Senior Strategist & Insights Lead (Contract)

About the role

Aquent is recruiting, on behalf of a Melbourne-based experiential and creative agency, a Senior Strategist to lead the strategic foundation of a 4-6 week research sprint for a global sportswear and football brand. Working remotely within Australia with full working rights, the role turns complex qualitative data into a strategic springboard for the brand's experiential activation teams.

Key responsibilities

• Build and structure the consumer research methodology across the Australian football category (AFL, NRL, AFLW, NRLW, soccer and grassroots communities)
• Conduct rapid desk research and cultural listening to track shifts in fandom, code crossover and community rituals
• Analyse quantitative datasets for consumer attitudes, brand salience, category barriers and behavioural trends
• Run targeted qualitative depth interviews to validate quantitative findings
• Partner daily with the agency's Strategy Director in London to stress-test frameworks and align global and local perspectives
• Structure and write an insight-led presentation deck (graphic design polished by the agency's brand team)
• Co-present the findings and recommendations to senior brand stakeholders

Required profile

• 5-8+ years of strategy and planning experience in brand, creative, experiential or insights consultancies
• Nuanced understanding of Australian sport and the differences between AFL, NRL, AFLW, NRLW, soccer and grassroots clubs
• Clear view of sports marketing and how major athletic brands fit into those cultural codes
• Proven track record presenting high-stakes strategy to senior clients
• Comfortable collaborating asynchronously with UK and global counterparts

Required skills

• Synthesising quantitative data and qualitative research (interview moderation, thematic coding)
• Building persuasive, logic-driven decks from scratch