The Director, Marketing Strategy serves as the strategic architect and business partner for Cox Automotive's consumer marketing organization, driving integrated marketing strategy across Autotrader, KBB, and multiple business units for each brand. This role acts as the connective tissue between business, product, B2B marketing, and cross functional consumer marketing team - translating complex business needs into actionable, integrated marketing strategies that drive measurable business outcomes. We are looking for a strategic, intellectually curious leader who is comfortable with ambiguity and is able to navigate change while balancing long term vision with near term execution needs.
What You'll Do
Strategic Business Partnership
- Serve as primary marketing strategy partner to business unit leaders, product team, B2B marketing, and operations directors across the Cox Automotive ecosystem
- Lead strategic planning processes for 6+ business units, developing integrated annual and quarterly consumer marketing strategies that align with business objectives and competitive positioning
- Participate in business planning cycles, providing consumer marketing perspective on growth opportunities, competitive threats, and market dynamics
- Navigate complex stakeholder environments, building consensus across matrixed teams and driving alignment on strategic priorities
- Represent consumer marketing strategy in executive forums and business reviews
Integrated Marketing Strategy Development
- Translate business objectives into clear, actionable marketing strategies that span brand, performance, lifecycle and social consumer marketing, coordinating with media, creative and analytics leaders to bring campaigns to life.
- Develop strategic briefs that synthesize business context, customer insights, competitive landscape, and success metrics to guide media, creative, and analytics teams
- Lead cross-functional strategy development for major initiatives (launches, competitive responses, new product introductions)
- Partner with media team and agencies to co-create strategic approaches, challenging and refining recommendations to ensure business alignment
- Own the "what" and "why" of marketing plans while enabling execution teams to determine the "how"
- Serve as primary strategic counterpart to agency strategy leadership, establishing ways of working and performance expectations
- Brief media team and agencies with clear strategic direction and challenge recommendations to ensure they ladder to business objectives
- Ensure marketing extracts maximum value from agency partnerships through strong strategic partnership
Team Leadership & Development
- Build and lead a high-performing strategy team, providing mentorship & development opportunities
- Establish strategy team operating rhythms, standards, and best practices
- Foster a culture of strategic rigor, customer-centricity, and business acumen
- Develop strategic planning frameworks, tools, and processes that scale across business units
- Partner with analytics to ensure strategies are grounded in data and insights
What's in It for You?
Here's a sneak peek at the benefits you could experience as a Cox employee:
- A competitive salary and top-notch bonus/incentive plans.
- Exceptional work-life balance, flexible time-off policies and accommodating work schedules.
- Comprehensive healthcare, with multiple options for individuals and families.
- Generous 401(k) retirement plans with company match.
- Professional development and continuing education opportunities.
- Inclusive parental leave policies, plus comprehensive fertility coverage and adoption assistance.
- Extra perks like pet insurance, employee discounts and much more.
Who You Are
Minimum:
- Bachelor's degree in related discipline and 10 years of marketing strategy, brand strategy, or management consulting experience. The right candidate could also have a different combination, such as a master's degree and 8 years' experience; a Ph.D. and 5 years of experience; or 14 years' experience in a related field.
- 5+ years in director-level or equivalent strategic leadership roles
- Proven track record of driving business outcomes through integrated marketing strategy
- Experience partnering with senior business leaders (VP/SVP level) and influencing without direct authority
- Background working in complex, matrixed organizations with multiple stakeholders
- Experience managing agency relationships
- Deep understanding of full-funnel marketing strategy (brand, performance, lifecycle)
- Exceptional strategic thinking - ability to synthesize complex information, identify insights, and develop clear strategic recommendations
- Data-driven mindset with ability to leverage analytics and customer insights to inform strategy
- Systems thinking - sees connections across functions, channels, and business units
- Executive presence and ability to present to C-level audiences with confidence and clarity
- Proven ability to influence and build consensus across diverse stakeholders
- Strong people leadership - develops talent, builds high-performing teams, creates inclusive environments
- Collaborative approach while also comfortable making tough decisions and trade-offs
- Travel: 25%
Preferred:
- Degree in Brand Management, Marketing or a related field
- Master's degree preferred
- Automotive, marketplace, e-commerce, or complex B2C/B2B2C business model experience strongly preferred
Join the Cox family of businesses and make your mark today!
USD 134,900.00 - 224,900.00 per year
Compensation:
Compensation includes a base salary in the range of $134,900.00 - $224,900.00. The base salary may vary within the anticipated base pay range based on factors such as the ultimate location of the position and the selected candidate's knowledge, skills, and abilities. Position may be eligible for additional compensation that may include an incentive program.
Benefits:
The Company offers eligible employees the flexibility to take as much vacation with pay as they deem consistent with their duties, the company's needs, and its obligations; seven paid holidays throughout the calendar year; and up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually for their own wellness or that of family members. Employees are also eligible for additional paid time off in the form of bereavement leave, time off to vote, jury duty leave, volunteer time off, military leave, and parental leave.
Applicants must currently be authorized to work in the United States for any employer without current or future sponsorship.
EOE, including disability/vets
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in related discipline and 10 years of marketing strategy, brand strategy, or management consulting experience (or equivalent alternative combinations listed)
- 5+ years in director-level or equivalent strategic leadership roles
- Proven track record of driving business outcomes through integrated marketing strategy (brand, performance, lifecycle)
- Experience partnering with senior business leaders (VP/SVP) and influencing without direct authority
- Experience working in complex, matrixed organizations with multiple stakeholders
- Experience managing agency relationships
- Deep understanding of full-funnel marketing strategy (brand, performance, lifecycle)
- Exceptional strategic thinking and ability to synthesize complex information into clear recommendations
- Data-driven mindset with ability to leverage analytics and customer insights to inform strategy
- Systems thinking and ability to see connections across functions, channels, and business units
- Executive presence and ability to present to C-level audiences
- Strong people leadership — experience developing talent and building high-performing teams
- Ability to build consensus across diverse stakeholders and make trade-offs
- Willingness to travel approximately 25%
- Must currently be authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship
- Degree in Brand Management, Marketing or related field
- Master's degree
- Automotive, marketplace, e-commerce, or complex B2C/B2B2C business model experience
Cox Enterprises Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Medical coverage spans multiple Aetna plan options with in-network preventive care at 100%, plus mental-health access including at-no-cost virtual therapy for those on the Cox Aetna plan. Added programs like PrudentRx for $0 select specialty meds, Hinge Health, and Calm expand clinical and wellness support.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave, fertility benefits via Progyny, adoption assistance with defined reimbursement limits, and childcare/backup care resources demonstrate robust family-forming and caregiving support. Supports such as Milk Stork and Care.com membership extend this coverage to practical needs.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) program is described with a dollar-for-dollar match up to 6% plus an additional 2% automatic contribution for eligible employees, alongside financial coaching and student-loan tools. Administration via Vanguard and clear plan references signal mature retirement support.
Cox Enterprises Insights
What We Do
For well over a century, Cox Enterprises has been shaping the future with daring ideas and values-driven thinking. Since our founding in 1898, our relentless spirit of innovation has driven us to disrupt industries and enhance the quality of life in the communities we serve. Through our major divisions — Cox Communications, Cox Automotive and Cox Farms — our people have countless opportunities to grow and make an impact in the communications and automotive industries, as well as in new ventures in agriculture, cleantech, digital media and more. As a privately-held, family-owned business, we know that people are our most valuable asset. We offer a supportive and inclusive environment with flexible career growth, amazing benefits and work-life balance at the forefront. Our mission, our ways of working and our commitment to people are what make our workplace culture remarkably flexible and resilient. Join us to build a better future and make your mark.
Why Work With Us
At our core, Cox is a technology company that values human relationships. We know people feel most empowered when their work has meaning, when they feel respected and have opportunities to grow. “Career satisfaction” is not enough at Cox — we’re here to help you find balance, live well and achieve your career goals even as they change over time.
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Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
Every person has different working styles and preferences — and we aim to empower teams to work where they are most comfortable. Some roles require in-person work, but for those that can be performed remotely, we offer flexibility.























