At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead strategic initiatives for retail clients, transforming AI potential into actionable business strategies.
- Company: Join CI&T, a global leader in tech transformation with a collaborative culture.
- Benefits: Flexible work environment, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Dynamic team environment with a focus on collaboration and diversity.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by shaping the future of retail through innovative strategies and technology.
- Qualifications: 6+ years in strategy, preferably in Retail or CPG, with strong communication skills.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
At CI&T, we help large enterprises transform the potential of AI into real business impact with AI Deployment, AI-native execution, and tech-integrated business solutions. With 30 years of experience in technological transformation, we accelerate innovation with expertise in Agentic SDLC, Application modernization, Data & AI, Martech and Business strategy. We are 8,000 CI&Ters across more than 25 countries, collaborating to build solutions with real impact. AI is already part of how we work, evolve, and innovate every day.
CI&T are looking for an experienced Strategist (6+ years) to help lead the day-to-day execution of strategy across our Retail client engagements in EMEA. At CI&T, strategy sits at the intersection of business ambition, human experience, and technology execution. We help clients identify opportunities for growth and transformation and turn them into strategies that connect business goals, customer needs, and the technology required to deliver them. You will be front and centre in strategic engagements, helping retail clients frame complex business challenges, identify opportunities, and translate strategy into clear, actionable programmes. You will work closely with Client Partners, Growth Units, engineers, product teams, and senior strategists to shape proposals, structure engagements, and ensure our work delivers both commercial impact and meaningful customer outcomes. Over time, you will also contribute to the development of industry propositions, helping translate industry insight into repeatable offerings that can scale across clients. Experience in Retail and/or CPG is strongly preferred for this role.
Role Responsibilities
- Lead customer & commercial strategy on client engagements: Lead the day-to-day strategic work across retail client engagements. Frame business problems, identify growth and transformation opportunities, and define clear strategic directions that connect business ambition, customer experience, and digital execution. Develop outcome-led strategies tied to revenue growth, customer experience improvement, operational efficiency, and capability development. Work with Client Partners to translate strategy into clear programmes, initiatives, and roadmaps that delivery teams can execute.
- Shape and drive proposals and new business: Play a leading role in shaping the strategic thinking behind proposals and RFPs. Work with Client Partners and Growth Units to structure compelling opportunity narratives and clear value propositions. Bring clarity to client challenges, define strong problem statements, and help translate opportunities into credible programmes of work. Support pitches and senior client conversations where strategic framing is required.
- Build strong client relationships: Act as a trusted senior advisor to client stakeholders. Help account leads identify new opportunities and shape growth plays. Convert informal discussions into clear, structured opportunities for CI&T.
- Bridge business, customer experience, tech and delivery: Ensure strategies are actionable, feasible, and aligned with what delivery teams can build and scale. Collaborate with AI, data, engineering, and product leaders to translate customer and business needs into technology-enabled solutions. Help delivery teams understand the customer context and experience outcomes behind the work they are building.
- Define capabilities and operating implications: Help clients understand the capabilities required to deliver their strategy, across business, customer experience, and technology. Identify gaps in areas such as digital product development, data and AI capabilities, customer experience delivery, and operational processes. Work with client teams to define practical capability roadmaps and operating model implications, including how teams, technology, and ways of working need to evolve. Focus on enabling transformation through capabilities, rather than formal organisational change programmes.
- Guide strategy through delivery: Provide strategic direction to product, engineering, and delivery teams throughout engagements. Ensure workstreams remain aligned with the agreed strategy, customer outcomes, and value case. Help translate strategic intent into clear product direction, initiative definition, and backlog priorities where needed. Support teams in connecting delivery activity to measurable business and customer outcomes.
- Contribute to Retail & CPG propositions and practice development: Contribute to the development of CI&T’s Retail and CPG strategic propositions, working closely with Client Partners, Growth Units, and industry insights teams. Help translate industry trends, client challenges, and delivery experience into clear strategic points of view and repeatable offerings. Support the development of thought leadership, proposition narratives, and opportunity frameworks that help position CI&T as a strategic partner to retail clients. Actively contribute to the development of the CI&T Strategy practice, bringing insight from client engagements to strengthen methodologies, approaches, and industry perspectives.
What Success Looks Like
- Stronger strategic proposals and opportunity narratives that help increase win rates.
- Clients view CI&T as a strategic partner shaping growth and transformation, not only a delivery partner.
- New opportunities emerge within accounts through clear strategic thinking and strong client relationships.
- Strategies translate into clear programmes, initiatives, and product roadmaps that accelerate delivery.
- Delivery teams remain aligned to customer outcomes, business impact, and strategic intent.
- Visible business, customer, and operational outcomes achieved through strategically led work.
Skill profile Experience
- 6+ years of experience in strategy, digital strategy, customer experience strategy, product strategy, or digital transformation. Experience in Retail and/or CPG strongly preferred.
- Experience working closely with engineering, product, and delivery teams within digital or technology-enabled transformation programmes.
- Experience translating strategy into practical initiatives, roadmaps, or product directions.
Customer & Commercial Strategy
- Customer strategy, segmentation, and value proposition design.
- Experience shaping customer journeys and experience strategies connected to business outcomes.
- Ability to connect customer insight, commercial opportunity, and digital execution.
- Understanding of how customer experience improvements drive growth, loyalty, and operational efficiency.
Tech-Enabled Strategy (Fluent but not deeply technical)
- Understanding of digital platforms, data, AI, and product ecosystems.
- Ability to translate technology capabilities into meaningful customer and business outcomes.
- Comfort working with engineering and product teams in agile delivery environments.
- Understanding of digital product models and modern delivery approaches.
Transformation & Capability Thinking
- Ability to identify the capabilities required to deliver strategic ambitions across business, customer experience, and technology.
- Experience defining capability roadmaps, operating implications, or transformation priorities.
- Understanding of how organisations evolve ways of working, product development models, and digital capabilities to deliver transformation.
Client Engagement, New Business & Strategic Communication
- Strong proposal development and strategic narrative design, helping shape compelling opportunity stories and value propositions.
- Ability to structure complex ideas into clear, persuasive communication for senior stakeholders.
- Confident contributor to client workshops, pitches, and strategic discussions.
- Comfort identifying patterns and growth opportunities within accounts and helping translate them into structured opportunities for CI&T.
Ways of Working
- Highly independent and self-directed.
- Strong collaborator across strategy, commercial, product, and engineering teams.
- Pragmatic, structured, and comfortable navigating ambiguity.
- Curious, proactive, and motivated to build new ideas, propositions, and strategic approaches.
This role is based in EMEA. To support collaboration with colleagues, engineers, and client teams, we expect team members to spend approximately two days per week in the office, with flexibility around project and client needs. Collaboration is our superpower, diversity unites us, and excellence is our standard. We value diverse identities and life experiences, fostering a diverse, inclusive, and safe work environment. We encourage applications from diverse and underrepresented groups to our job positions.
[EMEA] - Digital & Experience Strategist, Retail sector employer: Ciandt
At CI&T, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters collaboration and innovation. Our commitment to employee growth is evident through our focus on professional development and the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology in the retail sector. With a diverse and inclusive environment, we empower our team members to thrive while making a meaningful impact on our clients' businesses across EMEA.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land [EMEA] - Digital & Experience Strategist, Retail sector
✨Show Your Creative Side
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We think you need these skills to ace [EMEA] - Digital & Experience Strategist, Retail sector
Some tips for your application 🫡
Craft an Impactful Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Focus on your passion for marketing communications and how your previous experiences can benefit Ciandt. Make sure to mention specific campaigns or projects you’ve worked on that showcase your creativity and strategic thinking.
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How to prepare for a job interview at Ciandt
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Get ready to flaunt your portfolio! Include examples of previous marketing campaigns you've worked on, especially those that showcase your creativity and strategy. Recruiters at Ciandt will be keen to see how you conceptualise and execute campaigns, so highlight any measurable outcomes to back up your claims.
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At Ciandt, they may throw some scenario-based questions your way, aimed at testing your problem-solving skills in real-life marketing situations. Think through potential challenges you’ve faced, how you navigated them, and be prepared to discuss your thought process and outcome.
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As you’re applying for a full-time position, show that you're not just looking for a job, but a career in marketing. Talk about the latest trends in marketing communications, your favourite campaigns, and why they inspire you. Your enthusiasm can really make you stand out and demonstrate that you’re committed to growing within the field.
