Vice President (Brand Strategies and Campaigns)

The opportunity

At McMillan Vantage, we're not just experts in public affairs - we're storytellers, strategists, and creative problem-solvers who help organizations build brands that captivate and inspire. With the launch of our new our new Brand Strategy and Campaign Division , our team is growing to help build brands for some of Canada's most prominent public, private, and non-profit organizations.

We believe that the heart of every great brand is a deep understanding of what really matters to audiences. We seek out what we call "compelling human truths" - the values, desires, and emotions that resonate most with target audiences. These insights help us create brands that aren't just recognizable but indelible - brands that speak directly to the people you want to reach. Whether we're building a new brand from the ground up or refreshing an existing one, we ensure every element of your strategy is rooted in research and designed for maximum impact.

If this kind of thinking inspires you too, McMillan Vantage could be the perfect place for you.

The role

McMillan Vantage is hiring a full-time, senior member of our Strategic Communications team. The successful candidate has an established career (15+ years) in marketing, with particular expertise in brand strategies and campaigns. We're looking for individuals with deep experience in an advertising agency or a fast-paced client service environment. Experience in social impact work is an asset.

Vice Presidents lead sophisticated professional consulting work independently. They steward high-impact relationships with clients, suppliers, and stakeholder organizations. Throughout their career, they have become a trusted brand strategist, excellent planner, impactful storyteller, detail-oriented project manager, and creative thinker, and team leader. Using these skills, they jump into new projects enthusiastically, identifying opportunities to train junior professionals to collaborate on projects.

This individual is a highly-organized team player with a senior network of communications contacts and media relationships. They are interested in leading marketing and business development activities, with support of the Partners and other colleagues.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to :

• Independently lead client relationships and work plans with support from junior team members and advice from the McMillan Vantage partners;
• Develop a significant portfolio or sub-portfolio of branding and marketing clients, tailored to your skills;
• Oversee primary and secondary research activities to identify target insights and implications;
• Create and implement sophisticated brand strategies and action plans, including paid, earned and owned tactics, for a variety of clients across multiple industry verticals;
• Develop written content for clients such as communications plans / presentations; messaging strategies; brand products; and / or provide direction to junior team members;
• Navigate challenging issues and demanding clients with tact and sophistication to minimize risk;
• Provide strategic advice on sophisticated plans and responses on behalf of brands or companies;
• Provide direction and edit written content from others, ensuring quality control across client work and business development proposals;
• Manage traditional and digital campaigns including broadcast, OOH, digital, social media;
• Oversee the pre-production, production and post-production of campaigns and media trafficking;
• Work with our media planning and buying team to ensure smart media plans are presented and optimized throughout the campaigns;
• Lead the development of customized business development proposals;
• Lead and / or participate in internal and external firm projects including various visibility activities (thought leadership articles, social media etc.), our Corporate Social Responsibility program, and our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion initiatives.

The candidate possesses the following competencies :

The details

McMillan Vantage is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment for all firm members. Our company offers a full suite of health and pension benefits. Salary to commensurate with experience.

While the successful candidate will be based in our Ottawa or Toronto office, all employees are encouraged to work form where they are most productive.

Team Vantage operates in a hybrid model with team members spending a couple days a week in the Toronto or Ottawa office with some travel required.

Please apply by providing a combined cover letter and resume to UKG (Ultipro). We thank all applicants in advance. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

The business

When organizations have a pressing challenge or exciting opportunity, McMillan Vantage has the senior expertise with a deep understanding of what clients need to know, when they need it most. Our vision is to become the firm of choice for clients requiring government relations, strategic communications, advocacy, and corporate purpose and social impact advisory services. McMillan Vantage is unique in Canada thanks to our strategic partnership with one of Canada's leading national business law firms-McMillan LLP. Learn more here.