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Client Strategy Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

Curinos Inc

Client Value Manager

Chicago, IL · On-site

$110K - $140K/yr

Sitting at the intersection of strategy, analytics, product, and executive client partnership, CVMs help leading financial institutions unlock measurable business value and maximize the impact of ...

EMPIST

Client Solutions Executive

Chicago, IL · On-site

$78K - $107K/yr

Client Solutions Executive EMPIST is a full-service IT company, providing businesses with the ... Develop and execute strategic business development plans focused on acquiring new clients for ...

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All JobsClient Strategy JobsClient Strategy Jobs in Chicago, IL

Client Strategy information

See Chicago, IL salary details

$57.2K

$128.4K

$224.1K

How much do client strategy jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 10, 2026, the average yearly pay for client strategy in Chicago, IL is $128,417.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $92,700.00 and $162,200.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Client Strategy vs Client Services?

AspectClient StrategyClient Services
Primary FocusDeveloping long-term client growth plans and strategic initiativesManaging day-to-day client needs and support
Skills & CredentialsStrategic thinking, market analysis, communication skillsCustomer service, problem-solving, technical knowledge
Work EnvironmentCollaborative, planning sessions, cross-departmentalClient meetings, support teams, operational tasks
Industry UsageConsulting firms, marketing agencies, tech companiesService providers, account management roles

While both roles involve working closely with clients, Client Strategy focuses on creating long-term growth plans and strategic initiatives, whereas Client Services emphasizes managing ongoing client needs and support. Understanding these differences helps organizations assign the right responsibilities and professionals to each role.

What are the most commonly searched types of Client Strategy jobs in Chicago, IL? The most popular types of Client Strategy jobs in Chicago, IL are:
Client Strategy jobs near you
Infographic showing various Client Strategy job openings in Chicago, IL as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 82% Full Time, 11% Part Time, and 6% Contract. Highlights an 75% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 22% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $128,417 per year, or $61.7 per hour.

Director, Client Strategy

Wheelhouse DMG

Chicago, IL

Full-time

Posted 27 days ago

Job description

Wheelhouse DMG is a sought-after digital marketing agency that has worked with some of the world's most innovative healthcare, medical device, and privacy-first brands for more than a decade. We consistently deliver exceptional business value through a combination of deep marketing expertise, purpose-built technology, and creative capabilities. As platform automation and privacy regulations disrupt traditional marketing initiatives, much of our work focuses on helping healthcare and MedTech organizations drive performance in a first-party data world.

Examples of our work include:

  • Unlocking performance for a medical device client by employing sophisticated first-party data strategies
  • Developing and implementing HIPAA-compliant data strategies for healthcare and MedTech clients
  • Reimagining the appointment booking experience to create exponential growth for one of the largest healthcare systems in the U.S.
  • Leading strategy for the consolidation of 2.5 million web pages on 39 NASA websites into a single, unified information architecture and content strategy for NASA's Science Directorate

We are seeking a senior, highly proactive strategist to join our Account Management team as Director of Client Strategy.

Strategic Focus

The Director of Client Strategy raises the strategic ceiling on Wheelhouse's most important client work, connecting insight across channels, practices, and history into clear, executive-ready strategy and storytelling. In practice, this person operates as a number two to the Director of Account Management: taking high-level strategic workstreams off her plate, owning client health and strategic direction for a defined set of complex accounts, and freeing her to lead the function and develop the team.

This is a client-facing, visible senior leader, not a behind-the-scenes resource. You will be introduced to clients by name and present in executive-level strategic conversations on behalf of Wheelhouse, especially on our largest and most complex accounts. Internally, you will lead Strategy Group, Wheelhouse's strategic braintrust that collectively reviews account strategies on a weekly basis.

Initial focus will be on our largest and most strategically important client relationship, expanding over time to serve as the senior strategy voice across several accounts.

In this role, you will:

  • Own client health and strategic direction for a defined set of complex and flagship accounts, in partnership with the Director of Account Management
  • Synthesize inputs from Digital Advertising, Digital Strategy, Marketing Sciences, and Account Management into coherent strategic stories, clear recommendations, and executive-friendly roadmaps
  • Stay ahead of client needs by proactively identifying risks, opportunities, and strategic shifts before the client raises them
  • Lead Strategy Group, pressure-testing account strategy on a weekly basis and modeling the standard of rigor Wheelhouse expects
  • Coach and give direct, candid feedback to Account Managers, raising the team's strategic capability over time, without formal line authority
  • Act as a trusted thought partner and pressure-release valve for the Director of Account Management and the broader AM team
Core Responsibilities Client Strategy and Health
  • Own client health and strategic direction for a defined set of complex and flagship accounts, in partnership with the Director of Account Management
  • Show up as a named, visible senior strategic leader on assigned accounts, introduced to clients and present at key strategic touchpoints
  • Ensure Wheelhouse's work consistently shows up as clear, compelling, executive-level narrative, not data dumps, at key client touchpoints
  • Serve as a senior point of escalation when an account is at risk, stepping in to pressure-test the plan and help the team reset direction
Strategic Elevation of Work
  • Operate above the day-to-day execution layer, with no responsibility for trafficking, builds, or task management
  • Take inputs from Digital Advertising, Digital Strategy, Marketing Sciences, and Account Management and synthesize them into coherent strategic stories and executive-friendly roadmaps
  • Pressure-test and elevate high-stakes deliverables, including executive decks, QBRs, and onsite presentations, before they reach the client
  • Challenge the team when historical bias or constraints are limiting strategic thinking, and reopen smart options that may have been closed prematurely
Strategy Group Leadership
  • Lead Strategy Group, Wheelhouse's internal strategic braintrust that collectively reviews account strategies on a weekly basis
  • Set the agenda and bar for these reviews, ensuring discussion produces sharper direction rather than open-ended debate
  • Surface cross-account patterns and carry the best thinking back into individual accounts and the One Wheelhouse approach
Coaching, Standards, and Partnership
  • Act as the Director of Account Management's deputy on quality and standards, coaching AMs in real time and pushing the team where there is friction
  • Enforce the process and quality controls Wheelhouse already has in place, especially during high-pressure stretches
  • Take high-level strategic workstreams off the Director of Account Management's plate so she can focus on leading the function and developing people
  • Connect insight across Digital Advertising, Digital Strategy, Marketing Sciences, Creative, and Content so the full picture of Wheelhouse's work shows up in client strategy
Experience & Qualifications
  • 8+ years in a digital, performance, or integrated agency environment, with demonstrated ownership of strategy for large, complex accounts
  • Proven ability to synthesize cross-channel data, performance insights, and client history into executive-level narratives and recommendations
  • Comfortable presenting to and pushing back on C-suite and VP-level client contacts with confidence and care
  • Strong strategic instincts: identifies risks and opportunities early, reframes problems, and resets direction when conditions change
  • Comfortable giving direct, candid feedback and coaching to people who do not report to them
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication; translates complexity into clarity without oversimplifying
  • Experience operating in high-pressure, politically complex client environments
  • A bias toward action: the judgment to know the difference between a moment to push forward, a moment to stop and rethink, and a moment to escalate immediately
  • Healthcare, health tech, medtech, or other regulated industry experience preferred
  • Familiarity with performance media measurement, attribution frameworks, or data-driven strategy preferred
  • Experience partnering closely with account management or client success to elevate the strategic quality of AM-led relationships preferred
Logistics
  • This is a senior, client-facing role with no direct reports; authority comes from credibility and influence rather than the org chart
  • Initial focus is on Wheelhouse's largest and most strategically complex account, expanding to additional accounts over time
  • Full strategic ownership of assigned accounts is expected within 60 to 90 days
Full compensation packages are based on the skills and experience of the candidate. Candidates hired in this role should expect an offer in this range. The monetary value of additional benefits, such as insurance, time-off and fringe benefits are not included in this range. This only outlines the value of the salary portion of the offer. Details regarding the benefits package are found in the job description.
Compensation Range
$180,000—$217,000 USD
Beyond Experience: About You
You know digital marketing from every angle. You've earned a reputation as a T-shaped marketer, someone with deep expertise in your core discipline and the range to connect it to every other piece of the puzzle. You're always looking for the link between a tactic and the business goal it's meant to serve, and that focus on performance shows up in the results you deliver.
You'd rather enable your teammates than direct them. You thrive in collaborative work, the kind that fills up a whiteboard during a good brainstorm, and you listen closely for ways to help clients succeed, whether that's a new tactic worth testing, a piece of work worth proposing, or a better way to collaborate. You bring real emotional intelligence to the table, especially when it comes to delivering feedback with care.
You're helpful, generous, and empathetic, and you find real joy in helping others succeed. Wheelhouse's values aren't aspirational for you; they're already how you work. There's no room for cynicism here, and you wouldn't want there to be.
What Wheelhouse offers:
  • A passionate, joyful, values-driven company with a remote-first culture.
  • An exciting, creative, and fast-paced atmosphere
  • Competitive salary with semi-annual review processes
  • Company-sponsored Medical, Dental and Vision coverage for the employee and their dependents
  • Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability, Life Insurance and AD&D Benefits
  • Access to the Company's Employee Assistance Program
  • Quarterly volunteering and donation match
  • $50 monthly Wellness stipend
  • $1000 annual Professional Development & Education credit
  • Joy Fund of $50 per month that can be spent on anything that brings joy to a Wheelhouse employee or client
  • Unlimited PTO
  • Generous Company Holidays
  • Monthly Mental Health Days for employees to rest and recharge
  • 3 months of 100% paid parental leave with a two-week re-entry period
  • Participation in the Wheelhouse 401k program, including 100% match up to 4% of salary
  • Participation in a Student Loan Assistance program
At Wheelhouse DMG, we believe that our differences add to the richness of our experience together. This means we not only welcome diversity; we celebrate it! Your gender identity, your religion, your skin color, and where you come from are essential to who you are and will be welcomed here. We believe that by fostering a culture of inclusion where everyone is able to bring their whole selves to work, we will create a place where everyone feels like they belong and are valued for who they are. We have an ongoing commitment to diversity and equal opportunity for all applicants and employees. Come as you are, everyone is welcomed here -- but don't forget to apply!