Job description
This role is part of our Creative & Media team based in Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Our team is a vibrant mix of talents, ranging from Creatives, Influencer Marketers, Brand & Content Strategists to Account Managers, Programmatic and Marketing Automation Consultants. Together, we blend imaginative storytelling and performance-driven strategies with cutting-edge technology to create engaging digital experiences that build lasting relationships with our clients like Netflix, Canva, Foot Locker, Philips & Biscoff.
JOB PURPOSE We want to start with the most important thing:
If you want to apply, do it. Please don’t disqualify yourself because you don’t think you meet one or two of the criteria.
So if you have a different but interesting background, please apply.
If you’re not a strategist but you think your previous experience will translate, please apply. Copywriters. Psychologists. Marketers. Journalists. DJs. Zookeepers. Whatever. Why not? We’d love to hear from you!
Okay. On to the role. Senior Creative Strategists at DEPT® fuel human-first creativity that doesn’t waste people’s time. That’s the way we judge whether they’ve done their job. We don’t have a proprietary framework or process. There’s nothing but you and the humans you’re creating a strategy for. So, uncovering their needs and translating them into solvable problems is what you need to excel in. Next to that, there will be a whole bunch of understanding clients’ businesses, cross-organizational collaboration and removing barriers to creativity.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES In practice, you can expect the job to be a mixture of these ingredients:
- Deeply understand human beings. Real ones. The ones we’re making the work for. You’re good at finding what they need. At identifying real problems to solve for them. You find humanity in data. And ultimately, you define a genuine role that brands can play in their lives.
- Make the creative more creative. Strategy doesn’t just assist; it’s also the striker making the goal in tandem. That means you’re deep in the work, in partnership with creatives. You make the work more creative. And you remove the barriers to creativity. Simple, but bizarrely difficult.
- Understand our client’s business. Not better than our clients do. That’s crazy and an insult to our clients. But understand how they make money and their business strategy, that we must do. Through that understanding, we set clear objectives and ensure the work plays a meaningful role in our clients’ success.
- Get into culture. We don’t expect you to be a world-famous Tik Tokker (although we would welcome it). We do expect that you develop strategy informed by culture, so that we inform culture in turn.
That’s the core of it. Beyond that, we expect you to be a reasonably good researcher (conducting it and designing it), to show off craft that makes others jealous, to support the rest of the strategy team, to play well with other disciplines beyond comms (like media, tech, and design), be comfortable in workshops, write powerful briefs, and perhaps let’s stop the list here while it’s only mildly absurd.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR That’s one list. Sorry, here’s another. It’s about some traits we’re hoping for:
- Work autonomously, together. We want you to feel autonomous – that your work is yours. At the same time, we expect you to enrich your work with other people’s perspectives.
- Be comfortable in a debate. We’re not order takers. We disagree a lot. With everyone. Not because it’s fun, but because it’s necessary for better work.
- Lead. Not in a ‘look at me’ kind of way. More, set the tone. Motivate with your actions. Push the boundaries. That kinda way.
- Own your idiosyncrasies. I mean, we all have them. Just look at the weirdo writing this job description. Bring ‘em with you. We want your voice.
And there are of course the classic strategist qualities. We assume that you’re curious, imaginative, empathetic, that you communicate well, all that stuff.
That’s it.
If you’re still reading, again, we’d love to hear from you!
A part 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, 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 samples of interesting work from other fields.
WE OFFER
- The choice to work where you are most productive: whether that is in one of our offices, or abroad for 13 weeks a year. Rather work from home? No problem! We’ll provide you with the best of class materials, such as a high-quality laptop, monitor, work phone and the necessary furniture.
- Everything to focus on your health: from free bootcamp to yoga lessons, mindfulness sessions, mental health services, serious discounts on sport memberships, healthy lunches at the office, and above all: a safe work environment.
- Great fringe benefits; use of OV-bikes, an NS Business Card and many other goodies.
- You can discover even more employee benefits here.
- A reputation for doing good. DEPT® has been named a Great Place To Work in 2023 - in the Netherlands and has been a Certified B Corp® since 2021 and named ‘Agency of the Year’ at both The Lovies and The Webby Awards.
- Awesome clients. Whether big or small, local or global — at DEPT® you’ll get the opportunity to work with clients of all sizes and across all industries. And we celebrate all of our successes together!
- The opportunity for possibility. We want to enable you to do what you do best and help you develop your skills further with training, development and certifications.
- Global annual DEPT® Cares Month in which employees come together and donate their skills to support local charities.
WHO ARE WE?
We are pioneers at heart. What does that mean? We are always looking forward, thinking of what we can create tomorrow that does not exist today. We were born digital and we are a new model of agency, with a deep skillset in tech and marketing. That’s why we hire curious, self-driven, talented people who never stop innovating.
Our culture is big enough to cope and small enough to care. Meaning, that with people across 30+ countries, we’re big enough to provide you with the best tools, global opportunities, and benefits that help you thrive. While acting small by investing in you, your growth, your team, and giving you the autonomy to solve our clients problems, no matter where you are in the world.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
At DEPT®, we take pride in creating an inclusive workplace where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive. We actively seek to recruit, develop, nurture, and retain talented individuals from diverse backgrounds, with varying skills and perspectives.
Not sure you meet all qualifications? Apply, and let us decide! Research shows that women and members of underrepresented groups tend not to apply for jobs when they think they may not meet every requirement, when in fact they do. We believe in giving everyone a fair chance to shine.
We also encourage you to reach out to us and discuss any reasonable adjustments we can make to support you throughout the recruitment process and your time with us.
Want to know more about our dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion? Check out our efforts here.
