Vice President, Digital

Overview

What we’re looking for: A Vice President, Digital for MSL’s Consumer Brands practice in Chicago

What you bring to the table: As an integral member of the team, you will lead social and influencer strategy and execution across Consumer Brands accounts. We are looking for an ambitious, digitally native and social-obsessed leader who understands how ideas move today: across platforms, influencers, communities, paid amplification, earned conversation and culture. You live and breathe culture, understand platform best practices, and have a clear point of view on how influencers, creators and emerging voices can help ideas travel, earn attention and drive business impact. You’re also a strong combination of collaborative spirit, innovative thinking, and have a passion for current trends.

What you’ll do: Turn culture, influencer and platform behavior into social-first ideas that get people talking, sharing, searching and acting.

Responsibilities

Lead the development of social and influencer strategies that align with client business goals and connect earned, owned, paid and shared channels into one clear ecosystem
Create social-first ideas and programs designed to travel across platforms, influencers, communities and earned media, helping brands move from content to conversation
Bring a relentless focus on culture, identifying emerging conversations, platform behaviors, influencers and consumer shifts that can create opportunities for brands to show up with relevance
Translate platform best practices, audience behaviors, content formats and algorithm shifts into smart client counsel, creative briefs and activation plans
Identify emerging cultural conversations, consumer behaviors and platform trends, helping clients enter relevant conversations rather than simply react to them
Lead the development and execution of innovative, results-oriented influencer and social programs that compel consumers to action and drive business results
Identify the right mix of influencers, creators, platform-native talent, brand ambassadors and emerging voices to give ideas credibility, scale and cultural relevance
Partner closely with earned media, creative, strategy, paid, analytics and client teams to create social-first ideas that are integrated, measurable and built to perform across the PESO ecosystem
Stay current with social platforms, influencer marketing, AI-enabled discovery, emerging technologies and digital culture to proactively bring forward new opportunities for clients and teams
Use data, analytics and platform performance to measure success, optimize campaigns in real time and connect social and influencer impact to conversation, influence, discovery and business outcomes
Challenge teams to test new formats, platforms, influencer models and emerging technologies, helping clients stay ahead of rapidly changing consumer behaviors and digital trends
Lead and mentor digital team members, fostering a culture of creativity, experimentation, collaboration and excellence while helping build digital fluency across the broader Consumer Brands practice

Qualifications

8-10+ years of experience in digital, social, influencer marketing or communications within a consumer-focused agency or brand environment, and a B.A./B.S. in Public Relations, Communications, Marketing or a related discipline
Digital native who lives and breathes social, with a strong understanding of how platforms, influencers, communities and content behaviors shape culture and consumer attention
Deep understanding of the evolving influencer landscape, including celebrities, creators, social influencers, brand ambassadors, platform-native voices and emerging cultural voices
Lead the integration of AI-powered discovery into social and influencer strategies, understanding how platforms, influencers, earned media and brand content influence visibility across search, LLMs and emerging consumer discovery behaviors
Strong understanding of platform best practices across major and emerging social channels, with the ability to translate trends, formats and behaviors into strategic recommendations for brands.
Proven ability to develop social-first and influencer-led ideas that travel across earned, owned, paid and shared channels and connect creativity to measurable impact
Experience working with cross-discipline teams, including earned media, creative, strategy, paid media, analytics and partner agencies, to develop comprehensive integrated campaigns with social at the center
Strong analytical skills and experience using social, influencer and digital analytics tools to evaluate performance, optimize activations and inform client counsel
Proven experience leading teams and client programs with strong time management, leadership, mentoring, collaboration and client relationship skills
Proven experience in the Consumer Brands space and a strong pulse on consumer culture, social trends and industry sector events
Excellent verbal and written communications skills, with the ability to develop and present compelling strategies, briefs and client proposals