Account Director CPG Strategy Lead

Account Director / CPG Strategy Lead

Dossier Creative Vancouver BC Full-Time Senior Leadership

Role Overview

Dossier Creative is seeking an Account Director / CPG Strategy Lead to serve as a senior strategic partner to our clients and a trusted leader within our studio. This is a leadership role for someone with direct experience in CPG food beverage or wine who brings both strategic rigor and the confidence to lead high-stakes brand and portfolio conversations.

You will guide senior client stakeholders through complex decisions around brand positioning portfolio architecture SKU strategy and innovation pipelines translate business objectives into clear actionable strategic direction for creative teams. This role also plays a critical mentorship function developing mid-level strategists and account leads and strengthening Dossiers overall strategic practice.

While candidates may come from either agency or client-side backgrounds some prior agency experience is essential. Success in this role requires comfort working in a fast-moving collaborative design-led environment and the ability to think strategically while staying close to the work.

This role is based in Vancouver BC. A hybrid working model is supported. Fully remote arrangements may be considered for exceptional candidates with prior agency leadership experience.

Client Leadership & Strategic Direction

• Serve as the senior strategic lead on key CPG food beverage and wine accounts
• Build trust and credibility with senior marketing innovation and business executives on the client side
• Lead high-level client conversations on:
  • Brand positioning and brand architecture
  • Product and portfolio strategy
  • SKU rationalization and expansion
  • Innovation pipelines and commercialization roadmaps
• Clearly articulate strategic rationale trade-offs and recommendations in a way that aligns brand ambition with commercial realities
• Partner closely with creative leadership to ensure strategy translates into focused effective design and execution

Strategy Development & Oversight

• Shape brand and innovation strategies grounded in consumer insight category dynamics and business objectives
• Provide strategic framing for large rebrands brand refreshes new product launches and portfolio evolution
• Ensure strategic thinking is rigorous well-structured and consistently communicated across teams and deliverables
• Maintain a strong point of view on category trends consumer behavior and emerging opportunities

Team Leadership & Mentorship

• Mentor and develop mid-level strategists and account leads
• Coach teams on how to structure thinking lead client conversations and defend strategic recommendations
• Raise the overall quality and confidence of strategic output across the studio
• Collaborate with project management and production teams to ensure strategic intent carries through execution

Must Haves

• CPG Experience: Direct experience in CPG food beverage or wine (agency-side and/or client-side)
• Agency Exposure: Prior experience in a creative brand or design agency environment
• Senior Client Leadership: Proven ability to lead and influence senior-level marketing and business executives
• Strategic Fluency: Strong command of brand positioning brand architecture portfolio strategy SKU strategy and innovation pipelines
• Clear Communicator: Ability to synthesize complexity into clear persuasive strategic narratives
• Earned Authority: A grounded credible presence that builds trust through judgment and experience

Ideal to Have

• Experience across both client-side and agency-side roles
• Exposure to large-scale rebrands or portfolio transformations
• Familiarity with stage-gate or innovation pipeline models
• Experience mentoring or coaching strategists or account leaders
• Comfort working in a boutique entrepreneurial agency where senior leaders stay close to the work

Not Required (and Important to Clarify)

• Design Background: This is not a design role
• Creative Management: This role does not manage designers or creative teams
• Hands-On Execution: The role focuses on strategic leadership not day-to-day production
• Venture / Startup Focus: Clients are primarily established and growth-stage brands
• Sales Quota: While relationship growth matters this is not a sales role

Required Experience:

Director

Key Skills
Business Development,Marketing,Pricing,Analysis Skills,Research Experience,Project Management,Research & Development,Strategic Planning,Financial Modeling,Leadership Experience,Management Consulting,Analytics
Employment Type : Full-Time
Experience: years
Vacancy: 1