Creative Strategy Manager

Our Purpose Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we’re helping build a sustainable economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential. Title and Summary Creative Strategy Manager Overview The Creative Strategy Manager is responsible for helping clients see their challenges differently. As part of Advisors Creative Desk (ACD) — the creative powerhouse of Mastercard Advisors — they turn business problems, human insights, and cultural shifts into creative opportunities that drive growth and make brands more meaningful. They are strategist, storyteller, and facilitator in equal measure: someone who can uncover an insight, lead a workshop, write a brief, challenge a room full of opinions, and help a team find the clearest path forward. Drawing on experience from leading agencies or consultancies, they bring together strategic rigor, creativity, and diplomacy. They provide guidance and quality leadership across projects while remaining hands-on in the work itself—helping transform complexity into clarity, and clarity into great ideas.

Strategic Development & Ownership Lead the development of creative strategies on key briefs Provide strategic leadership across a portfolio of countries within the European region, identifying cross-market opportunities, sharing best practices, and driving strategic excellence at scale Translate business objectives, brand challenges, and insights into clear strategic directions and creative platforms Own strategic thinking across assigned projects, ensuring consistency, clarity, and creative ambition Insight & Research Excellence Conduct and guide desk research across markets, competitors, consumers, and cultural trends Distill complex information into sharp, inspiring insights that unlock strong creative ideas Push beyond surface-level findings to uncover meaningful and differentiated strategic perspectives Creative Briefing & Writing Write high-quality creative briefs that inspire creative teams while aligning internal and client stakeholders Shape strategic narratives, key messages, and presentation materials for client-facing deliverables Partner with Creative Strategy Managers on briefing sessions and creative handovers Collaboration & Diplomacy Work closely with creatives, account managers, project managers, and clients to ensure smooth strategic delivery Act as a strategic partner to creative teams throughout the development process, providing constructive feedback and guidance Navigate differing viewpoints with confidence and diplomacy, balancing creative ambition with client and business realities Guidance & Quality Control Support and mentor Creative Strategists, helping elevate strategic thinking, writing, and research quality Review and refine strategic outputs produced by junior team members Contribute to the development of strategic best practices, frameworks, and internal tools All About You 10+ years of experience in creative strategy, brand planning, or communications strategy within a leading creative agency, brand consultancy, or equivalent strategic environment. Exceptional strategic thinker and writer, able to turn insights into compelling narratives, sharp briefs, and creative opportunities. Experienced facilitator and storyteller, confident leading workshops, presenting to senior audiences, and aligning diverse stakeholders around a common direction. Strong collaborator and diplomat, skilled at navigating complexity, balancing competing perspectives, and building trust across clients, creatives, and cross-functional teams. Comfortable operating across multiple European markets,