Ad Creative Strategist

Zabota LLC; United States; Remote; USD 45,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

Zabota is hiring a Creative Strategist to bridge performance data and creative execution for DTC and ecommerce brands. You will research audiences, develop customer personas, craft high-conversion ad concepts, and direct production of video and static creatives.

You will work in a small collaborative pod with media buyers, a director, a copywriter, designer, and video editor, supporting 5–8 client accounts. A proactive mindset and strong copy skills are essential.

Qualifications

• 2+ years in Creative Strategy or similar, in a DTC brand or agency.
• Portfolio showing direct response concepts, especially short-form video and static ads.
• Deep understanding of paid social creative principles (hooks, angles, urgency, storytelling).
• Experience developing customer personas from audience research into briefs.
• Comfort with AI-powered creative tools and quick learning of new tech.
• Excellent copywriting with direct response focus.
• Highly organized to manage multiple client accounts and workflows.
• Proactive, able to identify creative opportunities independently.

Responsibilities

• Develop creative strategies from performance data, research, and audience insights for multiple DTC/e-commerce brands.
• Build detailed customer personas from sources like Meta Ad Library and reviews; translate into briefs.
• Write and refine hooks, messaging angles, and copy for Meta, Google, and Pinterest campaigns.
• Brief and direct production of short-form video content and static creatives.
• Collaborate with Media Buyers to align creative execution with campaign performance.
• Manage creative workflows and asset pipelines from concept to launch.
• Stay current with platform trends, AI tools, and evolving ad formats.
• Document and improve processes to scale across client accounts.

Skills

Creative Strategy

Performance Creative

Copywriting

Audience research

Personas

Project management

Self-starter

Tools

GTV

Claude

Motion

Foreplay

Job description

About Zabota

Zabota is a top-ranked global recruitment firm, recognized as a Top HR Staffing Company by Clutch in 2025. We specialize in helping high-growth U.S. brands build elite, remote-first teams. Our mission is clear: Connect world-class talent from LATAM, Europe, and beyond with the most ambitious companies in the world.

About Our Client

Our client is a fast-growing performance marketing agency specializing in helping DTC and e-commerce brands scale through data-driven paid media strategies. Working across platforms such as Meta, Google, Pinterest, and Microsoft Ads, they combine media buying expertise with high-performing creative to drive measurable business growth. The team embraces innovation, AI-powered workflows, and a collaborative, no-ego culture where talented professionals have real ownership over their work.

About the Role

We are looking for a Creative Strategist who is passionate about creating high-converting direct response advertising. In this role, you will bridge the gap between performance marketing data and creative execution by researching audiences, developing customer personas, creating compelling ad concepts, writing high-performing hooks, and directing the production of static and video ad creatives. You will work within a collaborative pod consisting of 1–2 Media Buyers, the Director of Paid Media, a Copywriter, a Designer, and a Video Editor, supporting approximately 5–8 client accounts. This role goes beyond aesthetics—you'll analyze competitor ads, uncover customer insights through reviews and research, and transform those findings into creative strategies that drive measurable performance.

Responsibilities

• Develop creative strategies based on performance data, competitor research, and audience insights for a portfolio of DTC and e-commerce brands.
• Build detailed customer personas using resources such as Meta Ad Library, customer reviews, and platform analytics, then translate insights into actionable creative briefs.
• Write and refine direct response hooks, messaging angles, and copy frameworks for Meta, Google, and Pinterest campaigns.
• Brief and direct the production of short-form video content (UGC, AI-generated, and hybrid formats) as well as static ad creatives.
• Collaborate closely with Media Buyers to align creative execution with campaign performance and optimization opportunities.
• Manage creative workflows and asset pipelines using project management tools from concept through launch.
• Stay current with emerging platform trends, AI-powered creative tools (such as GTV and Claude), and evolving advertising formats.
• Document and improve creative processes to support efficient scaling across new client accounts.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in Creative Strategy, Performance Creative, or a similar role within a DTC brand or marketing agency.
• Strong portfolio showcasing direct response creative concepts, particularly short-form video and static ads for Meta/Instagram.
• Deep understanding of paid social creative principles, including hooks, messaging angles, social proof, urgency, and storytelling.
• Experience developing customer personas and transforming audience research into effective creative briefs.
• Comfortable using AI-powered creative tools or eager to quickly learn new technologies.
• Excellent copywriting skills with a strong focus on direct response advertising.
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple client accounts and creative workflows simultaneously.
• Self-starter with a proactive mindset and the ability to identify creative opportunities independently.

Bonus Points

• Experience working with e-commerce brands in beauty, fashion, wellness, or lifestyle.
• Familiarity with platforms such as Motion, Foreplay, or similar ad intelligence tools.
• Experience producing or directing UGC content.
• Background in both traditional brand marketing and direct response advertising.

Offer Details

• Working Hours: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM EST
• Contract Type: B2B Independent Contractor Agreement
• Salary: $4,000–$5,500 USD per month

Hiring Steps

• Initial Zabota Screening
• Client Interview
• Practical Task or Second Stage Interview
• Offer