Creative Strategist

DEPT® is the Growth Invention Company, sitting at the intersection of marketing and technology. The Senior Creative Strategist role is part of our Creative & Media team based in Amsterdam. Our building is filled with a vibrant mix of talents, ranging from Creatives, Influencer Marketers, and a range of Strategists, to Account Managers, AI Experts, and Marketing Automation Consultants. Together, we blend imaginative storytelling, forward-facing creativity, and cutting-edge technology to create impactful creative work that drives growth for our clients like Netflix, Canva, Stokke, Foot Locker, Philips & Praxis.

JOB PURPOSE
The Creative Strategist at DEPT® are at the heart of the action, operating at the intersection of creativity, culture, humanity, business, and technology - helping create work that moves people and drives growth. We don’t have a proprietary framework or process. We don’t like to follow best practices because they’re based on the past. In a world of constant flux and endless opportunity, we believe strategy is crucial to imagine the path forward.

At this level, you are putting your foundational skills into practice and earning authority with clients and creative teams. While our seniors and directors define the vision, you are the indispensable thinker bringing it to life - owning projects, learning through doing, and finding the insights that spark great work.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Own the project: Step up to own more projects and see them through from start to finish, utilizing the guidance and air cover of a Senior/Director when you need it.

Interrogate the challenge: Be a fearless, honest, and suspicious interrogator of the brand, the challenge, and the world it lives in.

Craft the springboard: Consistently develop strategies, briefs, and thought-starters that excite, inspire and give clear direction.

Think beyond boundaries: Connect differently shaped projects and strategies in ways that they all lead to effective outcomes.

That’s the core of it. Beyond that, we expect you to care about the work, the craft and humans, be comfortable in front of crowds and workshops, and be utterly yourself at all times.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

That’s one list. Sorry, here’s another. It’s about some traits we like:

• Relentless curiosity: You love playing the investigative journalist. You get under the skin of the problem, the audience, immerse yourself in the business and throw yourself into culture - all for the betterment of the work (and because there’s no better place than a reddit rabbithole). 
• Intelligent imagination: You don't just observe; you make leaps of thinking that reveal entirely new ways of looking at a problem or an opportunity. 
• Effective storytelling: You are skilled in the art of writing, crafting arguments and telling stories in ways that help create clarity, excitement and buy-in for ideas.
• Creative development: A strategy isn’t great until it leads to great work. You thrive in inspiring, supporting, protecting, and nurturing creativity from start to finish.
• Distilling complexity: The world is increasingly complex and fragmented. You’re able to process, distill, and demystify that chaos into simple and compelling insights.
• Finger on the pulse: You know what’s going on in culture, in tech, on social and some other weird corners of the internet, and are able to turn that knowledge into action (or just great water cooler conversation).
• Team Player: There’s a perception that the best strategists are mysterious wizards who pontificate from ivory towers - not at DEPT®. Here getting to the best possible work is a team sport. Everyone does their part for the greater good.

Language requirements: We’re looking for someone who can work in Dutch and English. Any other languages are a bonus. 

That’s it. Enough lists. If any of this seems right up your alley, we’d love to hear from you.

WHAT NOW

Apart from the CV we would like to see:

A short cover letter that tells us a little about you, your background, and what you want to achieve. It doesn’t need to be super formal. Relax. No one scary will read it. Please write it in your voice. 

If you have a portfolio/website, please include it. It’s helpful to know what your role in the work was. And if you’re not currently a strategist, feel free to include some relevant samples of interesting work from other fields.