Creative Strategist

Introducing Zinc Network

For over fifteen years, Zinc Network has been helping governments and businesses navigate the world's most complex challenges using communications, technology, and behavioural science. We work on some of the toughest briefs: protecting children online, strengthening democratic resilience, and championing purpose-driven technologies and organisations.

Working in partnership with a global network of media outlets, communities, and influencers, we help clients understand complex issues, design and deliver behavioural interventions, create compelling campaigns, activate trusted grassroots networks, and evaluate impact.

We're now building Kora — our AI-powered platform that systematises this expertise into scalable technology, enabling clients to work faster, more impactfully, and more cost-effectively.

We're looking for people who want to operate at the intersection of geopolitics, security, and technological disruption, and who are committed to building a safer, more secure world.

Outline of the job

We are looking for a Creative Strategist to work closely with the insights team and design and production teams to translate weekly digital and media insights into clear creative strategies for asset production. The role focuses on developing insight-led approaches that support resilience to misleading or manipulative narratives across Central and Eastern Europe, ensuring content is culturally relevant, and responsive to emerging trends.

The Creative Strategist will combine strategic thinking, creative vision, and deep understanding of influence and behaviour change to design impactful, insight-driven content for digital platforms.

This role requires someone able to move seamlessly between strategic planning, creative ideation, and client engagement, working collaboratively across insights, design, and production teams. The position reports to the Head of Strategy and works closely with the Creative Director. They will be either based in London (UK) or should be able to commute easily to London office on a weekly basis.

What you'll be doing

- Lead the development of creative strategies for campaigns, translating digital, media, and audience insights into clear strategic direction for asset production

- Turn research, OSINT, and audience insights into compelling narratives, message frameworks, and campaign propositions tailored to specific audiences and contexts

- Design creative briefs to guide the development of digital content

- Facilitate creation workshops and working sessions within the team to ensure cultural relevance and contextual accuracy across Central and Eastern European audiences

- Work closely with the Project Director, Creative Director, and production teams to ensure all outputs align with strategic objectives and creative intent

- Embed safeguarding, ethical, and security considerations throughout creative development and implementation

- Support the development of Theories of Change and measurable campaign KPIs, linking creative strategy to behavioural or attitudinal outcomes

- Provide strategic and creative leadership in client and donor engagements, confidently presenting concepts, insights, and recommendations

- Collaborate with MEL and research teams to monitor campaign performance, applying learning to refine creative strategies over time

- Stay informed on best practice in strategic communications and behaviour change

What we need from you…

- 4+ years' experience in creative strategy, communications planning, or campaign design. You would ideally have a blended background from advertising agencies but with experience of international development, social impact, government comms or public affairs.

- Demonstrated experience developing multi-channel, insight-driven campaigns in complex or sensitive environments.

- Strong understanding of influence operations, and audience behaviour in fragile or contested information spaces.

- Proven ability to synthesise research, OSINT and behavioural insights into clear creative strategies, narratives and campaign frameworks.

- Excellent writing and conceptual skills, with experience producing creative briefs, messaging frameworks, and strategic propositions

- Strong collaboration skills, with experience working closely with insights, creative, digital, and production teams

- Confidence operating in client-facing settings, including presenting strategic recommendations and creative concepts to senior stakeholders

- Familiarity with behaviour change models (e.g. COM-B, EAST) and influence or narrative-mapping frameworks (e.g. DISARM) is desirable

- A clear understanding of ethical storytelling, safeguarding, and risk-sensitive communications, particularly in politically or culturally sensitive contexts

- SC security clearance preferred

Area of Selection

We're committed to hiring a diverse workforce from different professional and cultural backgrounds, and to that end we encourage a variety of people to apply to join our company to represent the diverse range of subjects associated with our projects.

Conditions of Employment

Candidates who receive a job offer will be required to:

- Disclose any previous disciplinary action against them resulting from a substantiated safeguarding (including any breaches involving trafficking- related activities) or workplace investigation.

- Undergo background checks including employment verification, sexual offender registry (as available), identity confirmation, and anti-terrorism vetting.

How to apply

Please include a cover letter stating how you meet each of the requirements.

If you require an accommodation to be made at any point throughout the recruitment process, please advise us when contacted.