Job Description

We are looking for a highly skilled and results-driven Vice President of Experience Strategy. This role will be tasked with analyzing user experience data, initiating digital projects, reporting on planned and current strategies, leading effective digital marketing strategies, and ensuring that projects are executed on time and on budget. You will play a pivotal role in growing business, customer base, and overseeing a talented group of experience strategists (which will include content strategy). You will work collaboratively with other members of the Epsilon team that include UX, Creative, sales and delivery leads on a wide range of projects spanning healthcare, retail, financial services and automotive. Reporting into the SVP, Executive Creative Director this individual will have an opportunity to help shape our agency team and culture.

Ideal candidates for this position should be innovative, and digital and multimedia savvy. Ultimately, the outstanding VP, Experience Strategist should have a firm grasp of the various digital touchpoints, steer our organization's digital narrative, and drive highly effective digital campaigns. Experience in healthcare is essential and a deep understanding of modular content, customer/experience journey mapping and the ability to lead workshops on these topics is mandatory.

EXPERIENCE STRATEGIST RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead/manage our Experience Strategy team (of which Content Strategy is part of)
• Represent the agency as an industry SME for Experience Strategy (which will include elements of Digital Strategy)
• Evaluate and implement improvements on experience strategy.
• Research the latest digital tools and interactive trends.
• Drive value for the organization.
• Analyze and report on digital campaigns.
• Analyze customer and user data.
• Engage with clients, sales teams, and management.
• Map out how digital assets will be optimized for business results.
• Define and action digital events.
• Directs and controls the activities of senior content strategists, and team associates. Assists with departmental structure, workforce planning, career development, training, planning and budgeting.
• Direct contributor to decisions in hiring, firing, objective setting, performance appraisals, coaching, and pay reviews.
• Be "the voice of experience authority" in internal and client meetings. Meet with clients, account teams, and internal teams regularly.
• Collaborate and communicate professionally with clients and internal teams, especially the ability to work closely with digital strategists, visual designers, and development teams.
• Lead Experience /Content/Digital Brand Strategy efforts in pitches for new work and participate in the pitch.
• Manages staff (including direct, indirect, and matrixed) against project timelines and internal initiatives Manages career paths by coaching and mentoring direct and indirect reports.
• Manage overall goals of the Experience Strategy group with an emphasis on growing the team and revenue.
• Develops best practices and champions them within the organization.
• Participate in corporate development of methods, techniques and evaluation criteria for projects, programs and people.
• Evangelize our skills, services, and methodology across the broader Epsilon organization.

EXPERIENCE STRATEGIST REQUIREMENTS:

• Degree in advertising, marketing, communication science or equivalent.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Firm grasp of emerging digital tools.
• Thorough understanding of digital touchpoints.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Insightful and perceptive.
• Business knowledge.
• Deadline driven.
• Understanding of web analytics.
• Possess broad knowledge of best digital practices.
• Minimum of 10 years of designing customer experiences for websites, mobile applications, enterprise software, and beyond. 
• 8-10 years’ leadership experience with an integrated digital team.
• Ability to manage difficult clients or project teams, to successfully "fight fires" and leave the client satisfied at the end Build comprehensive content strategies that deliver across segments, personas, and customer lifecycles
• Attention to detail in performing comprehensive site and app audits
• Ability to evaluate content for viability and quality, based on business and customer needs
• Ability to write and edit copy that meets strategy and business goals
• Depending on project needs, oversee and/or execute Copywriting tasks
• Firm grasp of what constitutes valuable content and the ability to make that known and understood by those around you

RESPONSIBILITIES AND KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Lead annual planning, brand summits, and large client meetings
• Oversee the creation of global/national Strategies and is the “face of the team” to clients for those deliverables
• Serve as a close partner to Account Directors and lead clients to create the vision and growth opportunities for accounts
• Create comprehensive content strategies and content communications plans covering all aspects of their digital presence including paid, earned, owned, and shared
• Manager of a team with multiple skill levels – including direct reports, and leadership across cross-discipline teams
• Partner with customer experience team on website content, work with the media team on
• Lead and inspire creative conception of breakthrough content ideas through writing briefs and briefing creative, while brainstorming with and working alongside them daily
• Monitor cultural trends using listening and trend monitoring tools to translate cultural topics into timely and relevant marketing content
• Lead new business pitches on behalf of strategy team while, energizing and bringing teams together around a single vision, collaborating on the development of the pitch story arch and presenting in front of executive-level clients

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES & COMPETENCIES

• Passionate, highly driven and highly motivated
• Track record of creating content strategies that align with customer journey, customer psychology, and leverage digital platforms to the fullest extent
• Must be passionate about emerging trends and an early adopter of digital technology, with knowledge of trending cultural topics
• Understanding of paid strategies (OLA, blogger programs, SEM, Social Paid Media, native advertising) and dynamic content messaging in complex, data-rich consumer environments
• Proven track record of social media and branded content strategy development and execution across major channels (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, etc.)
• Familiar with ideating and building customer personas, customer journeys, experience maps, communication cadence planning, messaging matrixes, and journey analysis.
• Energetic, engaging and inspirational presentation style, both written and oral
• Ability to lead top talent and inspire creativity of team members

Additional Information

WHEN YOU’RE ONE OF US, YOU GET TO RUN WITH THE BEST. For decades, we’ve been helping marketers from the world’s top brands personalize experiences for millions of people with our cutting-edge technology, solutions and services. Epsilon’s best-in-class identity gives brands a clear, privacy-safe view of their customers, which they can use across our suite of digital media, messaging and loyalty solutions. We process 400+ billion consumer actions each day and hold many patents of proprietary technology, including real-time modeling languages and consumer privacy advancements. Thanks to the work of every employee, Epsilon has been consistently recognized as industry-leading by Forrester, Adweek and the MRC. Positioned at the core of Publicis Groupe, Epsilon is a global company with more than 8,000 employees around the world. For more information, visit epsilon.com

GREAT PEOPLE DESERVE GREAT BENEFITS

We know that we have some of the brightest and most talented associates in the world, and we believe in rewarding them accordingly. If you work here, expect competitive pay, comprehensive health coverage, and endless opportunities to advance your career.

Epsilon is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  Epsilon’s policy is not to discriminate against any applicant or employee based on actual or perceived race, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy), marital status, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, mental or physical disability, religion, creed, color, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression (including transgender status), veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law. Epsilon also prohibits harassment of applicants and employees based on any of these protected categories.

Epsilon will provide accommodations to applicants needing accommodations to complete the application process.

For San Francisco Bay and Los Angeles Areas: Epsilon will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance and San Francisco Police Code Sections 4901-4919, commonly referred to as the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. 

Applicants with criminal histories are welcome to apply.

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