track record of working well with creative, production, research and media teams
Nice to have
Background in brand planning or behavioural science
Appetite for building process and systems, not just campaigns
Entrepreneurial streak and interest in growing a strategy offer
Confidence in front of clients and genuine enjoyment of client facing work
Curiosity, and a habit of staying across industry trends and emerging tech
Comfort managing multiple projects across different sectors at once
Openness to interstate travel and collaboration
#J-*****-Ljbffr

📌 Strategy Director (Melbourne)
🏢 alt/shift/
📍 Melbourne