At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead strategic output and creative strategy for a global football media brand.
- Company: Join Rising Ballers, a cultural impact studio reaching over 100M accounts monthly.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, free Nandos Thursdays, 25 days holiday, and strong development opportunities.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with clear path to Global Head of Strategy.
- Why this job: Shape the future of football culture and influence brands authentically.
- Qualifications: 6-10 years in brand strategy with a passion for sports culture.
The predicted salary is between 54000 - 66000 £ per year.
Rising Ballers is hiring a Strategy Director to own and lead our strategic output at a pivotal growth moment. This role is for a cultural strategist fluent in football subcultures, tribal dynamics, and fan behaviour, ready to lead strategy at a brand reaching 100M+ people monthly. You’ll own both insight and creative strategy across our full portfolio, from pitch to delivery. From defining our POV on audience behaviour to shaping creative strategies that win business and influence culture, this senior role offers the platform to build career-defining work.
About Rising Ballers
Founded in 2017, Rising Ballers Group is a global football media brand and cultural impact studio reaching over 100M accounts monthly. We operate at the intersection of football culture and brand strategy, helping global brands connect authentically with youth audiences. With platforms including Rising Ballers, She’s A Baller, Rising Ballers USA, and Yalla, we create award-winning campaigns embedded in football culture. Our ambition is to be the definitive bridge between youth football culture and brands.
Role Overview
This is not a support role. As Strategy Director, you’ll lead insight and creative strategy end-to-end. You bring 6–10 years’ experience across sports and culture, confidently lead workstreams and senior clients, challenge briefs, and turn audience insight into strategies that win pitches and drive results.
Key Responsibilities
- Own the audience insights and cultural analysis that informs the strategic direction of both client work and our own brand by spearheading, conducting and synthesizing qual & quant research to uncover human truths driving breakthrough strategies.
- Drive creative strategy from brief through campaign, translating insights into compelling narratives; shape creative briefs that inspire exceptional work and align strategic, creative, and commercial objectives.
- Establish our POV on sports audiences, fan behaviour, and cultural trends; present and defend strategic recommendations to senior clients.
- Take full ownership of strategic workstreams without constant oversight; make strategic decisions confidently, knowing when to push back and when to adapt.
- Develop winning pitch strategies demonstrating strategic differentiation and cultural authority; own strategic narrative in new business presentations.
- Collaborate with commercial teams to identify and pursue strategic opportunities aligned with business goals.
- Build and maintain relationships with CMOs, Brand Directors, and senior marketing leaders; act as strategic counsel bringing proactive thinking and cultural foresight.
- Partner seamlessly with creative, production, and commercial teams to ensure strategic alignment; facilitate workshops bringing teams together around shared objectives.
- Navigate complex client dynamics and translate strategic thinking in ways that inspire other disciplines.
- Mentor junior strategists and cultivate strategic thinking across the wider business.
- Set quality standards ensuring all outputs reflect strategic rigor and cultural intelligence.
- Maintain deep fluency in sports culture, fan dynamics, and youth marketing; position the business as a thought leader at the intersection of youth, sports, culture and brands.
Required Experience & Skills
- 6-10 years in brand strategy, advertising strategy, or communications planning with proven track record leading strategic workstreams independently.
- Experience in sports marketing, entertainment, or culture-led brand strategy (either sports-focused work or demonstrable passion/fluency in sports culture).
- Portfolio demonstrating both insight strategy and creative strategy across multiple campaigns.
- Senior client management (CMO/Brand Director level) and pitch leadership experience.
- Strong research skills (design and synthesize qual/quant research).
- Agency or in-house brand experience with understanding of strategy in commercial environments.
- Excellent communication/presentation skills with ability to inspire and persuade senior audiences.
- Cultural curiosity and anthropological approach to understanding human behaviour and audience dynamics.
- Direct experience with major endemic sports brands (Nike, adidas, Puma, etc.), brands in the football space (Visa, Heineken, Lucozade) or sports properties (clubs, leagues, federations).
- Familiarity with gaming/entertainment brands (EA Sports FC, PlayStation, Football Manager) or FMCG/CPG brands.
- Understanding of fan engagement strategies and audience-first marketing.
- Experience in multi-discipline cross-agency team collaboration.
- Sponsorship, partnership, or rights holder strategy experience.
- In-depth football culture and global football marketing knowledge.
- Track record winning pitches and contributing to business growth.
- Experience mentoring or managing junior strategists.
Salary And Benefits
- Competitive salary with pension scheme.
- Free Nandos Thursdays in office every other week with the whole team.
- Weekly office fruits/snacks + Cycle To Work scheme.
- Company drinks on alternating weeks, plus summer off-site / overnight stay.
- 25 days holiday, rising by 1 day every 2 years you are with us (capped at 28).
- Strong development framework, inclusive of 2 PDP cycles a year.
- Annual learning & development budget for courses to support development.
- Rapidly growing company with long-term role progression.
- Entrepreneurial environment, where each day brings something new.
Ideal Candidate Profile
You see strategy as cultural anthropology, driven by curiosity about human behaviour, fan passion, and the emotional power of sports culture. You understand tribal dynamics, challenge briefs with confidence, and bring provocative POVs that move conversations forward. Intellectually restless and culturally fluent beyond sports, you connect insights from psychology, sociology, and lived experience. Collaborative but decisive, you turn strategy into inspiration and bold work. This senior leadership role offers a clear path to Global Head of Strategy, with autonomy to build your reputation through high-profile sports and culture work. Reporting to the Rising Ballers Founders, you’ll sit on the leadership team, partner across creative and commercial functions, and build the strategy function as the business scales.
We are strongly committed to an inclusive and diverse Rising Ballers. We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or any other legally protected status.
Strategy Director: Culture-Driven Football Strategy in England employer: Rising Ballers
Rising Ballers Group is an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture that thrives at the intersection of football, entertainment, and culture. With a competitive salary, generous perks like free Nandos Thursdays and a Cycle to Work scheme, employees enjoy a supportive environment that fosters creativity and collaboration. Located in the heart of Shoreditch, London, the company provides ample opportunities for professional growth within a rapidly expanding team dedicated to producing world-class content and experiences.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Strategy Director: Culture-Driven Football Strategy in England
✨Show Your Creative Side
In marketing communications, standing out is key. Get creative with your application! Consider designing a mini-campaign or pitch that highlights your skills and understanding of the brand. Tailor it for Rising Ballers and show them what you can bring to the table.
✨Engage in Marketing Communities
Get involved in local or online marketing communications groups. Check out platforms like Meetup for events and workshops. Networking here can lead to hidden job openings and valuable insights into the industry trends—this is where we often discover what companies like Rising Ballers are looking for.
✨Leverage Social Media
Use platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter to showcase your passion for marketing communications. Share insights, articles, and your own content that resonates with the industry. Tagging or interacting with Rising Ballers on these platforms can catch the eye of recruiters and show you're genuinely interested in them.
✨Attend Industry Events
Keep an eye out for marketing conferences and workshops. These are great places to meet potential employers face-to-face and make connections that could land you a full-time role at Rising Ballers. Bring your business cards and be prepared to chat about how you can contribute!
We think you need these skills to ace Strategy Director: Culture-Driven Football Strategy in England
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 Rising Ballers. Make sure to mention specific campaigns or projects you’ve worked on that showcase your creativity and strategic thinking.
Showcase Your Writing Skills:As you're diving into a marketing communications role, your writing ability is crucial. Include samples of your work, like blog posts, press releases, or social media campaigns in your application. This lets us see your style and how you engage with different audiences.
Tailor Your CV to Marketing:Your CV should highlight relevant marketing skills and experiences! Include specific tools or platforms you’ve used, like Google Analytics or social media management software. Mention any certifications or workshops related to marketing that you've completed – they can give you an edge!
Demonstrate Your Understanding of Rising Ballers:Show us that you’ve done your homework! In your application, briefly mention what you admire about Rising Ballers’s marketing approach or any recent campaigns that caught your attention. This can reveal your enthusiasm for the role and your genuine interest in joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Rising Ballers
✨Showcase Your Creative Campaigns
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 Rising Ballers will be keen to see how you conceptualise and execute campaigns, so highlight any measurable outcomes to back up your claims.
✨Know Your Digital Tools Inside Out
If you’re heading into a marketing-communications role, make sure you're comfortable discussing key digital marketing tools like Google Analytics, HubSpot, or Hootsuite. Expect some technical questions about how you've used these tools in the past, as they'll want to gauge your hands-on experience and how you analyse data to drive marketing decisions.
✨Be Ready for Scenario-Based Questions
At Rising Ballers, 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.
✨Demonstrate Your Passion for Marketing
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.
