Vice President, Connections Strategy
Toronto
Edelman – Strategy and Planning /
Full-Time /
Hybrid
Edelman is a voice synonymous with trust, reimagining a future where the currency of communication is action. Our culture thrives on three promises: boldness is possibility, empathy is progress, and curiosity is momentum.
At Edelman, we understand diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) transform our colleagues, our company, our clients, and our communities. We are in relentless pursuit of an equitable and inspiring workplace that is respectful of all, reflects and represents the world in which we live, and fosters trust, collaboration and belonging.
Edelman is looking for a visionary and hands-on Vice President, Connections Strategy to lead our efforts in mapping, designing, and optimizing the media, content, and experience ecosystem that connects brands to their audiences. This leader will bring together data-driven insights, channel fluency, behavioral science, and creative storytelling to build comprehensive, measurable customer journeys across earned, owned, shared, and paid environments.
You will be an expert in digital strategy, channel architecture, journey mapping, and ecosystem planning, with a deep understanding of how people move through digital and real-world experiences. Working across cross-functional teams including strategy, creative, data, media, and client service, you will ensure every touchpoint is connected, intentional, and driving business impact.
Core Responsibilities:
Connections Strategy Leadership
- Build and lead integrated ecosystem strategies that connect audience insights, media behaviors, content delivery, and cultural relevance.
- Design full-funnel communications and content journeys - leveraging data, segmentation, and psychographics to guide people from awareness to action.
- Develop omni-channel plans that span social, digital, PR, influencer, paid media, owned platforms, and emerging technologies (AR, voice, Web3, etc.).
- Translate campaign goals into connection plans and measurement frameworks that tie back to business outcomes.
- Work with creative teams to ensure ideas are designed to live and breathe across the right moments, channels, and contexts.
Journey Mapping & Channel Strategy
- Architect audience journeys informed by insights, behavioral science, and platform use patterns.
- Define the role of each channel and tactic within the broader journey, ensuring synergy and sequencing across the ecosystem.
- Identify friction points and whitespace in the consumer experience, delivering recommendations for innovation, integration, or simplification.
- Lead the development of journey maps, connection plans, and channel briefs for integrated campaigns.
Cross-functional Collaboration & Client Partnership
- Act as a bridge between strategy, creative, media, data, and client service teams to ensure strategic coherence across all outputs.
- Partner closely with DxI (Data & Intelligence), digital planning, and earned media teams to integrate research, insights, and KPIs into all planning.
- Build trusted advisor relationships with clients, guiding them through channel selection, media investment decisions, and ecosystem optimization.
- Present ideas with clarity and inspiration, fostering alignment and excitement across stakeholder groups.
Thought Leadership & Innovation
- Stay at the forefront of cultural, consumer, and technology trends to proactively bring new thinking and opportunities to clients.
- Contribute to Edelman’s IP and product development around experience design, connections planning, and digital strategy.
- Mentor and upskill junior strategists in journey planning, ecosystem design, and connections thinking.
Qualifications & Experience
- 10+ years of experience in integrated marketing, communications planning, or connections strategy in an agency or consultancy setting.
- Demonstrated ability to map and optimize cross-channel journeys that drive brand and performance outcomes.
- Fluent in digital and social platforms, content strategy, media planning, CRM, and UX principles.
- Deep understanding of consumer behavior and the evolving digital landscape.
- Experience building channel strategies for large-scale brand campaigns and activations.
- Exceptional storytelling and communication skills; able to simplify the complex and inspire diverse stakeholders.
- Comfortable working in highly collaborative, fast-paced environments with cross-functional teams.
What You'll Love About Working Here
- Be a key architect of brand ecosystems for some of the most influential organizations in the world.
- Collaborate with best-in-class strategists, creatives, and analysts.
- Join an agency that values bold thinking, cultural curiosity, and innovation.
- Shape the future of marketing by designing how brands show up in people’s lives in meaningful, measurable ways.
#LI-KW1
We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t perfectly align with every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.
