Senior Consultant (London)

Overview

We''re seeking an ambitious Brand Strategist who thrives on challenging conventional wisdom and guiding brands toward breakthrough success. In this role, you''ll be the catalyst that helps our clients break free from industry norms, discover untapped opportunities, and build strategies that don''t just compete—they redefine entire categories. As a Brand Strategist, you''ll work with ambitious brands ready to take risks, question everything, and achieve remarkable growth by zigging when others zag. You''ll be part detective, part provocateur, and part architect—uncovering insights that others miss and building strategic frameworks that transform how brands connect with their audiences and deliver business outcomes.Role

Strategic Vision and Planning

Develop differentiated brand strategies that challenge industry conventions and create competitive advantagesConduct deep-dive market analysis to identify gaps, opportunities, and areas ripe for disruptionLead strategic workshops and brainstorming sessions that push clients beyond their comfort zonesCreate comprehensive brand positioning frameworks that set clients apart from competitorsResearch and Insights

Uncover counter-intuitive consumer insights through innovative research methodologiesAnalyse competitor landscapes to identify areas where conventional approaches are failingSynthesise cultural trends, emerging technologies, and market shifts into actionable strategic recommendationsChallenge client assumptions with data-driven insights and fresh perspectivesServe as a trusted strategic advisor to C-level executives and brand leadersPresent compelling strategic recommendations that inspire bold decision-makingGuide clients through the process of organizational and brand transformationFacilitate difficult conversations that challenge status quo thinking within client organizationsDesign unique go-to-market strategies that break traditional category rulesCollaborate with creative and media teams to ensure strategic vision translates into integrated marketingDevelop measurement frameworks that track both traditional metrics and innovative success indicatorsStay ahead of industry trends and continuously evolve strategic approachesYou’ll be joining Rival at an exciting time—we are three years in, growing quickly, and have big plans for the next few years!This is a unique opportunity for someone early in their career who wants to understand how a modern marketing consultancy operates—and to learn from a senior team while developing a future path in either operations or marketing.You’ll be embedded in our London team, working with a global group of talented marketers, strategists, and operators across North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.We’re a small (but mighty!) team of around 35 people globally, which means you’ll get to work on a wide range of projects and learn quickly.This role holds a ton of potential for the right person, as you’ll be supporting the core of our business and working closely with our leadership team.Requirements

We’d like to hear from you if…Strategic Thinking

Ability to see patterns and opportunities that others missComfort with ambiguity and complex business challengesSystems thinking approach to brand and market dynamicsDisruptive Mindset

Natural curiosity and tendency to question conventional wisdomComfort with calculated risk-taking and pushing boundariesResilience in the face of resistance to changeClient Management

Consultative approach with ability to build trust quicklyEmotional intelligence to navigate organizational politicsConfidence to challenge clients while maintaining strong relationshipsCross-functional collaboration skills with creative, media, and account teamsLeadership presence in client meetings and internal initiativesHow to apply…

If you’d like to apply, please use the “apply button” below. Alongside sharing your CV, we’d like you to please do the following:Highlight a challenger brand you think is crushing it. You just need to write “CHALLENGER BRAND: X” and a few sentences on why you think they are interesting from a marketing perspective.Compensation

Our compensation philosophy is to “mid-market base, top-market upside”. As a start-up we can’t compete with big agency/consultancy salaries, but we offer everyone the opportunity to share in the upside of what we’re building together.There are three components to our compensation packageBase Salary - market average for marketing consultancy/agencyProfit Share - eligibility for a profit share distribution twice a year (after one year of employment) based on company and individual performanceEmployee Liquidity Plan - eligibility for our “shadow stock” plan (after one year of employment)Group Life Insurance and Group Income ProtectionAutomatic enrolment into our pension scheme from day one32-days vacation days for UK employees + public holidays

25 discretionary vacation days7 company recharge days (company-wide days off throughout the year to relax and focus on family, friends and ourselves)

Profit Share and Rival Employee Liquidity Plan (ELP)ELP aka “shadow stock” has all the financial benefits of options, but without the cost to exercise and tax implications

Office-first but flexible working environment

Our default policy is for everyone to be in the office two - three days per week (currently Tues/Thurs with Wednesday highly encouraged). We believe in and have seen the impact of in-person collaboration on our work, culture, and development. However, we hire grown ups and trust people to manage their time and schedule. We understand there will be exceptions to the default rule, as long as we’re all focused on what’s best for the team.

The equipment and technology you need to be successful, plus additional support if you need to enhance your work from home set-upQuarterly ‘Team Weeks’One week a quarter we focus on planning, team building, and professional development. This can involve the opportunity to travel to other offices.

Rival Retreat

Every once in a while we’ll turn a Team Week into a Rival Retreat, which is a full-company, all-expense paid trip to spend a week together in a fun location

Various surprise and delights and Rival events throughout the year.About Rival

Rival is a marketing consultancy for challengers. We believe incumbent best practices lead to average results. We use the playbook of challenger brands to deliver outsized impact for CMOs who need to do more with less.We want to build a home for the world’s best marketing talent while advancing diversity in our industry. Hiring is the most important thing we do at Rival. Finding and attracting the best talent in the industry is key to our long-term success and day-to-day happiness, but it’s also the most direct way we can have an impact on driving positive change in our industry and for our clients.Our goal is to deliver a best-in-class interview experience for candidates:Upfront alignment on what good looks likeWe compensate candidates time for any interview that requires a taskTimely, respectful communicationOpportunity for all candidates to provide feedbackGlobal Equality Collective membership to upskill ourselves in all aspects of hiringDiversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At Rival, we''re invested in a thoughtful, long-term hiring approach that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion. We care about creating a global community with a combined mission, but not at the expense of losing individual identity, which is critical to our innovation. It’s essential that we bring our authentic self to work every day, no matter our age, ethnicity, religion, citizenship, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, neurodiversity, or otherwise.We listen to our employees, take direction and are taking continual action to better ourselves in this mission. Inclusion isn’t just an initiative at Rival. We strive to embed it into all aspects of our business model and how we ..... full job details .....