Associate Creative Director - Copywriter

Walker Sands; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 84,000 - 93,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work environment

Health coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Paid holidays and PTO

Professional growth opportunities

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Mentorship and coaching

Job summary

Walker Sands is seeking an Associate Creative Director - Copywriter in Chicago for a senior leadership role in shaping voice, messaging, and platforms across integrated B2B campaigns. You will lead a copy team, collaborate with strategists and creatives, and ensure work is strategic, scalable, and creatively strong to drive real business impact.

You will mentor copywriters, contribute to new business, and work within a hybrid environment that values curiosity, excellence, and accountability

Qualifications

• 8+ years of agency copywriting experience in B2B or complex industries
• Strong portfolio showing conceptual thinking, full-funnel copywriting, award-worthy work
• Proven ability to lead copywriting across campaigns and collaborate with strategists and creatives

Responsibilities

• Lead copywriting on high-profile accounts and translate complex B2B messaging
• Define strategic messaging territories with the strategy team
• Build scalable messaging platforms across channels and buyer journeys
• Ensure voice and tone are consistent and adaptable across audiences
• Mentor and develop junior copywriters and review creative work
• Support new business efforts with compelling concepts and messaging frameworks
• Collaborate with art directors, designers, PR, media, and content teams to unify campaigns

Skills

Agency copywriting

B2B marketing

Conceptual thinking

AI platforms

Tools

AI platforms

Job description

Walker Sands is one of the fastest-growing integrated B2B marketing agencies in the world. We are looking for a high-impact Associate Creative Director - Copywriter to help fuel that continued growth. Total compensation for this role is expected to be between $84,000 - $93,000 per year.

As an agency, we exist to accelerate growth—for our clients, our people and the B2B industry. We partner with B2B technology and services companies, from high-growth Silicon Valley businesses to global Fortune 500 brands, to drive meaningful business results. At Walker Sands, curiosity sparks new ideas, collaboration makes the work stronger, and people are at the center of everything we do.

Walker Sands is looking for a talented Associate Creative Director - Copywriter to join our team. The Associate Creative Director – Copywriter is a senior creative leader who drives the conceptual direction, voice, and messaging of integrated B2B campaigns. They turn brand and audience insights into clear, differentiated platforms , guide the copy team, and ensure work is strategic, scalable, and creatively strong. They also support client relationships , new business , and cross‑disciplinary collaboration to deliver creative that drives real business impact.

What You Will Do:

Creative and Concept Leadership:

• Partner with art directors and strategists in the conceptual development of integrated campaign platforms rooted in strategic insight
• Serve as the creative leader for copywriter, art director, and designer teams on assigned clients and projects, elevating, guiding and reviewing work from cross-discipline creatives
• Inspire internal and client teams to push creativity boundaries, ensuring ideas are bold, differentiated, and deliver real business value
• Provide high-level creative and copy approvals, thoughtful feedback, and QC on assigned accounts

Copy, Content, and Messaging Development:

• Serve as the lead copywriter on high-profile accounts, translating complex B2B messaging into creatively compelling copy across all tactics in full-funnel campaign plans
• Work closely with the strategy team to define strategic messaging territories, brand narratives, and verbal frameworks
• Build scalable messaging platforms that translate across all channels throughout complex buyer journeys, from awareness and consideration tactics to evaluation and sales enablement deliverables
• Ensure voice and tone are consistent, ownable, and adaptable across multiple audiences and personas

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Collaborate closely with art directors and designers throughout all stages of the creative process
• Partner with strategists to ensure all creative work is aligned with brand positioning, audience insights and strategic messaging
• Work alongside PR, media, social and content teams to unify integrated activations into consistent campaign frameworks
• Present campaign concepts and messaging frameworks to senior internal and client stakeholders with persuasion, clarity and conviction

Team Leadership and Growth:

• Mentor, inspire and develop copywriters across all experience levels, including serving as a direct coach to assigned copywriters.
• Provide clear and thoughtful feedback in creative reviews that strengthens conceptual thinking and copywriting craft.
• Contribute to hiring, performance management and creative team planning.
• Help foster a department-wide culture of curiosity, creative excellence and accountability.
• Continuously strengthen your own craft across conceptual thinking, copywriting and emerging creative technologies.
• Stay current on advertising trends, B2B marketing innovation and AI-enabled creative workflows.

New Business and Agency Growth:

• Support department leaders in new business efforts, contributing strategic and conceptually compelling work to pitches and growth opportunities
• Help define and elevate Walker Sands’ creative reputation within the B2B advertising community
• Contribute to internal and external thought leadership that showcases our perspective on brand building, design systems and creative effectiveness

Non-Negotiables

• You crave candid feedback. You embrace it as a powerful tool for growth.
• You pursue excellence. You’re always learning, always sharing, always pushing to get better.
• You set and uphold the quality bar. You clearly define what “excellent” looks like and ensure your team consistently meets it.
• You’re proactive. You don’t wait for direction; you bring ideas, solutions, and momentum.
• You embody agency readiness. You stay steady in pace, navigate shifting priorities, and help your team do the same.

What You Bring:

• Experience: 8+ years of agency copywriting experience, within B2B or complex industries, with a strong portfolio demonstrating a high level of conceptual thinking, full-funnel copy writing expertise and award winning work
• Craft: Exceptional conceptual and copywriting craft across campaign, brand, and content formats
• Integrated Campaigns: Deep experience leading integrated campaigns and brand messaging systems
• Tools: High level of proficiency with AI platforms

What We Offer:

• Starting Salary:$84,000 - $93,000

  • Base salary is only a part of the total rewards package. Placement on the salary scale will be determined by a variety of factors to ensure internal equity.
  • Starting salaries are not inclusive of a full range of compensation for this role and are instead meant to reflect the expected beginning salary for a new hire. Merit-based increases can be earned after time in role.

• Bonus Potential: This role will be eligible for a bonus based on company performance.

• Growth Opportunities: Clear career paths, mentorship programs, and learning events to help you grow professionally.

• Flexible PTO and Hybrid Work: Take time as needed for vacations, mental health, or personal days. Includes 8 paid holidays, half-day summer Fridays, and a week off between Christmas and New Year.

• Health Coverage: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans. Mental health resources, pet insurance, and more.

• Retirement Savings : Employer-matched 401(k) and access to financial planning services.

• Additional Protection: Life insurance, disability coverage, and other benefits that provide added financial security.

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Free, confidential support for you and your household, including counseling, mental health resources, and help navigating life’s everyday challenges.

• Family Support: Paid leave for new parents and caregivers, plus policies for fertility treatment, pregnancy loss, adoption challenges, and more.

• Performance & Coaching: Regular performance reviews, clear goal-setting, and ongoing coaching to help you understand expectations, grow your skills, and make progress in your career.

• Milestone Sabbatical: Celebrate five years with a two-week sabbatical and a $2,000 gift.

• Community & Belonging: Employee resource groups, volunteer opportunities, and programs designed to build connection across the agency.

• Culture: Our agency offers an award-winning culture. Read more on our website here!

We strongly encourage people of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and non-binary people, veterans, parents, and individuals with disabilities to apply. As an equal opportunity employer Walker Sands is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and welcomes everyone to our team.

In your application, please feel free to note which pronouns you use (For example – she/her/hers, he/him/his, they/them/theirs, etc).

If you need reasonable accommodation at any point in the application or interview process, please let us know.