Director, Brand Strategy

Job Summary: 

We are seeking a Director, Brand Strategy to define, evolve, and scale iHerb’s global brand strategy at the enterprise level. This role is fundamentally strategic, focused on long-term brand positioning, architecture, and market differentiation. This leader will translate business objectives, customer insights, and market dynamics into a cohesive global brand strategy, ensuring alignment across regions, functions, and channels. Unlike a traditional creative production lead, this role is fundamentally strategic: shaping how iHerb shows up in the world, ensuring consistency across markets, and translating business priorities into a cohesive brand system. The role serves as the organization’s central authority on brand strategy, distinct from creative production and campaign execution functions. They will possess excellent leadership skills, the ability to inspire and motivate a team, and have the ability to effectively communicate their ideas to multiple teams and stakeholders. This role is distinct from creative production leadership roles and does not primarily focus on the execution of marketing assets or day-to-day design management.

Job Expectations:

Brand Strategy & Positioning

• Define and continuously refine iHerb’s global brand positioning, narrative, and value proposition
• Translate business and market insights into clear brand strategies across regions and customer segments
• Partner with leadership to align brand direction with company growth priorities
• Develop long-term (3–5 year) brand strategy and equity-building initiatives
• Define brand architecture across product categories, customer segments, and global markets
• Establish KPIs and measurement frameworks for brand health (e.g., awareness, perception, equity)

Brand Identity & Systems

• Establish and govern iHerb’s global brand identity framework, including visual identity, tone of voice, and brand guidelines 
• Build scalable brand systems that ensure consistency across all touchpoints (digital, packaging, campaigns, social, etc.)
• Define enterprise-wide brand standards and governance models to guide execution across internal teams and external partners 
• Establish guardrails and frameworks that empower teams while protecting brand integrity

Creative Direction & Studio Oversight

• Lead the internal creative studio responsible for producing marketing and brand assets
• Provide strategic oversight to the internal creative studio; day-to-day creative production is executed by creative operations and studio leadership 
• Set the creative vision and direction for campaigns, product storytelling, and content
• Establish strategic brand frameworks and guardrails that inform campaign development and creative direction 
• Ensure output is not only high-quality but strategically aligned with brand objectives
• Elevate the overall creative standard across the organization
• Evaluate creative effectiveness against brand strategy and business outcomes, rather than directly managing asset production 

Global Brand Governance

• Drive consistency across international markets while allowing for localized relevance
• Define decision rights and governance processes for brand approvals across regions
• Implement processes and review mechanisms to maintain brand quality at scale
• Partner with regional teams to adapt brand strategy effectively without diluting core identity
• Implement processes and review mechanisms to maintain brand quality at scale
• Serve as final escalation point for brand strategy decisions impacting multiple markets or functions 

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Collaborate closely with Growth, Product, Merchandising, and International teams
• Influence executive leadership on brand implications of business decisions (e.g., product launches, market entry, partnerships) 
• Influence senior stakeholders and serve as the central authority on brand decisions
• Manage and mentor a team of designers, creatives, and external partners/agencies
• Lead and develop brand strategy capabilities within the organization; direct management of creative production teams may be indirect or through layered leadership 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

   Required:  

• Bachelor's degree in graphic design, marketing, or a related field
• +12 years of experience in branding, brand strategy, or creative design
• Strong leadership and team management skills
• Experience developing and operationalizing brand strategy at a global or enterprise level 
• Strong analytical skills, including ability to interpret brand performance data and market research 
• Experience influencing executive stakeholders and driving cross-functional alignment 
• Excellent communication and collaboration and presentation skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment
• Proven track record of developing successful marketing campaigns
• Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite and other design software
• Strong understanding of industry trends and best practices
• Cross-device and cross-platform design skills in the native environment (iOS and Android), mobile web and desktop
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills and ability to champion design decisions
• Experience working in a fast-paced environment and with rapid prototyping
• Experience leading a team 

Equipment Knowledge: 

• Proficiency in design and prototyping tools such as Adobe CS and Sketch
• Superior knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Experience with Google Business Suite (Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Forms) preferred
  

Education Requirements: 

BA or BS in interactive design, graphic design, or equivalent experience.

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