The role: The Strategy & Communications Design Director is a unique role at Initiative, designed to sit at the intersection of strategic thinking and communications design. You’ll take a full‑funnel view of the consumer experience, turning audience insight and business thinking into ideas that show up seamlessly across all channels. From shaping big brand platforms to applying UX‑style thinking to how people discover and engage with brands, this role is about connecting strategy to real‑world execution. Each role is purposely designed around the client portfolio. This patch covers some of our big retail clients in Sydney, so a strategist with a strong comms planning background is required. Spanning everything from alcohol to bread, pharmacare to furniture, this role allows for true breadth of thinking across a diverse mix of categories. What will your day look like? Lead audience growth diagnostics and develop cultural and consumer insights that drive impactful communications strategies. Expert in consumer behaviour and communications, identifying opportunities for brands to connect meaningfully across culture. Partner with media, creative, technology, and business teams to shape holistic brand experiences across owned, earned, shared, and paid channels. Design and quantify consumer experiences, ensuring campaigns deliver measurable audience engagement. Champion innovative, data‑driven, and forward‑thinking approaches to create brand value and unlock new opportunities. Collaborate with leadership and cross‑functional teams, applying marketing theory, analytics, and modelling to validate and elevate strategic ideas. What will you bring? Proven media agency experience, ideally within a planning or strategy role. Strong client management skills, ideally with a background in managing and working with multiple stakeholders. Well‑developed and polished media channel planning skills are essential. Exhibits proven problem‑solving ability. A confident and articulate presenter with outstanding written and verbal skills that translate into clear message outtake. The ability to work successfully within a team, handling multiple projects, meeting tight deadlines under pressure, and contributing creatively to the ideation process. The Perks We aim to provide all our people with a supportive and fun work environment where you can develop your full potential and benefit from the broad range of opportunities within the agency. When you join us, we want to make sure you feel valued – and that you are rewarded for your fantastic work. So, we also offer a range of benefits: Early finish Fridays Paid time off for volunteering Generous parental leave & pay Employee Assistance Programme We value unique backgrounds and experiences to encourage and celebrate diversity. First Nations people, those identifying as LGBTQ+, people of all ages, people with disabilities, and people who are culturally and linguistically diverse are encouraged to apply. Our aim is to create a workforce that reflects the community in which we live. #J-18808-Ljbffr