Creative Strategist

Our Purpose
Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we're helping build a sustainable economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential.
Title and Summary
Creative Strategist
Overview
The Services team is a key differentiator for Mastercard, providing the cutting-edge services that help our customers grow. Centered on data-driven technologies and innovation, this team provides consulting, marketing, loyalty and analytics to financial institutions and merchants globally. Marketing Services is the team within D&S that develops and executes the marketing programs that help our clients achieve their marketing goals. The Advisors Creative Desk sits within D&S and is responsible for ideating and creating engaging, forward-thinking, on-brand content solutions that connect our advertising partners, platforms, and our portfolio of brands.
As Creative Strategist you will have a creative flair, always seeking innovative and new creative directions for our clients grounded in data driven insights and with cognisance of market trends. You will relish working in a fast-paced environment and be able to manage multiple creative briefs. You will have solid stakeholder engagement communication and specifically presentation skills.
Role
As a Creative Strategist, you will:• Responsible for developing and executing brand, creative and communication strategies for our clients that align to the brand and objectives, factoring in data informed insights.• Ensure the smooth handover and understanding of the creative strategy to the respective Creative Manager, jointly briefing the creative development team to enable execution • Supporting the Creative Managers with smaller client project creative ideation sessions as needed. • Participate in creative ideation sessions for larger client projects of strategic importance, and being active and available to guide the creative team and interface with the client on such projects through to completion as needed• Managing multiple briefs and projects at one time• Input to estimating, negotiating and agreeing timescales with Creative Strategy Managers.• Conduct extensive research for each project, using primary and secondary data sources to gather market intelligence, analyse the category and consumers, and lay the foundation for strategy.• Continually keep abreast of marketing and in-market trends regarding both consumer behaviours, creative and media trends.
All About You• Minimum of 5 years' strategic experience within leading advertising agencies, preferably within global network agencies, currently holding a role such as Strategist, Creative Strategist, Senior Strategist • Demonstrated success in high-impact, big-budget integrated marketing campaigns.• Proven expertise in developing comprehensive brand strategies, campaign planning, and managing full-funnel customer journeys across diverse channels, including ATL, BTL, digital, and direct marketing.• Proven experience managing external and internal stakeholders • Track record of influencing award-winning creative outcomes through strategic guidance.• Strong understanding of consumer behavior, market research, and competitive analysis, with familiarity in engaging and briefing external research agencies and translating insights and data into actionable strategies. • Adept at defining client briefs and presenting concepts back to clients, drawing on research and data• Strong conceptual thinking, problem-solving skills, and the ability to communicate ideas effectively.• Skilled at working under pressure• Bachelor's degree required; advanced qualifications such as a Master's degree in Marketing, Creative Communications, or MBA highly preferred.• Must be open and available to travel as needed.• Proficiency in English, other languages are a plus.
Corporate Security Responsibility
All activities involving access to Mastercard assets, information, and networks comes with an inherent risk to the organization and, therefore, it is expected that every person working for, or on behalf of, Mastercard is responsible for information security and must:

• Abide by Mastercard's security policies and practices;
• Ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the information being accessed;
• Report any suspected information security violation or breach, and
• Complete all periodic mandatory security trainings in accordance with Mastercard's guidelines.