Lead Strategist, Digital Strategy & Innovation

Company Overview

Intentional Futures (iF) is an idea-to-impact consultancy that helps leaders turn good intentions into positive outcomes. Our clients are change agents who believe the world can be better than it is. We act as trusted guides and thought partners on their journeys.

We are a 30-person firm of researchers, strategists, and designers who work on complex issues with corporations, nonprofits, and family foundations. We are looking for a self-motivated and skilled Lead Strategist to join our team!  

Our Digital Strategy & Innovation (DSI) practice partners with leading technology companies, market-leading innovators in many industries, philanthropies, nonprofits, and governments to create forward-looking digital strategies, designs, and storytelling to support the development of organizational processes, products, and policies that positively contribute to society and the environment while improving clients’ business performance. We believe in the power of good strategy and design to shift behaviors that accelerate the pace of learning and innovation in technology markets, as well as reduce inequities and improve social, environmental, and economic outcomes at scale. 

We are looking for a seasoned Lead Strategist who is with a strong engineering and product development background to join our Digital Strategy & Innovation (DSI) team. Join our team in a full-time position that combines thoughtful strategic thinking with excellent project leadership and client management skills. If you imagine yourself leading teams across projects involving industry sense-making and technology landscaping, user and UX research and design, product and process strategy, and technology foresight work that looks over the horizon to surface unrecognized opportunities, iF is the place you will thrive.

We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that having staff from many backgrounds allows us to better serve our clients, support one another, and fulfill our mission.

Having staff with diverse backgrounds allows us to better serve our clients, support one another, and fulfill our mission. As an equal opportunity employer, iF considers all applications without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, military service eligibility, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, physical or mental disability, or any other protected class. People of color, women, and LGBTQIA+ individuals are encouraged to apply. We take leadership and training seriously and will invest in you and your goals. 

Even if you don’t meet all the minimum qualifications but still feel you would be a strong fit, we encourage you to apply.

Job Summary

We are looking for a seasoned strategist who is passionate about creating a positive impact and is a highly capable project lead. This is a mid-career position to which the ideal candidate will bring relevant consulting skills combined with hands-on project experience in technology, design, and storytelling. This person would have demonstrated project management and strategic leadership in key impact areas, including but not limited to market research, technology assessment, UX development, digital public infrastructure, potential applications for artificial intelligence, and emerging technology to enhance economic mobility, global public health, financial services, and the climate response. We expect this position to start immediately, with some flexibility.

The Lead Strategist is both a savvy strategic thinker as well as an experienced project manager. They will be responsible for leading all aspects of our project work, including insight generation, strategic development, creative storytelling, and project and client management. A successful Lead Strategist at iF is a collaborative leader and clear communicator who deeply understands the problems we seek to solve, is able to work fluidly with our tight-knit team of Strategists and Designers, and is comfortable interacting with people at all levels of our clients’ organizations. The ideal candidate for this role is someone who brings a cross-sector background and a generalist mindset combined with the ability to go deep into complex problem spaces to drive impact for many types of clients.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Project manage concurrent digital strategy and innovation projects:
  • Establish and budget based on an initial scope of work, and manage the evolution of client expectations throughout a project
  • Take responsibility for delegating tasks to deliver world-leading client deliverables, from white papers and presentations to user journey narratives and teardowns that simplify emerging technologies
  • Monitor project progress, including tracking the status of tasks, budget, and deliverables
  • Regularly communicate and collaborate with internal and external contributors involved in projects 
  • Be a supportive and collaborative partner for clients and other iFsters throughout a project's life cycle to successfully manage project goals, milestones, and work that delivers on the vision
• Investigate and distill large volumes of information on a topic, such as trends in digital public infrastructures, applications of AI in business and education, and the applications of new fintech tools, to produce key insights and/or concise frameworks
• Write and edit reports, presentations, whitepapers, and case studies 
• Work closely with visual/graphic/UX designers to craft engaging and impactful content in various formats (e.g., presentations, convenings, experiences)
• Support/Lead strategy development and execution for technology-related projects of varying complexity, size, and length
• Build and lead with recommendations for clients that reflect strategic thinking, desk research, and client needs
• Design and co-facilitate workshops, presentations, and discussions with clients
• Support business development for the DSI practice, including proposal development, project and budget scoping, resource management, etc.
• Bring inspiration to project teams, the DSI team, and company-wide meetings
• Ability and willingness to travel domestically and/or internationally up to 20% of the time
• Open to collaborate across adjacent iF practice areas as opportunities arise (Education, Social Impact, Cultural Awareness & Integration, Operational Effectiveness)

Qualifications and Skills

• 5+ years of career experience working in a project management, business/program strategy, or management consulting role 
• 3+ years of career experience working in or with key technology areas, including but not limited to market research, technology assessment, UX development, digital public infrastructure, potential applications for artificial intelligence, and emerging technology to enhance economic mobility, global public health, financial services, and the climate response
• Experience translating complex information into strategic narratives that can be understood easily by multiple audiences
• Ability to think strategically, anticipate needs, and tackle problems from multiple perspectives and through a human-centered lens (combining both quantitative and qualitative inputs)
• Comfortable working with ambiguous and cross-sector contexts
• Strong work ethic and close attention to detail 
• Strong proficiency in standard office tools such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel as well as remote collaboration tools like GSuite, Box, Zoom, and Teams
• Curiosity, empathy, and a good sense of humor
• Fearless and independent thinker: we’re looking for someone who isn’t afraid to ask questions, get or give feedback, and seek creative solutions
• Experience working across cultures and time zones
• Experience working with confident comfort in an organization, on a team, and in a role that prioritizes diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)
• Experience with Human-Centered Design that supports equity access to technology and social mobility
• BA/BS or equivalent experience required

Bonus Experience & Skills

• Familiarity with interactive virtual collaboration tools preferred, such as Dovetail, Airtable, Miro, Figma, Whimsical, and various AI tools
• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Digital Innovation & Strategy, Technology Management, Human-Computer Interaction, Design Thinking, Service Design, or equivalent work experience preferred

Informational Q&A

We welcome each applicant to join us for an informational Q & A session via Zoom about this role. The session will be on Monday, 3/3 from 11:30am-12:30pm PST. There, you will meet members of the hiring team, as well as iF's HR team where they will overview the recruiting process, information about the company, as well as the role specifically. Most of the time will be dedicated to answering your questions. Please note, attending this session does not guarantee or advantage consideration, we simply want to offer a venue for you to learn more about the job and life at iF.

If you would like to attend the session, please sign up HERE.

If you cannot attend, but would like to be sent a recording of the session, please sign up HERE (please note - all applicants who are asked to a phone screen will automatically get a link to the recorded session).

Salary, Benefits, & Additional Information

We conduct iterative and extensive market research to learn what is considered a competitive salary for each of our roles. However, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. With this context in mind, the salary range for this role is $80,000.00-$140,000.00 annually, as well as the potential for an annual bonus based on performance. Most applicants can expect the offer to be within the median of the range.

Along with this, iF offers a benefits package that includes: 

• Healthcare coverage including domestic partner benefits
• Flexible Spending and Dependent Care Account options
• Life insurance 
• Short-term disability coverage
• Paid parental and adoption leave
• 4% 401K match
• Paid time off
• Learning and Development Resources
• Subsidized ORCA Card 

Our staff are currently working from home full-time, but the ability to travel to Seattle-based office is preferred, but we are not able to offer relocation packages. The preferred candidates will be someone who lives in the greater Seattle area or is willing to relocate, but we are open to candidates from other regions as well.

iF cannot offer work visa sponsorship at this time.

We will notify every candidate about next steps, you can expect a response 2-4 weeks from the posting date of the role, pending applicant pool. Preferred candidates will be moved forward to phone screens. 

iF Values

• Imagination - We openly seek and explore novel perspectives, ideas, and approaches. 
• Excellence - We passionately pursue solutions that thoughtfully address the real issues.
• Teamwork - We collaboratively activate the combined strengths of clients, partners, and each other. 

If you enjoy the endless pursuit of the unknown, apply today!

Job posted on 2025.02.20