Instrument is a design and technology company. We build brands, products, and experiences that move businesses forward—by making the complex simple.
For over 20 years, we’ve partnered with companies like Google, ServiceNow, Uber, Eventbrite, and ŌURA, helping them navigate change, launch new ideas, and grow with intention.
Our work spans Brand, Marketing, and Product, but what defines us is how we work. We bring strategy, design, and engineering together from the start, moving quickly from idea to execution and refining as we go. We aim to do great work and be great to work with, because both matter.
We’re a collaborative, hands-on team with roots in Portland and New York and a distributed presence across the U.S. and Europe. We build teams around the needs of the work, staying nimble without sacrificing craft.
We value curiosity, perspective, and continuous learning, and we’re committed to building an inclusive environment where people can do their best work.
If that sounds like you, we’d love to meet you.
We are looking for a Strategy Director who leads across strategy types, goes deep with a client, and builds teams that people want to be on.
This is a dedicated account role with real range. You will embed deeply with one major client and lead strategy across the full breadth of their business, spanning product, web, marketing, brand, and content. That means holding the thread across a high volume of simultaneous workstreams and consistently keeping quality high. You will be the connective tissue that makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts, a trusted strategic voice with the client and a genuine creative and account partner internally.
This role is, importantly, also a growth role. You will help shape the account relationship, spot and develop new opportunities, and bring a business development instinct that contributes to pitches and proactively expands the work we do within this account. You’ll be expected to invest in the business and in the people around you, building a team culture where strategists are challenged, supported, and doing their best work.
If you love going wide and deep with one client, move fluidly between visionary thinking and high-craft execution, and get genuinely energized by building things, whether that is a pitch, a team, or a lasting client relationship, we want to hear from you.
What You'll Do
- You’ll shape strategic vision and direction across a portfolio of work—ensuring rigor, clarity, and coherence from early discovery through delivery.
- You’ll lead strategy for a complex, high-impact client—holding the thread across multiple workstreams and helping teams navigate ambiguity with strong judgment and clear direction.
- You’ll connect brand, product, marketing, and experience thinking—ensuring that strategy is not fragmented, but integrated and working toward a cohesive whole.
- You’ll act as a senior client partner—building trusted relationships, guiding decisions, and helping shape long-term strategy and partnership direction.
- You’ll identify opportunities for growth—contributing to new business efforts, shaping pitches, and expanding the scope and impact of the work.
- You’ll lead and develop strategy teams—mentoring senior strategists, fostering a culture of excellence, and ensuring teams are supported, challenged, and doing their best work.
- You’ll contribute to the evolution of the discipline—defining and scaling strategic frameworks, improving ways of working, and helping raise the bar for quality across the organization.
What You'll Bring
- You’ve led strategy at a senior level and are comfortable operating across multiple projects, teams, or accounts—balancing depth with breadth.
- You bring a broad set of strategy skills across brand, digital, product, content, and marketing, with deeper expertise in at least a few of these areas.
- You’re skilled at connecting insights to action—using research, synthesis, and storytelling to shape clear, compelling strategic direction.
- You’re an effective facilitator and communicator, able to lead workshops, guide conversations, and influence senior stakeholders with confidence and clarity.
- You have experience building and leading teams—setting expectations, developing talent, and creating a strong, collaborative culture.
- You understand how to balance client needs, business goals, and delivery realities—making decisions that are both ambitious and practical.
- You’re curious about emerging tools and technologies, and you apply sound judgment about how they can meaningfully improve the work.
Pay Range
The expected pay range for this position is $150,000-$185,000. We have three regional pay ranges that are adjusted for cost of living (US1 +15%, US2 +7.5%, US3 Base), learn more about our pay philosophy and cost of living adjustments
What We Offer
Flexible, Hybrid Work Environment
Great Compensation with Annual Reviews (Learn more about our Pay Philosophy)
401(k) Matching with Immediate Vesting
Robust Medical, Vision, and Accident Insurance
Generous Paid Holidays and unlimited PTO
Monthly Wellbeing Stipend
Career Management and Leadership Training
Flexible, Hybrid Work Environment
Great Compensation with Annual Reviews (Learn more about our Pay Philosophy)
401(k) Matching with Immediate Vesting
Robust Medical, Vision, and Accident Insurance
Generous Paid Holidays and unlimited PTO
Monthly Wellbeing Stipend
Career Management and Leadership Training
Similar Jobs
.png)
What you need to know about the Chicago Tech Scene
Key Facts About Chicago Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 245,800; 5.2% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: McDonald’s, John Deere, Boeing, Morningstar
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, biotechnology, fintech, software, logistics technology
- Funding Landscape: $2.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Pritzker Group Venture Capital, Arch Venture Partners, MATH Venture Partners, Jump Capital, Hyde Park Venture Partners
- Research Centers and Universities: Northwestern University, University of Chicago, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Institute of Technology, Argonne National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
