Associate Creative Director, Social

The Social Shepherd; New York (NY); On-site; USD 110,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental

Vision

401k

Paid time off

Job summary

The Social Shepherd is seeking a Social-first Associate Creative Director to drive creative strategy and hands-on production for our US team. You will lead a team of Social Creatives, Content Creators and Videographers, reporting to the Managing Partner, while elevating talent and creative excellence.

As the most senior creative in the US, you will nurture growth, steer lo‑fi to hi‑production content, and collaborate across Strategy, Paid, and Client Services to deliver standout social campaigns.

Qualifications

• 6+ years in Social & Creative fields.
• Portfolio showing lo-fi to high‑production social content.
• Experience in an agency setting.

Responsibilities

• Own and lead creative strategy across multiple client accounts, focusing on always-on content and campaign moments.
• Guide and mentor a team of Social Creatives, elevating their creative thinking and technical output.
• Translate social insights and trends into creative concepts that spark conversation and drive engagement.
• Lead the ideation and presentation of creative strategies for client pitches and campaign kickoffs.
• Collaborate with clients to understand their brand vision and translate it into standout social-first creative.
• Provide hands‑on support with copywriting, art direction, and moodboarding.
• Attend and lead content shoots when required, ensuring quality and creativity align with client expectations and platform best practices.
• Partner with internal leads across Strategy, Paid, and Client Services to ensure integrated and cohesive delivery.
• Support the growth of the creative department by identifying talent gaps, improving workflows, and contributing to hiring decisions.
• Lead on new business pitches from a Social Creative Strategy POV.

Skills

Social & Creative

Team leadership

Agency experience

Fast thinker

Job description

We're looking for a Social-first Associate Creative Director. Someone who can ideate lo-fi content at speed, craft creative strategies and have the taste level to produce mid/hi-production social content for all core social channels.

This role will be the most senior creative role within our US team, so not only are you a strong social creative, but you know how to nurture other people's talent and drive growth and creative excellence within the team.

You'll lead a team of Social Creatives, Content Creators and Videographers, and report into our Managing Partner.

We're a Social-first agency helping global brands, household names, and high-growth scale-ups accelerate their business growth.

Our service offering includes Organic Social, Paid Media, Creative, Influencer & Commerce.

We're a team of 70+ across NYC, Miami, and the UK, with big ambitions to continue delivering industry-leading social-first work.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own and lead creative strategy across multiple client accounts, focusing on always-on content and campaign moments.
• Guide and mentor a team of Social Creatives, elevating their creative thinking and technical output.
• Translate social insights and trends into creative concepts that spark conversation and drive engagement.
• Lead the ideation and presentation of creative strategies for client pitches and campaign kickoffs.
• Collaborate with clients to understand their brand vision and translate it into standout social-first creative.
• Provide hands‑on support with copywriting, art direction, and moodboarding.
• Attend and lead content shoots when required, ensuring quality and creativity align with client expectations and platform best practices.
• Partner with internal leads across Strategy, Paid, and Client Services to ensure integrated and cohesive delivery.
• Support the growth of the creative department by identifying talent gaps, improving workflows, and contributing to hiring decisions.
• Lead on new business pitches from a Social Creative Strategy POV.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

• Worked in agency environments.
• 6+ years of experience in Social & Creative.
• Portfolio that demonstrates capabilities in lo-fi, mid-fi and high‑production content.
• Fast thinker and executor.
• Ability to nurture and guide a team with clarity.
• Someone who can add value to our clients and lead those conversations.
• A creative who has high standards.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Compensation Range: $110,000 to $130,000 annually, depending on experience.

This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and the Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time.

• medical coverage
• dental
• vision
• 401k
• paid time off

The Social Shepherd Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. In accordance with federal, state, and local laws, we do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristic.