Associate Director, Strategy - Events and Experiences

Monks is a global, digital-first marketing and technology services company that operates as the unitary brand of S4 Capital plc. With a strong legacy of innovation and specialized expertise, Monks is dedicated to redefining brand interactions worldwide by blending cutting-edge technology with cultural relevance. Its flagship product, Monks.Flow, is an AI-driven ecosystem that orchestrates marketing efforts to transform traditional marketing into a dynamic growth engine. By deploying intelligent agents and delivering culturally impactful creative and digital solutions, Monks addresses critical business challenges across the brand enterprise, positioning clients for sustained long-term success.

Monks is recognized globally for its excellence and innovation, as highlighted by numerous accolades, including being named a contender in The Forrester Wave for global marketing services, earning a spot among Cannes Lions' Top 10 Creative Companies, and being the only partner featured every year in AdExchanger's Programmatic Power Players list. The agency also holds titles such as Adweek’s first AI Agency of the Year and The One Show's inaugural AI Pioneer Organization, reflecting its commitment to pioneering AI integration within marketing. These honors exemplify Monks' status as a trusted partner to leading technology innovators and its ability to deliver exceptional results in a rapidly evolving industry.

As an Associate Director, Strategy - Events and Experiences at Monks, you will play a pivotal role in delivering customer-centric, spatial, and retail strategic expertise for one of the company’s top-tier technology clients. This strategic role involves bringing hardware and digital products to life through immersive events, global trade shows, pop-ups, in-store activations, and on-device content. You will collaborate closely with internal leadership to transform brand campaigns into interactive, engaging experiences that resonate with consumers in both physical and digital realms.

The role demands a visionary who can champion the "phygital" (physical plus digital) landscape, creating memorable environments that blend technology and user experience seamlessly. You will define how clients’ brands behave and sell within physical spaces while ensuring these moments connect effectively to the purchase journey, ultimately driving engagement and loyalty. Your expertise will cover the design of spatial footprints, retail engagement strategies tailored to consumer electronics and smart devices, and the conceptualization of integrated event and digital ecosystems. You will be responsible for evaluating client objectives and product roadmaps, identifying frictionless user journeys, and highlighting "magic moments" that foster meaningful interaction with physical products.

In your capacity as Associate Director, you will lead the strategic narrative for new business pitches in the experiential and retail sectors, translating complex challenges into compelling, spatial strategic visions that win work. You will identify and pursue growth opportunities within the US market to expand Monks’ experiential portfolio. Building and maintaining strong relationships with senior marketing leaders at prospective clients is critical, establishing yourself as a trusted advisor on the future of retail and events.

Collaboration is essential in this role; you will work hand-in-hand with Creative Directors, Technologists, and Fabrication partners to ensure that strategic concepts are not only innovative but also feasible and impactful. Your passion for setting high standards in interactive design will push the boundaries of what is possible in physical brand activations, keeping Monks at the forefront of experiential marketing innovation.

Monks fosters an inclusive and diverse work environment, encouraging fresh perspectives and voices to thrive. The company is committed to equitable hiring practices and building a team that reflects the diversity of the communities it serves. This role requires experience in strategy, particularly in experiential marketing, brand activation, or retail strategy, deep knowledge of consumer electronics or tech brands, strong spatial awareness, and the ability to translate complex ideas into human-centric physical experiences. Located ideally in California or New York, this position also requires resilience and adaptability to meet the demands of a fast-paced environment with non-negotiable event deadlines.

Monks offers a competitive salary range between $110,000 and $120,000 USD, aligned with the candidate’s job-related factors. The role is subject to a Return to Office policy, requiring presence in the office a set number of days per week if residing within commutable distance. Benefits include full medical, dental, and vision insurance, generous paid time off and company holidays, 401k with company contribution, paid parental leave, among others promoting work-life balance and career growth.