Strategy Director (Temp)

Instrument is a design and technology company. We build brands, products, and experiences that move businesses forward—by making the complex simple. For over 20 years, we’ve partnered with companies like Google, ServiceNow, Uber, Eventbrite, and ŌURA, helping them navigate change, launch new ideas, and grow with intention. Our work spans Brand, Marketing, and Product, but what defines us is how we work. We bring strategy, design, and engineering together from the start, moving quickly from idea to execution and refining as we go. We aim to do great work and be great to work with, because both matter. We’re a collaborative, hands-on team with roots in Portland and New York and a distributed presence across the U.S. and Europe. We build teams around the needs of the work, staying nimble without sacrificing craft. We value curiosity, perspective, and continuous learning, and we’re committed to building an inclusive environment where people can do their best work. If that sounds like you, we’d love to meet you. The Role Instrument is looking for a Strategy Director to provide senior strategic leadership across a complex portfolio of digital, brand, and marketing work for a leading technology client. This is a highly client-facing role for someone who can quickly build trust, bring clarity to ambiguity, and connect product, customer, brand, and business thinking. You’ll oversee multiple workstreams, guide cross-disciplinary teams, and help shape both the work in progress and future opportunities. Contract role, 40 hours per week. Needed ASAP through December 23, with a high likelihood of extension West Coast-based required. Travel to Seattle required approximately 1–2 times per month What You’ll Do • Serve as the senior strategy lead across a varied portfolio spanning digital product, brand, marketing, and experience work. • Be a trusted, confident day-to-day partner to senior client stakeholders—leading conversations, framing decisions, and bringing thoughtful points of view. • Bring strong UX and product strategy rigor to complex business and customer challenges, translating insight into clear direction for design, creative, and delivery teams. • Guide strategic work from discovery and definition through recommendations, delivery, and iteration. • Partner closely with design, creative, technology, production, and account teams to ensure strategic coherence across workstreams. • Develop clear narratives, presentations, and decision frameworks that make complex ideas actionable and compelling. • Support proposal development and growth opportunities across the broader technology and commerce portfolio. • Help teams navigate fast-moving priorities while maintaining a high bar for strategic quality and client partnership. What You’ll Bring • Significant experience leading strategy for complex, high-visibility client relationships. • A robust UX and product strategy foundation, with the ability to move comfortably between product experiences and brand or marketing work. • Strong SaaS and/or B2B experience; experience with enterprise platforms, connected ecosystems, or technical products is especially valuable. • Exceptional client presence and facilitation skills, with a demonstrated ability to build credibility quickly with senior stakeholders. • A systems thinker who can oversee multiple workstreams without losing sight of the customer, the business, or the quality of the work. • A clear, compelling communicator—equally comfortable shaping a strategic narrative, leading a working session, or presenting recommendations. • Experience partnering across disciplines and helping teams turn ambiguity into aligned action. • Experience supporting proposals, pitches, or account-growth conversations. • Curiosity about emerging technology and AI, paired with sound judgment about how they should inform the work. What We Offer The expected pay range for this position is $113-$140/hr. Contract compensation is determined by location, experience, and skillset. We have three regional pay ranges that are adjusted for cost of living (US1 +15%, US2 +7.5%, US3 Base), *learn more about our pay philosophy and cost of living adjustments. Benefits may be available in accordance with applicable law and company policy, including eligibility based on hours worked and duration of assignment. Compensation Additional Information What We Offer Flexible, Hybrid Work Environment Great Compensation with Annual Reviews (Learn more about our Pay Philosophy) 401(k) Matching with Immediate Vesting Robust Medical, Vision, and Accident Insurance Generous Paid Holidays and unlimited PTO Monthly Wellbeing Stipend Career Management and Leadership Training