Creative Director, Brand

Ladders; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 201,000 - 279,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

In-office + remote Fridays

Health and wellbeing coverage

Generous vacation and paid days off

Parental leave

Wellness stipends

Community support initiatives

Job summary

Ladders, a leader in Business Services, seeks a Creative Director, Brand in San Francisco to guide the brand vision and storytelling across campaigns. You will oversee multi-channel work, mentor a small creative team, and partner with marketing and product leaders to ensure campaigns meet business goals.

The role combines brand strategy, hands-on creative excellence, and leadership in a high-visibility setting, with an emphasis on emerging AI-enabled workflows.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in creative leadership, including 5+ years in brand-level work.
• Portfolio of consumer-facing campaigns with strategic thinking and outcomes.
• Experience building or enhancing a brand platform that shifted consumer perceptions.

Responsibilities

• Set and evolve the creative vision for the brand, driving awareness and consideration through storytelling.
• Lead integrated campaigns from concept through production and execution across channels.
• Collaborate with marketing and product leaders to align campaign ideas with business goals.
• Mentor a small team of art directors, designers, and copywriters and provide actionable feedback.
• Manage external creative agencies and partners to meet quality standards.
• Utilize AI tools to streamline creative processes and adoption of new technologies.

Skills

Creative leadership

Brand strategy

Storytelling

Mentorship

Cross-functional

Communication

Presentation

AI tools

Tools

AI tools

Job description

For our client, we are seeking a Creative Director, Brand to join the team of a leader in the Business Services space.

This role will shape the creative vision for a fast-moving consumer-facing brand, using storytelling to build awareness and consideration in a competitive market. You will lead integrated campaigns from concept through execution, partnering closely with marketing and product stakeholders to ensure creative work supports business goals. This is a highly visible leadership role that blends brand strategy, team mentorship, and hands-on creative excellence.

Location: San Francisco, CA - US based candidates only, no visa sponsorship available

Compensation: $201,000 – $279,000 annually

Responsibilities

• Set and evolve the creative vision for the brand, driving awareness and consideration through storytelling
• Lead integrated campaigns from concept through production and execution across multiple channels
• Champion bold ideas and clearly articulate them to marketing and executive teams
• Create shareable content that resonates across social platforms and brand collaborations
• Collaborate with brand, growth, and product marketing leaders to align campaign ideas with business goals
• Mentor a small team of art directors, designers, and copywriters while setting high-quality standards
• Facilitate creative reviews and brainstorming sessions, providing actionable feedback to strengthen ideas
• Manage external creative agencies and partners to ensure they meet established quality standards
• Utilize modern tools, including AI, to streamline creative processes and support adoption of helpful technologies
• Stay attuned to cultural trends and consumer insights to inform the work produced

Qualifications

• 8+ years in creative leadership, including 5+ years in brand-level work
• A portfolio showcasing consumer-facing campaigns with strategic thinking, ideas, and outcomes
• Experience building or enhancing a brand platform that shifted consumer perceptions
• Background in a creative agency environment with a focus on high craft standards
• Demonstrated experience across multiple media forms, including brand film, social work, and partnerships
• Proven ability to lead and develop creative teams and work effectively with external partners
• Fluency in the full marketing funnel, including creative challenges in lower-funnel work
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to pitch ideas to skeptical audiences
• Familiarity with AI tools in creative processes and an understanding of their pros and cons

Benefits

• In-office schedule with four days on-site and flexibility for remote work on Fridays
• Supportive benefits for work-life balance, including backup care for children, elders, and pets
• Comprehensive health, financial, and wellbeing coverage for all life stages
• Generous vacation and company-wide paid days off
• 1% of time off dedicated to support community organizations of choice
• Annual wellness stipends for eligible expenses
• Up to 22 weeks paid parental leave for birthing parents and 12 weeks for non-birthing parents
• Family planning reimbursement options
• Opportunity to contribute to a leading financial technology team empowering financial progress for millions

Our client is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every qualification—your background could be exactly what this team needs.