Associate Director- AI Strategist, Marketing

Associate Director- AI Strategist, Marketing | Careers | VML

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Associate Director- AI Strategist, Marketing

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Brand: VML

Capability: Strategy

Location: Detroit, MI, United States & New York, NY, United States

Last Updated: ${ new Date('2026-09-30T11:26:53-04:00').toLocaleDateString() }

Requisition ID: 17958

Who We Are

VML is a global creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce to create connected brands that drive growth. Guided by a Human First philosophy, VML is known for its innovative work for brands and consistently ranks among the world's leading creative companies, including the WARC Creative 100. VML's global network spans 55+ markets with principal offices in Buenos Aires, Kansas City, London, New York, São Paulo, Shanghai and Singapore.

VML is part of WPP, the trusted growth partner for the world's leading brands. Powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform WPP Open, WPP unites cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, creativity, production, enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel.

For more information, please visit www.vml.com and follow along on  LinkedIn #WeAreVML.

About Us

The WPP | Ford Team is an integrated operating network made up of a dynamic multi-agency ecosystem that serves Ford Motor Company and its many diverse units around the world. This operating team provides a breadth of marketing experience for Ford across Communications, Marketing, Brand and Customer Experience, A.I., Creative, Production, Media, Strategy, Analytics, Commerce & Technology and more.

Operated under a central leadership team, it draws best-in-class talent from leading WPP agencies including VML (Brand & Customer Experience), WPP Media (Media), GTB (Precision Retail Marketing), WPP Production (Brand Design & Production), Zubi & UWG (Multicultural), and Burson (Corporate Communications/Public Relations), among other key WPP specialists. WPP | Ford team members work in a highly integrated environment, with direct exposure across virtually every discipline of modern marketing.

This role is embedded within VML as part of the WPP network.

About Ford and the Opportunity

Ford is in a period of rapid transformation, modernization, and evolution. This exciting challenge is about more than just marketing vehicles. It's about lifestyle, experiences, technology and helping to build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams. After 123 years, this iconic brand continues to evolve, focusing on services, experiences and software, in addition to vehicles.

The Role

The AI Strategist connects the people who do the work (Shopper, Media, Web, Production, and Creative teams) with the people who build the tools. You'll spend time with marketers to understand how their work actually gets done, find where AI can make it better, and turn those opportunities into tools that last, not one-off fixes. You don't need to be an engineer. You need to be curious, resourceful, good with people, and ready to think like a builder.

What You'll Do

• Embed with marketing teams to map how work gets done today, then spot where AI can remove friction or unlock something new
• Turn messy, real-world needs into clear problem statements and briefs for our AI Architect and Product Manager
• Prototype early ideas yourself using no-code and AI tools, so teams can react to something real instead of a slide
• Think beyond the immediate ask. Shape one-off requests into durable tools that can scale across teams and grow over time.
• Own the evolution of what you launch by gathering feedback, prioritizing improvements, and planning the next version
• Help build a roadmap that balances quick client wins with longer-term capabilities
• Keep builds connected so teams don't solve the same problem twice
• Shepherd ideas from first conversation to launch, and keep stakeholders informed along the way
• Log every use case so its impact can be measured
• Advocate for the business so AI gets built with the teams who use it

What We're Looking For

• 6-8 years in marketing, advertising, or agency environments (strategy, account, production, media, CX, or similar), with exposure to product, UX, process, or innovation work
• Genuine curiosity about AI, shown through personal experimentation. Tell us what you've built, tested, or broken.
• A self-starter who sees an opportunity and runs with it without waiting for permission
• A systems thinker who enjoys untangling workflows and figuring out how the pieces fit together
• A builder's mindset. You're ready to step into product thinking: treating solutions as living products with users, versions, and a roadmap rather than as finished deliverables.
• Highly collaborative and comfortable translating between creative, business, and technical people
• Strong stakeholder skills, with the ability to earn trust from both marketing teams and technical owners
• Comfortable with ambiguity and shifting priorities

Nice to Have

• Hands-on product, UX, or service design experience (discovery, user research, journey mapping, prototyping)
• Comfort with data, and familiarity with how marketing technology fits together
• Automotive or retail marketing exposure

What You Don't Need

• Professional AI experience or a technical background. We'll teach you the technical side.

The base salary range for this position at the time of this posting is indicated below. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including location, business needs, level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package, click WPP Benefits for more details.

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$75,000-$180,000 USD

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we've adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

WPP (VML) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

When you click "Submit Application", this will send any information you add below to VML. Before you do this, we think it's a good idea to read through our Recruitment Privacy Policy. California residents should read our California Recruitment Privacy Notice. This explains what we do with your personal data when you apply for a role with us, and, how you can update the information you have provided us with or how to remove it.

When you click "Submit Application", this will send any information you add below to VML. Before you do this, we think it's a good idea to read through our Recruitment Privacy Policy. California residents should read our California Recruitment Privacy Notice. This explains what we do with your personal data when you apply for a role with us, and, how you can update the information you have provided us with or how to remove it.

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