This isn’t a traditional account manager role. And it’s not a pure creative director role either. It’s the hybrid role that makes high-stakes brand work actually happen.

You’ll lead client relationships from handoff through delivery, lead brand strategy and creative direction, and ensure every project reflects both strategic rigor and creative excellence. You’re the person who translates business challenges into brand solutions, presents creative work with confidence, and works with Operations to keep projects on track.

Think of yourself as the strategic quarterback: you do some of the execution, but you mainly guide the thinking, make the calls, and ensure everything comes together.

Brand Strategy & Creative Direction (55%)

Lead strategic thinking for high-value projects:

• Facilitate brand positioning and messaging development
• Conduct competitive analysis and market research
• Define brand architecture and strategic frameworks
• Translate business objectives into creative briefs
• Guide creative direction to ensure strategy comes through

Provide creative oversight and quality control:

• Review and provide meaningful feedback on design work
• Ensure creative executions ladder up to strategy
• Art direct when needed (you don’t design, but you know what good looks like)
• Present creative concepts to clients with strategic rationale
• Make creative decisions confidently when needed

Bridge strategy and execution:

• Work closely with senior strategists and designers
• Ensure brand systems are coherent and strategic
• Translate abstract strategy into tangible creative direction
• Quality control across all deliverables

Client Management & Relationship Building (35%)

Own client relationships post-sale:

• Take seamless handoff from CEO after projects are sold
• Be the primary point of contact for 3-5 high-value clients
• Build trust and confidence through proactive communication
• Manage expectations and navigate difficult conversations
• Turn clients into long-term partners and advocates

Drive projects to successful completion:

• Manage project timelines, budgets, and deliverables
• Coordinate internal team (creative, design, development)
• Run client meetings, presentations, and workshops
• Anticipate issues before they become problems
• Keep complex, multi-phase projects on track

Identify growth opportunities:

• Spot upsell and expansion opportunities
• Help scope and price additional work
• Contribute to renewals and contract expansions

Collaboration & Team Leadership (20%)

Work alongside leadership:

• Partner with CEO on strategic thinking for new and existing clients
• Collaborate with the senior designer to ensure creative excellence
• Contribute to new business pitches and proposals
• Help shape Hoyden’s service offerings and delivery approach

Elevate team capabilities:

• Mentor junior team members on strategic thinking
• Share insights from client work to improve our processes
• Contribute to building scalable systems as we grow

Must-Haves

Experience & Background:

• 3+ years in brand strategy, creative roles, or strategic account management at agencies or consultancies
• Proven track record with brand development projects (not just campaign execution or marketing tactics)
• Experience managing high-touch B2B clients in complex industries (tech, financial services, healthcare, or similar)
• Portfolio or examples that show strategic thinking, not just execution

Strategic & Creative Capabilities:

• You can lead brand positioning meetings and facilitate strategic discovery
• You understand great creative work and can provide meaningful feedback
• You can present creative concepts with confidence and defend decisions
• You know the difference between brand strategy and marketing tactics
• You can translate business problems into brand solutions

Client Relationship Skills:

• You’re a natural relationship builder
• You’re proactive, not reactive in communication
• You can manage difficult client conversations without getting defensive
• You anticipate needs before clients ask
• You make clients feel confident and taken care of

Working Style:

• Self-directed: You don’t need hand-holding or constant oversight
• Organized but flexible: You manage complexity without being rigid
• Comfortable with ambiguity: You figure things out when the path isn’t clear
• Collaborative: You work well across functions and personalities
• Remote-ready: You’ve worked remotely successfully before

Nice-to-Haves

• Boutique agency background (you’ve worn multiple hats and thrived)
• InsurTech, FinTech, HealthTech, or financial services experience
• Brand strategy training or certification 
• Some design background (you used to design or have formal design training)
• Presentation/facilitation skills (comfortable leading meetings and strategy sessions)
• Understanding of web/digital (not deep technical, but you know how digital brand systems work)
• Prior experience at agencies managing large projects projects (you understand the dynamics of high-value work)

You’re the person who:

• Sees the big picture AND the details
• Loves the “why” as much as the “what”
• Can talk to CEOs and designers with equal fluency
• Is strategic but not academic (you make strategy actionable)
• Cares deeply about craft 
• Wants to work on fewer, more robust projects with real impact

You’re probably not the right fit if:

• You’re purely a project manager who coordinates but doesn’t contribute strategically
• You’re a pure creative who doesn’t want to manage clients or think about business
• You need a lot of structure, process, and clear lanes
• You want to specialize narrowly vs. being a strategic generalist
• You’re looking for a stepping stone vs. a place to do your best work

Compensation & Benefits:

• Base Salary: $70,000 (flexible based on experience and capabilities)
• Fully Remote: Work anywhere in the United States
• Flexible Schedule: Results matter more than specific hours
• Financial Planning Stipend: Annual stipend to be used with the company financial planner
• Student Loan Payback Program: Available after a 12-month working period
• Health Benefits: Dental & Vision reimbursement, short-term disability coverage, and $2,000 hospital coverage (employees may opt in to additional coverage options at their expense).
• Professional Development: Budget for courses, conferences, certifications
• PTO: Two weeks PTO, one day off every month (inclusive of federal holidays)
• Equipment: We provide what you need to do your best work

The Work:

• High-Value Projects: Work on $100K+ brand development engagements
• Strategic Clients: InsurTech, FinTech, HealthTech companies solving real problems
• Creative Excellence: Partner with talented designers and strategists
• Real Impact: See how your work drives business outcomes
• Autonomy: We hire smart people and let them do their jobs

The Culture:

• No BS: We say what we mean and mean what we say
• Strategy-First: We’re not here for surface-level work
• Trust & Ownership: You own your clients and projects
• Small Team, Big Impact: Your voice matters, decisions happen quickly
• Growth Opportunity: Shape the role as we scale to $1M+ and beyond.

Send us three things:

1. Your Work Examples (Required)

Show us 2-3 projects that demonstrate:

• Strategic thinking: How did you approach the business problem?
• Creative direction or oversight: What was the creative solution?
• Client management: What was your role in the relationship?

This can be:

• Case studies from past projects
• Strategy decks or frameworks you’ve created
• Before/after examples of work you’ve directed
• Anything that shows how you think strategically and guide creative work

Format: PDF, website, Notion page, Google Drive folder—whatever works

2. Your Resume

Keep it concise. We care more about your thinking than your credentials.

3. A Brief Note (5-7 sentences)

Tell us:

• Which project you’re most proud of and why (from your examples)
• What excites you about working at a growing agency?
• Why this hybrid strategy + creative + client role appeals to you (vs. pure strategist, pure creative, or pure account management)

Email to: support@hoydenbranding.com
Subject Line: “Brand & Creative Strategist – [Your Name]”

Target Start Date: May 1, 2026 (flexible based on your situation)