Associate Creative Director (Paid Social)

We Are Social; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

We Are Social in Los Angeles is seeking an Associate Creative Director - Art Director who thrives in a fast-paced, social-first environment. You will guide art directors and writers, supervise junior team members, and drive ideas from concept to execution across the full social ecosystem.

This role requires 7+ years in creative leadership, a proven paid social track record, and strong communication with editors, designers, and copywriters.

Qualifications

• Seven+ years experience in a creative leadership role within an agency or internal brand team.
• Proven track record of creating successful paid social content.
• Deep understanding of native social formats and platforms (short-form video, motion graphics, trending sounds).
• Strong communication skills across editors, designers, and copywriters.
• Ability to oversee both visual and narrative components of large-scale campaigns.
• Experience crafting creative strategies grounded in market data and client KPIs.
• Hybrid creative skills that include art direction and writing, with hands-on leadership.
• On-set production and post-production experience.
• Willingness to lead by example and guide teams through creative projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day creative output, partnering with copywriters and art directors to develop ideas across the social ecosystem.
• Delegate tasks effectively, provide constructive feedback, and foster growth and creative bravery.
• Own, evolve, and protect the social voice, ensuring consistency and cultural relevance across posts.
• Write and ideate actively, not just manage meetings and people.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships, defending creative directions.
• Transition concepts into final craft, maintaining creative integrity across high-priority workstreams.
• Mentor junior team members and cultivate a positive team culture.
• Maintain positive vibes with team and clients.

Skills

Paid social experience

Creative leadership

Art direction

Team mentorship

Job description

THE ROLE

We Are Social is looking for a culture-hungry, social-first Associate Creative Director - Art Director to join our team. The ideal person for this role is an internet-obsessed leader with paid social experience who's just as comfortable guiding art directors and writers as they are collaborating with account managers and project managers. You stay on top of trends, platform updates, emerging behaviors, and can rattle off social formats (and safe zones!) with ease. Most importantly, you care about making work that works.

WE ARE

A creative agency powered by social connections. That means we thrive on what's trending and creating campaigns that get people buzzing. We call it "Ideas Worth Talking About," and we're proud to have played a part in some of the most culturally relevant campaigns of the decade for brands like McDonald’s, Adidas, Universal Studios, and YouTube.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT HERE

• Our passport program lets you explore and work from one of our 16 other offices worldwide, including Paris, Singapore, Madrid, Dubai, London and more
• We know how to celebrate our wins. And our losses (it's how we learn)
• From carbon offsets to community service days, we're passionate about making a difference
• Our Slack gif game is strong

YOU ARE

• A person who thrives in a fast-paced environment, responding quickly and proactively
• Experienced producing high volume paid social content
• A self-starter who’ll take ideas from concept to execution, navigating feedback and team morale every step of the way
• A person who communicates clearly across editors, designers, and copywriters to keep projects moving and deliver great work on time

What matters is your deep understanding of what resonates with social audiences. This role is energetic, innovative and forward-thinking. Alongside engaging with communities, you'll guide brands by staying ahead of social trends and best practices and cultural moments. In return, you'll join a global agency dedicated to generating buzzworthy ideas for some of the world’s leading brands.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Lead the day to day creative output, partnering with copywriters and art directors to develop ideas across the full social ecosystem, from top of funnel campaigns to performance creative and creator briefs
• Delegate tasks effectively, providing constructive feedback and fostering an environment of growth and creative bravery
• Own, evolve, and protect social voice, ensuring consistency, wit, and cultural relevance across every post, script, and caption.
• Get your hands dirty. You'll be writing and ideating just as much as you'll be leading. If you're looking for a role that's all meetings and management, this probably isn't it and we think that's a good thing.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships, confidently defending creative directions and translating high-level business needs into actionable tasks for the creative team
• Seamlessly manage the transition from abstract concept to final craft, ensuring the integrity of the creative vision is maintained across multiple high priority workstreams
• Manage and mentor junior team members by leading, inspiring and developing a team of innovative creative thinkers
• Maintain positive vibes with your team and clients

• 7+ years experience working in a creative leadership role within an agency or internal brand team
• You have a proven track record of creating successful paid social media content
• You understand how to be authentically native on social platforms via short-form video, motion graphics, trending sounds, etc.
• You are a strong communicator who treats co-workers and clients with empathy and respect
• Ability to oversee both visual and narrative components of large-scale campaigns
• Experience crafting creative strategies that are grounded in market data and client KPIs
• Hybrid creative skills (e.g. A sharp wit and a good eye. You can art direct and write. You’re comfortable making and directing.)
• On-set production and post-production experience
• Willingness to get your hands dirty and lead by example with experience guiding teams and leading creative projects

JOIN US

At We Are Social, we celebrate diverse perspectives and experiences. We welcome unique voices and talents, especially those not traditionally embraced by advertising. Discover more about our culture and our work.

Let’s make great things together.

We Are Social is an equal opportunity employer, committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected classification, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. For California applicants, you may view We Are Social's Privacy Notice for California Employees and Job Applicants at https://wearesocial.com/us/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/07/CA-Employee-and-Job-Applicant-CPRA-Notice.pdf