Associate Director, Creative Strategy (Paid)

Job description

ABOUT DARKROOM Darkroom is the leading next-generation growth marketing firm engineering the brands of tomorrow. Founded in 2017, we set out to redefine what a modern agency could be, by replacing the inertia of legacy advertising behemoths with a model built for speed, intelligence, and measurable impact. At our core, Darkroom is a human services company powered by Shadow, a universal AI commerce layer that integrates executive-level strategy with proprietary agentic technology. This fusion enables our teams to deliver outsized returns by enhancing creative output, operational efficiency, and revenue generation across every stage of the customer journey. Our track record speaks for itself: billions in attributable revenue driven across e-commerce marketplaces, media networks, DTC ecosystems, and social commerce platforms. Every engagement feeds into our proprietary data infrastructure, enabling a continuous feedback loop that accelerates growth, improves margins, and compounds results across our client portfolio. What began as a boutique design studio has evolved into one of the fastest-growing private companies in America (Inc. 5000) and among the most effective performance media agencies of the 2020s (Varos). Our founders were recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 for advancing the intersection of technology, marketing, and advertising, cementing Darkroom’s role as a defining player in the future of media innovation. ABOUT THE ROLE This is a fully remote role supporting a team in the EST time zone (9 AM–5 PM EST), with all business conducted 100% in English. We’re looking for a visionary creative leader with deep experience in developing ad concepts for digital paid media advertising formats on Meta, TikTok, and other channels. You’re able to dive deep into the pixels and give tactical feedback on design and video, but understand how to thread the needle between performance frameworks, creative testing, and world-building assets. You’re likely a Creative Strategist by trade with a background in Design, Video Editing, or Performance Marketing. You are hyper-focused on paid media performance and developing advertisements that sell products and services. You'll work on our Performance Creative service—our Al-powered creative strategy engagement for paid media clients that want to work with us on the following: - Expertise: Engage us for our expertise in creative strategy, which includes assessing the efficacy of their ad hooks, ad bodies, and general creative direction. You will have a clear perspective on how to improve this over time. - Sales: Deliver game changing creative ads that sell their products and services better than anyone else. - Diversity: Increase the creative diversity of their ad program through the use of multiple ad formats: statics, motion, video, UGC, AI. - Volume: Increase the volume of their performance creative program by delivering upwards of 50-100 new ads per month with the intention of scaling that as needed. This role is for individuals who want to be at the forefront of digital advertising, AI in marketing, and join a team that is building the best creative advertising culture in the business. You will work directly on our Creative Team, which works with our clients to enhance their Creative Output. You will also work with both our Social Commerce team to enhance UGC creative and our Paid Media team to plug into their ad scaling strategies. Generally, your work will be the lifeblood of our ad programs. This role is ideal for someone who thrives at the intersection of creativity, AI, and performance - combining bold visual storytelling with data-informed design decisions. You'll report to the Director of Creative and lead the management of Designers and Editors to execute paid media assets across a variety of formats, including static ads, short-form videos, motion graphics, and UGC content. Your work will directly impact client performance by delivering a high-volume of ad concepts, elevated creative direction, and data-backed testing frameworks. WHAT YOU’LL DO: - Creative Strategy: Lead high-tempo creative strategy and direction for full-funnel ad programs, typically Meta and TikTok, but also YouTube, Amazon, and Display Platforms. - Short Form Video Expert: Deliver expert advice, concepts, directions, and briefs to sell products and services through short-form video. - Data Analysis: Translate client’s marketing strategy and performance data into clear, compelling ad concepts (This includes using metrics like thumb-stop rate, hold rate, and clickthrough rate. You’re super comfortable adapting creatives to impact these metrics.) - Cross-Team Collaboration: Brief Designers and Editors on the creation of assets including static ads, animations, mobile-first videos, and storyboards for short-form content. You’re capable of jumping into shape up a design in Figma or whip up an ad yourself without concern, if need be. This isn’t the role for strategy-only folks. - Executive Presentation: Present creative work to stakeholders and clients with clarity, confidence, and strategic rationale. - Performance Iteration: Monitor performance data in collaboration with the marketing team to inform creative iterations and improve results over time. You should apply if this sounds like you: - 4+ years of creative strategy work on performance ad programs, with specific focus working on short form video and statics. If you have not made any short-form video or driven creative strategy on Meta, this role is not for you. - A digital portfolio showcasing performance ad work that includes short-form video, motion, and statics. Examples of what you did to impact metrics like hold rate or CTR. Evidence of strong creative diversity that includes both highly designed and low-fidelity creative. - You can storyboard, cut, and ship ads. You can jump into Figma to fix hierarchy and pacing, and into Photoshop or Illustrator to polish assets. Strategy-only folks will not be a fit. - You speak in hooks, angles, and metrics. You know thumb-stop rate, 3-second hold, hook retention, CTR, and CPA, and you use them to decide what to test next. - You already use tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, Perplexity, Icon, Runway, or similar to increase speed and volume. You have shipped ads with AI-assisted elements, not just experiments. - You’re an excellent communicator, both in writing and when presenting to clients. You give crisp, actionable feedback to designers and editors and know how to navigate pushback from clients - You can turn vague goals into testable concepts, track results, and call the next iteration without hand-holding. HARD DISQUALIFIERS - No Meta performance creative ad experience. - No portfolio link or no performance context. - Strategy-only with no hands-on design ability. - Not excellent in client presentation and salesmanship. WORKING AT DARKROOM Darkroom is not a typical agency. We are looking for A players who want to build something great. We move fast, think deeply, and expect every team member to bring insight and rigor to everything they touch. We hold a high bar for performance, creativity, and ownership — but we also support each other relentlessly. No egos, no red tape — just world-class talent building something remarkable. We believe in autonomy with accountability, truth over comfort, and outcomes over optics. - Unlimited PTO + Local holidays (Relevant to your hub): Rebooting is part of the work. Take the time you need to stay sharp. - Remote-First Culture: Many roles are fully remote. Employees based in or near our New York or Lisbon HQs are expected to work hybrid with weekly in-office time. Hub locations include the Brazil and Spain. - Parental Leave: Flexible parental leave to support new parents during this important transition. - Growth: Our interdisciplinary model gives every Darkroomer exposure far beyond their core role. Grow your skills, expand your influence, and stay at the forefront of the industry. Equal Opportunity Statement Darkroom is an equal opportunity workplace—we are dedicated to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national orientation, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.