Business Strategist Intern

AKQA Amsterdam is a Frontier Agency that solves business problems with the imaginative application of art and science. Our capabilities in story, design, experience and product enables us to craft modern brands, build future experiences and accelerate new business ideas.

Business Strategists at AKQA inspire multi-disciplinary teams through business and entrepreneurial thinking and support with market intelligence, compelling business cases and innovative models for product/service design to drive sustainable innovation and unlock new customer-centric strategies.

The Business Strategy Intern helps to blur the lines between strategy and creative to bring market-leading offerings and new ventures to market. As a Business Strategy Intern, you will be working across multiple industries and disciplines. You will conduct rigorous research, help shape strategic thinking, and support the development of innovative solutions alongside colleagues from diverse fields of expertise.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Growth identification: Rigorously research and analyse market data, emerging trends and industry benchmarks to feed into the wider team for growth and innovation opportunities identification
• Team Support: Work in close coordination with the other project streams (brand & experience strategy, data analytics, service and product design, technology, etc) to help teams explore client challenges and spot opportunities areas
• Presentation preparation: Synthesise complex research findings and translate them into clear, compelling, presentation-ready materials that communicate strategic opportunities and recommendations to internal teams and clients
• Project/Client success: Support teams in defining meaningful KPIs and developing structured progress reports to track, measure, and demonstrate project impact and client success.
• Industry point of view development: Proactively monitor industry developments, emerging narratives, and category shifts to help curate and share relevant thought starters with senior leads to fuel conversations and deepen engagement with clients

ROLE REQUIREMENTS

• Academic background in business-focused topics (economics, finance, industrial engineering, etc.)
• Digital curiosity: A genuine interest in digital innovation, online marketing communications, and the evolving technology landscape, with an eagerness to explore and adopt emerging AI tools and applications in a professional context
• Proactive learner: A self-starter attitude with the drive to continuously develop your skillset, seek out new knowledge, and identify opportunity areas under the guidance of senior team members
• Industry versatility: An enthusiasm for immersing yourself in diverse industries, from luxury and consumer goods to technology and beyond, with the ability to quickly grasp the nuances, challenges, and business models unique to each client.
• Communication skills: Clear, confident communicator with the ability to structure and present ideas effectively to internal stakeholders and cross- functional teams.
• Analytical thinking: Strong analytical thinking with the ability to approach challenges from both a qualitative and quantitative perspective (e.g. market sizing, opportunity quantification, and audience headroom analysis)
• Agile & collaborative: Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, iterative environment, adapting quickly to shifting priorities while working fluidly across multiple project streams and disciplines.
• Basic skills in Microsoft Excel/Google Sheets are required

What you’ll gain:

• Contribute directly to real client projects from day one, embedded within multidisciplinary teams.
• Receive dedicated mentorship from senior strategists to sharpen your craft in business design, critical thinking, and communication.
• Gain exposure to a diverse range of industries, experiencing a unique way of working where strategy, creativity, and technology intersect
• Join a collaborative studio culture where your perspective is valued and your ideas are expected to challenge and inspire the team

Explore our extensive range of benefits here