The Company:

Hearts & Science has been inspired by confident marketers seeking business advantage in a world of personalized digital marketing, where CRM and addressable channels converge, and decisions must be made in real time to aggregate effective reach and deliver the right message at the right time.

Designed to inform brand strategies with real-time insights, Hearts & Science is a data-driven marketing agency with expert media planning and buying capabilities, among other services that include shopper marketing, marketing innovation and content activation.

Overview

We're hiring an Associate Director, Experience & Audience Strategy to support leading fashion and lifestyle brands driven by Gen Z culture. This role blends communications planning and audience precision, ideal for someone who connects cultural insights, behavioral data, and media & brand strategy.

You'll develop a comprehensive understanding of the landscape through deep consumer, cultural & category exploration. And you will assist in shaping audience approaches, strategic platforms, and communications frameworks, all that drive business outcomes.

This role is embedded within a high-visibility team that works closely with planning, activation, and data/marketing science partners, contributing to everything from audience development and channel strategy to big idea ideation. Core Responsibilities

Landscape & Cultural Research Mine for insights to inform strategic recommendations (Category, Competition, Culture, Consumer, Company) Monitor emerging trends across fashion, retail, and Gen Z culture to identify whitespace opportunities Act as a cultural translator - synthesizing quant and qual signals into strategy inputs Tools Expertise & Innovation Complete all Omni trainings & become fluent in relevant audience & strategic tools within Omni Use and champion other tools like GWI, YouGov, and others for audience insights and planning Pilot emerging tools that strengthen campaign strategy Leverage emerging AI tools and platforms to generate audience and strategic insights, informing data-driven decision-making, and optimizing marketing, targeting and communication strategies Continuously educate yourself on media evolution and marketplace/platform innovation Strategic Development Assistance Support the Senior Directors in collecting and translating research and insights into clear communications frameworks and strategic platforms Develop associated strategic deck materials and client presentations Support tactical planning presentations with insights on growth opportunities, segmentation, and channel roles Audience Strategy & Activation Work with internal teams - including planning, marketing sciences and activation - to determine key sources of growth Build audiences in platform, using tools like Omni, MRI, and client CRM data Work with internal teams to validate segments and activate audiences across platforms (DSPs, Meta, retail media) Profile segments based on demographic, psychographic, and attitudinal characteristics Develop associated audience decks and client presentations Ensure strategic intent carries through to planning and execution Client & Team Collaboration Serve as one of the lead day-to-day experience strategy contacts for internal teams and clients Partner with planning, activation, marketing science, and content teams to embed strategy throughout campaign development Support cross-functional teams in understanding audience nuances, personalization opportunities, and cultural context Qualifications 7+ years in strategy, planning, or audience intelligence within a media or integrated agency Experience with audience targeting, digital activation, and communications planning Proficiency with MRI, GWI, YouGov, and CRM/CDP platforms strongly preferred Strong communicator with the ability to distill complex inputs into clear recommendations Background in fashion, lifestyle, or Gen Z-facing brands preferred Who You Are

You're a builder and a connector - someone who can synthesize data, culture, and business context into smart strategic thinking. You're naturally curious, sharp on details, and comfortable working across teams to shape better media experiences.

This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on relevant experience, other job-related qualifications/skills, and geographic location (to account for comparative cost of living). The Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. For this role, benefits include: health insurance, vision insurance, dental insurance, 401(k), Healthcare Flexible Spending Account, Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, vacation days, sick days, personal days, paid parental leave, paid medical leave, and STD/LTD insurance benefits.

Compensation Range

$70,000-$125,000 USD

This role is hybrid, requiring three (3) days per week in the office. The remaining two (2) days may be worked remotely. Specific in-office days will be discussed during the interview process, with flexibility to align with team needs. Please note that the number or required in-office days may be adjusted over time, potentially increasing the number of required in-office days based on business needs.

Review Our Recruitment Privacy Notice