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Director, Brand Strategy New United States of America - Irvine, California

iHerb Inc. · Irvine, CA, USA ·

Job type:
Full Time

United States of America - Irvine, California

Job Summary

We are seeking a Director, Brand Strategy to define, evolve, and scale iHerb’s global brand strategy at the enterprise level. This role is fundamentally strategic, focused on long-term brand positioning, architecture, and market differentiation. It translates business objectives, customer insights, and market dynamics into a cohesive global brand strategy, ensuring alignment across regions, functions, and channels. The leader serves as the organization’s central authority on brand strategy, distinct from creative production and campaign execution functions, and possesses excellent leadership skills to inspire and motivate a team.

Job Responsibilities

Brand Strategy & Positioning

  • Define and continuously refine iHerb’s global brand positioning, narrative, and value proposition
  • Translate business and market insights into clear brand strategies across regions and customer segments
  • Partner with leadership to align brand direction with company growth priorities
  • Develop long‑term (3–5 year) brand strategy and equity‑building initiatives
  • Define brand architecture across product categories, customer segments, and global markets
  • Establish KPIs and measurement frameworks for brand health (awareness, perception, equity)

Brand Identity & Systems

  • Establish and govern iHerb’s global brand identity framework, including visual identity, tone of voice, and brand guidelines
  • Build scalable brand systems that ensure consistency across all touchpoints (digital, packaging, campaigns, social, etc.)
  • Define enterprise‑wide brand standards and governance models to guide execution across internal teams and external partners
  • Establish guardrails and frameworks that empower teams while protecting brand integrity
  • Lead the internal creative studio responsible for producing marketing and brand assets
  • Provide strategic oversight to the internal creative studio; day‑to‑day creative production is executed by creative operations and studio leadership
  • Set the creative vision and direction for campaigns, product storytelling, and content
  • Establish strategic brand frameworks and guardrails that inform campaign development and creative direction
  • Ensure output is not only high‑quality but strategically aligned with brand objectives
  • Elevate the overall creative standard across the organization
  • Evaluate creative effectiveness against brand strategy and business outcomes, rather than directly managing asset production

Global Brand Governance

  • Drive consistency across international markets while allowing for localized relevance
  • Define decision rights and governance processes for brand approvals across regions
  • Implement processes and review mechanisms to maintain brand quality at scale
  • Partner with regional teams to adapt brand strategy effectively without diluting core identity
  • Serve as final escalation point for brand strategy decisions impacting multiple markets or functions

Cross‑Functional Leadership

  • Collaborate closely with Growth, Product, Merchandising, and International teams
  • Influence executive leadership on brand implications of business decisions (product launches, market entry, partnerships)
  • Influence senior stakeholders and serve as the central authority on brand decisions
  • Manage and mentor a team of designers, creatives, and external partners/agencies
  • Lead and develop brand strategy capabilities within the organization; direct management of creative production teams may be indirect or through layered leadership

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

  • Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, marketing, or a related field
  • +12 years of experience in branding, brand strategy, or creative design
  • Strong leadership and team management skills
  • Experience developing and operationalizing brand strategy at a global or enterprise level
  • Strong analytical skills, including ability to interpret brand performance data and market research
  • Experience influencing executive stakeholders and driving cross‑functional alignment
  • Excellent communication, collaboration, and presentation skills
  • Ability to work in a fast‑paced environment
  • Proven track record of developing successful marketing campaigns
  • Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite and other design software
  • Strong understanding of industry trends and best practices
  • Cross‑device and cross‑platform design skills in the native environment (iOS and Android), mobile web and desktop
  • Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills and ability to champion design decisions
  • Experience working in a fast‑paced environment and with rapid prototyping
  • Experience leading a team

Equipment Knowledge

  • Proficiency in design and prototyping tools such as Adobe CS and Sketch
  • Superior knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite
  • Experience with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
  • Experience with Google Business Suite (Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Forms) preferred

Education Requirements

BA or BS in interactive design, graphic design, or equivalent experience.

Benefits

The anticipated pay scale for this position can be found below; however the pay range applicable to you may vary by geographic location. iHerb, LLC is a multi‑state employer and this pay scale may not reflect positions that work in other states or locations. Employees (and their families) that meet eligibility criteria as outlined in applicable plan documents are eligible to participate in our medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance programs and may enroll in our company’s 401(k) plan. Employees will also be eligible for Time Off and Paid Sick Leave pursuant to the company’s policies. Employees will enjoy paid holidays throughout the calendar year. Eligibility requirements for these benefits will be controlled by applicable plan documents. Hired applicant may be awarded Restricted Stock Units and receive annual bonuses pursuant to eligibility and performance criteria defined in the respective plan documents and policies. For more information on iHerb benefits, visit iHerbBenefits.com.

Equal Opportunity Statement

iHerb is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status. iHerb provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment.

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