Creative Director

Senior Creative Director role on a single or multiple account, helping a key client bring a brand new product to market, with Darkroom owning all media channels. The role is the creative lead on the engagement, accountable for the brand's whole creative story from positioning and messaging to the hook on a 15-second ad. The role sits above the Director of Creative Strategy and owns the overall creative vision for the account. The role is based in the San José Area and works from the client's office four to five days a week, as part of a 150-person independent agency.

Responsibilities

Own creative positioning for the brand and its new product launch; Lead copy and messaging end to end, including messaging frameworks, taglines, campaign lines, ad copy, email, and SMS; Lead cross-channel creative strategy across paid assets, organic social, creator marketing, and retention; Own the creative direction of the creator and influencer program and turn creator content into whitelisted ads and repeatable formats; Concept and lead the launch campaign and large integrated campaigns; Own the testing roadmap and balance brand-building with performance; Work directly with Designers, Editors, and Creators on statics, motion, short-form video, UGC, and storyboards, giving tactical feedback and jumping into Figma or edits when needed; Read performance data across paid, social, and retention to inform the next concept; Present creative strategy and campaigns to client leadership and own the creative relationship on the account; Partner daily with Paid Media, Analytics, and client program leads; Lead the creative team on the account and build processes and AI-enabled workflows

Requirements

6+ years in creative strategy, brand marketing, or creative leadership, including 3+ years at Director level or above; Brand marketing experience shaping positioning, messaging, and brand voice for consumer brands; Creative experience across paid, organic social, creator marketing, and retention, including Meta and TikTok ads, organic social, creator and influencer programs, and email/SMS; Experience directing large-scale, integrated campaigns, including OOH; Strong writer who leads copy and messaging; Portfolio of brand-scale and go-to-market case studies with results context; Experience owning production end to end, on time and on budget; Fluency in hooks, angles, and metrics such as thumb-stop rate, 3-second hold, hook retention, CTR, and CPA; Comfortable working directly with designers and editors, storyboarding, and using Figma or Adobe Creative Suite; Uses AI tools such as Claude, Midjourney, Perplexity, or Runway and has shipped AI-assisted work; Team management experience; Enterprise stakeholder management experience; Excellent written and presentation communication; Ownership from brief to delivery; High EQ and low ego

Benefits

Unlimited PTO and US holidays; Company-sponsored medical, dental, and vision coverage; 401(k) program with company match and profit-sharing opportunities; Flexible parental leave; Growth through interdisciplinary exposure beyond the core role