Copy Principal, Nordstrom Rack (Hybrid - Seattle, WA)
Nordstrom
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
Nordstrom in Seattle, WA, is seeking a Copy Principal to lead the copy function for Rack, shaping brand voice across campaigns and platforms. The role guides systems, playsbooks, and cross-functional collaboration to ensure tone remains distinctive yet scalable, from seasonal campaigns to short-form video formats.
The position emphasizes strategy, mentorship, and the integration of AI to maximize impact while preserving human storytelling craftsmanship.
Qualifications
- 6+ years of brand copywriting experience in retail, fashion, lifestyle, or agency settings.
- Strong portfolio demonstrating voice, campaigns, and systems thinking.
- Ability to learn and apply a structured brand voice system quickly and consistently.
- Experience writing for social and short-form video (scripts, captions, hooks).
- Experience leading messaging strategy across multiple channels.
- Proven ability to guide teams and influence cross-functional partners.
- Hands-on experience integrating AI or automation into a copy workflow, not just familiarity with the tools.
- Excellent writing, editing, and presentation skills.
Responsibilities
- Voice & Systems Leadership: author and evolve the brand voice; build scalable copy systems and playbooks.
- Messaging & Campaign Strategy: lead messaging for key moments; translate goals into clear customer copy.
- Social & Video Storytelling: write scripts and captions for MF video; adapt voice to platform norms.
- Creative Direction & Execution: guide copy direction across workstreams; provide actionable feedback.
- Team Leadership & Influence: align teams, mentor writers, foster a collaborative environment.
- AI & Automation Strategy: lead adoption of AI tools; decide what to automate; create reusable prompt libraries.
- Performance & Insights: use data to refine messaging and drive measurable outcomes.
Skills
Job description
Working in partnership with the Content Creative Director, the Copy Principal leads the copy function at Rack. This role provides direction and representation for copy across major initiatives (Holiday, 125, and other seasonal and evergreen programs), helps author and drive brand voice alongside broader creative leadership, and owns the systems, standards, and playbooks that bring that voice to life consistently across every campaign, channel, and platform, from a Holiday push to a 15-second Reel.
Working in partnership with the Content Creative Director, the Copy Principal leads the copy function at Rack. This role provides direction and representation for copy across major initiatives (Holiday, 125, and other seasonal and evergreen programs), helps author and drive brand voice alongside broader creative leadership, and owns the systems, standards, and playbooks that bring that voice to life consistently across every campaign, channel, and platform, from a Holiday push to a 15-second Reel. Automation and AI are already being leveraged for repeatable work and copy banks, allowing this role to spend more time on the work that creates the most impact and requires human expertise: sharp strategy, a voice with real personality, and stories built for social and mid-funnel (MF) video. This role is offered as hybrid in Seattle, WA. Candidates must be available to work in office at the Nordstrom corporate headquarters a minimum of 4 days/week to be considered for this position.
- Help author and evolve the brand voice across channels and campaigns, in partnership with the Content Creative Director
- Build and maintain scalable copy systems and playbooks that enable consistency at scale
- Ensure voice is both distinctive and flexible across formats, audiences, and moments
- Maintain fluency in Rack's established voice systems (e.g., Practical Swagger structure, brand copy bank) and evolve them as formats and platforms expand
- Lead messaging strategy and storytelling for key brand moments (e.g., Holiday, Sales, seasonal campaigns)
- Translate business, marketing, and merchandising goals into clear, effective customer-facing copy
- Partner cross-functionally to align messaging with broader brand and campaign strategy
- Write and shape scripts, hooks, and captions for mid-funnel (MF) video and social-first content, adapting brand voice to platform norms (e.g., TikTok, Reels, YouTube Shorts)
- Partner with Video and Social/Influencer teams from concept, not after the cut is locked, so story and copy are built together
- Track platform storytelling trends and translate what works into brand-appropriate formats
- Build a scalable system for social copy variations (hooks, captions, CTAs) that keeps pace with content velocity
- Guide copy direction across core workstreams, from concept through final execution
- Provide clear, actionable feedback to elevate clarity, craft, and creativity
- Ensure work is both emotionally resonant and performance-driven
- Drive alignment, set direction, and bring teams along
- Mentor writers and editors, raising the overall standard of voice and craft
- Foster a collaborative, high-trust creative environment
- Lead adoption of AI and automation tools for high-volume, lower-complexity copy work (variations, resizes, localization drafts)
- Own the call on what gets automated versus what stays human, building automation into copy workflows without flattening voice
- Reinvest the time freed by automation into higher-value work: platform storytelling, voice evolution, and mentorship
- Build and maintain prompt libraries, playbooks, and QA systems that keep AI-assisted output sounding like the brand
- Partner with Design, Video, Marketing, and Program Management to align the automation roadmap with production needs
- Use data, testing, and insights (including social/video metrics like hook retention, watch time, and scroll depth) to refine messaging and improve performance
- Balance creative quality with measurable business outcomes
- 6+ years of experience in brand copywriting (retail, fashion, lifestyle, or agency preferred)
- Strong portfolio demonstrating voice, campaign work, and systems thinking
- Ability to learn and apply a structured brand voice system (e.g., Rack's Practical Swagger format and copy bank) quickly and consistently
- Experience writing for social and short-form video (scripts, captions, hooks), not just repurposing long-form copy for social
- Experience leading messaging strategy across multiple channels
- Proven ability to guide teams and influence cross-functional partners
- Hands-on experience integrating AI or automation into a copywriting workflow, not just familiarity with the tools
- Excellent writing, editing, and presentation skills
The pay range(s) below has been provided in compliance with state specific laws. Pay ranges may be different for other locations. Pay offers are dependent on the location, as well as job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
$93,500.00 - $155,000.00 Annual
- Medical/Vision, Dental, Retirement and Paid Time Away
- Life Insurance and Disability
- Merchandise Discount and EAP Resources
This position may be eligible for performance-based incentives/bonuses. Benefits include 401k, medical/vision/dental/life/disability insurance options, PTO accruals, Holidays, and more. Eligibility requirements may apply based on location, job level, classification, and length of employment. Learn more in the Nordstrom Benefits Overview by copying and pasting the following URL into your browser: https://careers.nordstrom.com/pdfs/Ben_Overview_17-19.pdf
The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It’s not all-inclusive. There may be additional duties, responsibilities and qualifications for this job.
For Los Angeles or San Francisco applicants: Nordstrom is required to inform you that we conduct background checks after conditional offer and consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with legal requirements per Los Angeles, Cal. Muni. Code 189.04 and the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. For additional state and location specific notices, please refer to the Legal Notices document within the FAQ section of the Nordstrom Careers site.
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