Senior Creative Strategist

Art Basel stages the world's premier modern and contemporary art shows, held annually in Basel, Miami Beach, and Hong Kong. Founded by gallery owners in 1970, Art Basel has been a driving force in supporting the role that galleries play in nurturing artists and promoting visual arts, with offices in Basel, New York City, and Hong Kong. Art Basel engages the art world through staging fairs and collaborating with cities to develop cultural events with international resonance.

Role overview:

Art Basel is seeking a Senior Creative Strategist from mid-July until the end of the year who is both an exceptional writer and visionary ideator. This role will be responsible for developing and overseeing smart, compelling proposals: creating innovative positioning, developing overarching ideas and strategies, and crafting winning client pitches. The Senior Creative Strategist works closely with the sales team throughout the pre-sale process, determining how best to leverage Art Basel’s offerings to deliver custom proposals that exceed client expectations and position Art Basel as a critical, timely investment. Strategists also support bringing creative ideas to life post-sale by providing insights, follow-ups, and refinements as needed.

This essential role requires a balance of problem-solving and storytelling skills. Since the primary responsibility will be to craft written proposals that identify and articulate the best solutions for our clients, experience across experiential/live events, branded content, product marketing, research and insights, and brand positioning is essential. The strategist will oversee the strategic vision of pitched and sold branded concepts, ensuring Art Basel’s offerings remain unique and valuable to partners.

Your responsibilities:

Proposal Ownership

• Strategy Development: Deeply understand the client’s objectives and target audience, identifying tools or solutions that both creatively and strategically address their challenges in a way that’s unique to Art Basel.
• Creative Ideation: Lead brainstorming sessions and respond to proposal requests with innovative, unexpected ideas leveraging Art Basel’s full suite of offerings.
• Persuasive Narrative: Create compelling and persuasive pitch materials, including presentation decks, supported by data and case studies. Live pitching is a frequent component of the role.
• Develop robust and adaptable proposal templates and support the partnerships team with additional presentations and materials as needed.

Internal and External Coordination

• Create comprehensive internal concept briefings that encapsulate creative concepts aligning with client and Art Basel brand expectations.
• Revise concepts throughout the deal lifecycle to align with evolving client needs and direction.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work collaboratively with sales/partnerships, show management, galleries, marketing, VIP, digital, PR teams, and the broader Commercial Strategy team.
• Engage with a wide range of premium clients across many different industries and categories.
• Join high-level sales meetings and pitch to clients as required.

Writing and Creative Execution

• Hone your writing skills continually; proposal writing and ideation are core to this role.
• Create visually appealing and impactful proposals that reflect the Art Basel brand.
• Collaborate with Art Basel departments to create the most innovative and monetizable work.

Your profil:

• 7 years of relevant experience in marketing, business development, or integrated sales roles.
• Exceptional Communicator: Strong verbal and written communication skills with a knack for crafting persuasive arguments.
• Demonstrated expertise in proposal writing, strategic ideation, and creative concepting.
• Analytical thinker with a strong ability to match client needs with innovative solutions. Must be eager to explore the “why” behind client requests and passionate about connecting cultural insights to breakthrough marketing campaigns.
• Proficient in presenting and communicating brand value and opportunities effectively
• Motivated to see ideas come to life that drive measurable business outcomes.
• Skilled at managing multiple priorities in a high-volume, fast-paced environment.
• Self-starter with the ability to operate independently and within a matrixed organization.
• Deep understanding of emerging technologies, including AI tools, and strong digital fluency.