How to hire a director of strategy & marketing

How to hire a director of strategy & marketing, step by step

Here's a step-by-step director of strategy & marketing hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a director of strategy & marketing job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new director of strategy & marketing
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a director of strategy & marketing do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your director of strategy & marketing job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a director of strategy & marketing for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A director of strategy & marketing's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, directors of strategy & marketing from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of director of strategy & marketing salaries for various roles:

   Type of Director Of Strategy & Marketing	Description	Hourly rate
   Director Of Strategy & Marketing	Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers plan programs to generate interest in products or services. They work with art directors, sales agents, and financial staff members.	$47-94
   Marketing Vice President	Marketing vice presidents (VPs) are responsible for a company's overall marketing efforts and strategies. They plan and develop marketing strategies to bolster their company's market positioning and attain business goals... Show more	$58-124
   Product Director	The duties of a product director depend on one's place or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around overseeing the product development operations to ensure smooth flow and efficiency, devise strategies to improve processes, gather relevant data such as sales and customer feedback, and coordinate with different departments in developing new products and services... Show more	$50-101

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Market Research
   • Portfolio
   • Digital Marketing
   • Marketing Collateral
   • Product Development
   • Business Development
   • ROI
   • Market Analysis
   • Marketing Campaigns
   • Content Marketing
   • Strategic Plan
   • Strategic Direction
   • Channel Marketing
   • Integrated Marketing

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Provide strategic oversight and a strong business approach to managing existing systems and developing enhance models for future events.
   • Support department in campaign tracking and analysis and refining strategies to improve ROI and cost savings.
   • Refine customer segments leading to reduce marketing cost and increase ROI as well as lift in conversion rates.
   • Direct the identification and development of reporting and analytics packages measuring sales and marketing outcomes against state business goals and metrics.
   • Re-Create and deploy the marketing message and relate identity materials, translating it for those unfamiliar with e-business technology and terminology.

   More director of strategy & marketing duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the director of strategy & marketing job description is a good way to get more applicants. A director of strategy & marketing salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a director of strategy & marketing in Wyoming may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level director of strategy & marketing. Additionally, a director of strategy & marketing with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average director of strategy & marketing salary

   $138,668yearly

   $66.67 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level director of strategy & marketing salary

   $98,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average director of strategy & marketing salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$170,005	$82
   2	Arizona	$158,680	$76
   3	Maryland	$155,604	$75
   4	District of Columbia	$155,304	$75
   5	Illinois	$141,677	$68
   6	North Carolina	$141,538	$68
   7	Missouri	$134,751	$65
   8	Massachusetts	$131,063	$63
   9	Oregon	$130,519	$63
   10	Colorado	$128,596	$62
   11	New York	$124,629	$60
   12	Washington	$122,362	$59
   13	Texas	$119,118	$57
   14	Georgia	$104,478	$50

   Average director of strategy & marketing salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Mercy Corps	$158,061	$75.99	1
   2	Epsilon	$154,191	$74.13
   3	Organon	$147,843	$71.08	23
   4	Amyris	$147,297	$70.82
   5	Xylem	$141,989	$68.26	13
   6	DISCO	$140,880	$67.73	3
   7	Penn Color	$140,504	$67.55
   8	Flyhomes	$133,726	$64.29
   9	Paramount	$133,486	$64.18	23
   10	PeerStreet	$133,396	$64.13
   11	Siemens Healthineers	$130,866	$62.92	3
   12	Enterprise Holdings	$130,636	$62.81	2
   13	Siemens	$128,799	$61.92	8
   14	Serta Simmons Bedding	$128,181	$61.63
   15	Visa	$125,265	$60.22	115
   16	Americorps	$122,633	$58.96	10
   17	Grandbridge Real Estate Capital	$120,156	$57.77	34
   18	Race Forward	$94,547	$45.46

4. Writing a director of strategy & marketing job description

   A director of strategy & marketing job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a director of strategy & marketing job description:

   Director of strategy & marketing job description example

   About the Brand Strategy Team
   The Brand Strategy team is a growing group of integrated marketing managers and strategists who harness the technology, creativity and insights of The Washington Post to create marketing campaigns for our advertising partners that make an impact. We are passionate about providing meaningful solutions that are not about us, but about our clients. We build strategies and proposals that are innovative, delightfully creative and most importantly, performative. We are looking for a Head of Brand Strategy to be our “storyteller in chief”, to define and steward the client-specific narratives we bring to market and to lead the team to do the best work of their careers.
   
   Job Summary
   The Head of Brand Strategy will lead our pitch function within the Client Solutions Marketing department. This leader will play a pivotal and influential role within Marketing leadership and will cultivate and deliver excellence in client strategy and proposal development. Our ideal candidate has a proven track record of empowering and growing teams, is a master teacher of the art and science of distilling the complex into accessible on-brand marketing concepts, loves ideating and creating new ways of solving old challenges, and believes that deadlines have the power to enhance, not compromise creativity. They are passionate about the power and need for consequential journalism and the opportunity that The Washington Post provides brand partners. This role will report directly to the VP of Marketing for Client Solutions.
   
   Motivation
   You take pride in your exceptional strength in understanding what our clients need from their advertising and marketing solutions partners. You love running a tight ship - you are a leader who is biased towards action and are not afraid to do the work that needs to be done.You are competitive and love to win. You get energy from helping to close deals. You have the ability to provide clear and concise direction and oversight along with helpful feedback. You are a creative soul who believes that a diversity of views and backgrounds bring about the best ideas. You are adept at working with internal stakeholders with divergent goals across departments from ad sales, product, operations, product developers and finance.You are inspired by the opportunity to realize the mission of a purpose-driven organization and to future-proof the business model that supports it.
   
   Responsibilities
   Lead a team dedicated to synthesizing brand advertiser client direction, sales strategy, cultural/market trends, and consumer insights into compelling marketing programs Operate as an authoritative and collaborative leader in strategy sessions, bringing in the right mix of internal teams in a productive manner Continue to drive and refine the successful formula for smart and strategic frameworks for pitches/responses to RFPs and other opportunities Work collaboratively with Product Marketing, Creative Group and Operations leadership to ensure ongoing agreement on priorities, set and achieve goals, all while making adjustments to accommodate changing market conditions and emerging opportunities.Partner with Sales leadership on client and category go-to-market strategies Work with internal stakeholders to develop unique cross-platform partnerships, experiences or content programs for advertisers and create opportunities for revenue generation.Develop special projects related to industry insights, marketplace trends and category reports to inform department solutions.Cultivate relationships and facilitate efficient, transparent communication within the Brand Strategy team and with other internal cross-functional partners: sales, creative, product, editorial, research, and consumer marketing.
   
   Qualifications
   5+ years of experience in a brand strategy leadership role and 10+ years of overall experience in brand strategy, advertising or partnership marketing Deep knowledge of brand journalism, advertising and partnership marketing Experience translating insights, ideas, and data into customer value Experience partnering with cross-functional teams, building influential and collaborative relationships Experience in entrepreneurial and fast-paced environments Experience working with global B2B and B2C brandsA clear, proven understanding of how to create groundbreaking strategic foundations for pitches that meet our brand partners' business objectives Ability to manage up, down, and laterally, keeping all stakeholders proactively involved and updated throughout the life of a project
   
   The Post strives to provide its readers with high-quality, trustworthy news and information while constantly innovating. That mission is best served by a diverse, multi-generational workforce with varied life experiences and perspectives. All cultures and backgrounds are welcomed.
   
   The innovation doesn't end in the Newsroom - dozens of teams power The Washington Post. We are now hiring the next innovator - how will you Impact Tomorrow?
   #washpostlife

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right director of strategy & marketing for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your director of strategy & marketing job on Zippia to find and recruit director of strategy & marketing candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as swipe files, exit five, marketinghire, american marketing association.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with director of strategy & marketing candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new director of strategy & marketing

   Once you've selected the best director of strategy & marketing candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new director of strategy & marketing first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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