Ascend: Strategic Marketing Consultant (12‑Month Fixed Term Contract)

Who we are

We’re The Kite Factory; the independent media agency built on Values and Velocity. Our values set the direction. Velocity drives the momentum. Together, they shape how we think, how we work, and how we help ambitious brands grow in a world that rarely stands still. Everything we do is built around one belief: the best media ideas are the ones that deliver measurable growth. That’s why we combine strategic thinking, creative ambition, and commercial accountability to create Ideas That Deliver – media solutions grounded in insight, executed with precision, and measured by real‑world impact. From commercial challengers to leading purpose‑led organisations, we partner with brands including WaterAid, White Claw, British Red Cross, Lovehoney, MedExpress, Friends of the Earth and M&G Wealth.

About Ascend

Ascend is The Kite Factory’s dedicated growth consultancy – formed from 20 years of listening to client growth challenges and powered by a team with deep experience driving impact at senior levels within complex organisations. Ascend addresses Marketing challenges beyond the media brief that unlock growth – both for existing TKF media clients and Ascend‑only clients. We help organisations reach higher by providing the headspace, insight, skills and models of working that unlock sustainable competitive advantage. Our work spans all areas of Marketing – delivered with empathy, partnership, and a commitment to working as an extension of our clients’ teams.

The Opportunity

With demand for Ascend significantly growing across multiple sectors, we are looking for a strategic, curious and highly collaborative strategic marketing consultant to join the team on a 12‑month basis. This is a hands‑on consulting role focused on delivering live client projects. You will lead research and insight work, help shape clear strategies, and work with clients to turn those strategies into practical plans and ways of working. This role will work directly with senior clients and TKF leaders across Planning, Media Channel specialist teams, Insight, Strategy, Data and Analytics to diagnose challenges, shape growth strategies, facilitate organisational change, and support leadership teams to embed new ways of working. Typical Ascend project types include, but are not limited to, audience segmentation, brand & income strategies and marketing & communications integration projects. We are looking for someone with the ability to lead these projects with senior oversight. You will play a pivotal role in enabling us to deliver on our expanding pipeline of growth.

You’ll embody our values by:

• Thinking freely to improve processes and challenge how things are done
• Aiming higher by taking ownership and delivering to a high standard
• Staying smart through attention to detail and sound judgement
• Getting involved in supporting managers and contributing to culture
• Winning together by building strong, trusted relationships across the agency

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Insight & Diagnosis
   • Lead initial Discovery work (understand the challenges, find the truths) across client engagements (interviews, desk research, data insight). Distil insight into clear problem definitions, opportunities and strategic hypotheses. Lead audience, product and organisational diagnostics across Insight, Change and Innovation workstreams. Collaborate with research partners and TKF Insight and Data & Analytics to interpret findings and shape strategic implications.
2. Strategy Development
   • Lead on the development of growth strategies, brand and fundraising strategies, audience and product strategies, and innovation roadmaps. Deliver strategic recommendations grounded in insight, organisational context and market dynamics. Work alongside Senior Client Collaborators to translate insight into clear, actionable pathways.
3. Organisational Change & Integration
   • Lead C‑suite–level integration projects and organisational change programmes. Co‑create / design or refine models of working, governance approaches, cross‑functional processes and communications frameworks. Facilitate workshops (co‑creation, integration, innovation, prioritisation).
4. New Business – Pipeline & Pitching
   • Build the Ascend new business pipeline by proactively leveraging your own networks, sector knowledge (experience in the not for profit, financial services or travel sectors is desirable), and external relationships to identify and open new consultancy opportunities. Expected to generate 1–2 new opportunities through network during the contract. Convert opportunities through compelling pitch responses, crafting insightful, concise, and engaging proposal materials grounded in Ascend’s ethos and capabilities. Actively contribute to Strategic Marketing elements of pitch processes, including narrative development, slide creation, solution design, and participating in pitch meetings where appropriate. Work closely with TKF’s New Business & Marketing team to maintain visibility of pipeline, support wider agency pitches where Ascend adds value, and ensure all opportunities are tracked and progressed.
5. Client Partnership
   • Develop strong, trusted relationships with Client Collaborators. Bring pace, positivity and rigour to project delivery.

What You Will Bring

Delivery

You will typically produce:

• Insight summaries and clear problem definitions
• Strategic decks (e.g. growth strategy, Marketing strategy)
• Workshop plans and outputs
• Practical recommendations (e.g. audience frameworks, campaign approaches, ways of working)

Skills & Experience

This role suits someone with at least 7‑10 years’ experience, comfortable leading parts of projects independently, while working with senior support on the most complex or senior client interactions. Experience in consultancy, strategy, fundraising/marketing strategy, organisational development, planning or insight roles (spanning agency or client side), with a track record of driving real change and impact across sectors. Expert in synthesising complex qualitative and quantitative inputs into clear, actionable strategic insight that shapes business and growth decisions. Comfortable switching between strategic leadership and hands‑on delivery, including working directly with key data tools such as TGI, YouGov and IPA TouchPoints. Comfortable working in ambiguity, defining challenges and shaping solutions. Strong communicator with excellent storytelling and presentation skills. Proven experience facilitating workshops or co‑creation sessions that align teams and unlock shared direction. Expert in connecting media with creative, audience and data to deliver joined‑up advertising systems.

Mindset & Approach

Approach challenges with empathy. Bring your skillsets and respect others. Listen, distil and collaborate. Work beyond the brief to unlock organisational growth.

You are someone who:

• Is intellectually curious and energised by complex challenges.
• Enjoys working collaboratively with multi‑disciplinary teams.
• Can balance big‑picture thinking with practical delivery.
• Thrives in fast‑paced environments with multiple workstreams.
• Is motivated by helping organisations achieve meaningful impact.

What Success Looks Like

In this role, success looks like:

• Projects delivered on time with clear, actionable outputs.
• Clients understanding their key challenges and next steps.
• Workshops that lead to decisions and real change being implemented, not just discussion.
• Positive feedback from clients and internal teams.

What We Can Offer You

Opportunity to work across high‑profile brands. Exposure to senior leaders across strategy, insight, analytics. A purpose‑driven consultancy environment where your thinking genuinely shapes client outcomes. Support from The Kite Factory’s wider media, creative, data and planning teams. A collaborative culture that values curiosity, courage and kindness.

Inclusivity and belonging

At The Kite Factory, we welcome applications from all walks of life including those who are under‑represented in our industry. We’re committed to creating a diverse and inclusive place to work where everyone feels they can belong and celebrate each other’s differences. It’s so important to us that all voices are heard and listened to so that we can truly create an inclusive place to work where our teams can thrive.