Brand Strategy, Managing Director (Location Flexible)

We are the leading provider of professional services to the middle market globally, our purpose is to instill confidence in a world of change, empowering our clients and people to realize their full potential. Our exceptional people are the key to our unrivaled, culture and talent experience and our ability to be compelling to our clients. You’ll find an environment that inspires and empowers you to thrive both personally and professionally. There’s no one like you and that’s why there’s nowhere like RSM.

RSM is seeking a visionary Brand Strategy Leader to define, evolve, and steward our enterprise brand strategy and platform in support of the firm’s business and growth ambitions. Reporting to the Chief Marketing Officer and serving on the Marketing and Communications Leadership Team, the Brand Strategy Leader will develop a deep understanding of RSM’s objectives, markets, clients, and offerings and translate that into a distinctive brand point of view. You will shape how RSM is understood and experienced across and through marketing and communications activities.

The Brand Strategy, Managing Director will lead brand stewardship across the marketing and communications function including brand positioning and narrative, talent brand, brand partnerships and activation, advertising / media strategy and brand-side agency relationships. You will partner closely with Content, Communications, Marketing, Growth, Analytics and internal and external creative leaders to ensure the brand platform is usable, relevant and consistently reflected in across work. The leader will   work in partnership  with the Global Executive Office and regional counterparts to align enterprise brand direction.

What you’ll do

• Lead enterprise brand strategy. Create, evolve, and steward RSM’s strategy and platform, including positioning, value proposition, brand promise, narrative architecture, messaging principles, audience considerations, and strategic expression.
• Integrate brand across marketing and communications. Ensure the brand platform guides campaigns, demand generation, events, experiences, communications, and other priority initiatives across markets. Bring strong brand judgment to briefs and strategic decisions without becoming an approval bottleneck.
• Drive brand activation and partnerships. Lead the brand perspective on partnerships, sponsorships, and activation opportunities, helping determine where and how RSM should show up regionally to build awareness, relevance, and preference with priority audiences.
• Advance the talent brand. Oversee talent brand strategy in close partnership with HR and Talent Acquisition, supporting a consistent and compelling employer brand across regions.
• Guide agency, advertising, and creative partnerships. Lead brand-side agency relationships and provide informed direction on advertising, media, and brand activation. Partner with internal and external creative leaders to translate brand strategy into distinctive creative expression without assuming the creative director role.
• Measure and optimize brand performance. Partner with Analytics, Growth, and Marketing leaders to define meaningful brand measures. Use research, market response, campaign performance, and qualitative insights to strengthen future activations and investment recommendations.
• Lead through influence and collaboration. Build the brand capabilities needed for an evolving organization, establish standards, develop talent, manage agency partners, and influence senior stakeholders across RSM’s federated model.

What you bring

• Bachelor’s degree with relevant professional experience required; master’s degree preferred.
• 15+ years of experience in brand strategy, integrated marketing, brand leadership, or a related field, including significant leadership responsibility within a complex, matrixed, federated, or multinational organization.
• Demonstrated success creating or materially evolving an enterprise brand platform and applying it across multiple audiences, channels, business units, markets, or regions.
• Experience working in an organization with enterprise-wide standards and shared strategic direction, along with regional or local flexibility in how those standards are activated and executed.
• Proven ability to align enterprise brand strategy with regional business priorities, market dynamics, and audience needs while maintaining a cohesive brand.
• Strong marketing and commercial fluency, with the ability to understand what an organization sells, how it grows, whom it serves, and how brand can support those objectives.
• Experience leading or significantly influencing brand activation, partnerships and sponsorships, advertising, media, and agency relationships.
• Experience with talent brand or recruitment marketing strategy, or close partnership with HR and Talent Acquisition.
• A combination of in-house and agency or consultancy experience is strongly preferred. Significant experience managing senior agency and creative partners may also qualify.
• Proven ability to influence and collaborate across functions, business units, regions, and geographies without relying on direct authority.
• Experience partnering with executive leadership and regional counterparts is strongly preferred.
• Experience in complex B2B, technology, consulting, professional services, or another matrixed enterprise environment is valuable, but not required for candidates who demonstrate strong business learning and enterprise application.

How you lead

• Balance consistency with regional relevance and business needs.
• Influence and collaborate effectively across enterprise and regional leadership teams.
• Exercise sound strategic judgment and make decisions confidently in ambiguous environments.
• Communicate complex ideas through clear, compelling executive storytelling.
• Build productive relationships and respectfully challenge established points of view.
• Lead crucial conversations and influence strategies and decisions without relying on direct authority.
• Empower and motivate team members while developing strong talent.
• Collaborate effectively across functions, industries, solutions, markets, and geographies.
• Navigate shared-services, matrixed, and federated operating environments successfully.
• Bring adaptability, organizational agility, and a bias toward action.
• Build mutually beneficial relationships that support growth.

At RSM, we offer a competitive benefits and compensation package for all our people. Learn more about our total rewards at https://rsmus.com/careers/working-at-rsm/benefits.

We believe flexibility and in-person connection both play an important role in how we work and grow. Most roles at RSM follow a hybrid workstyle, which means team members are aligned to an RSM office and come together in person when it best supports clients, teams, development or relationship-building. Some roles may be virtual or primarily on-site based on role requirements, team priorities and client needs.

All applicants will receive consideration for employment as RSM does not tolerate discrimination and/or harassment based on race; color; creed; sincerely held religious beliefs, practices or observances; sex (including pregnancy or disabilities related to nursing); gender; sexual orientation; HIV Status; national origin; ancestry; familial or marital status; age; physical or mental disability; citizenship; political affiliation; medical condition (including family and medical leave); domestic violence victim status; past, current or prospective service in the US uniformed service; US Military/Veteran status; pre-disposing genetic characteristics or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state or local law. 

Accommodation for applicants with disabilities is available upon request in connection with the recruitment process and/or employment/partnership. RSM is committed to providing equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete an application, interview, or otherwise participate in the recruiting process, please call us at 800-274-3978 or send us an email at careers@rsmus.com.

RSM does not intend to hire entry level candidates who will require sponsorship now OR in the future (i.e. F-1 visa holders). If you are a recent U.S. college / university graduate possessing 1-2 years of progressive and relevant work experience in a same or similar role to the one for which you are applying, excluding internships, you may be eligible for hire as an experienced associate.

RSM will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records. For those living in California or applying to a position in California, please click here for additional information.

At RSM, an employee’s pay at any point in their career is intended to reflect their experiences, performance, and skills for their current role. The salary range (or starting rate for interns and associates) for this role represents numerous factors considered in the hiring decisions including, but not limited to, education, skills, work experience, certifications, location, etc. As such, pay for the successful candidate(s) could fall anywhere within the stated range.