Creative Director- Social

wundermanthompson; New York (NY); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, vision

401k match up to 5%

Generous paid time off

Collaborative culture

Job summary

VML in New York City is seeking a Creative Director (Copy) focused on social media to shape the creative vision for our social content. You will lead and mentor a team of copywriters and art directors, collaborating with strategy and community managers to deliver work that is on trend and on time.

The ideal candidate brings 10+ years in an agency setting, a standout portfolio across social platforms, and deep knowledge of how visuals perform on each channel.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in an agency with social campaigns.
• Strong portfolio of social concepts and visuals.
• Deep knowledge of social platforms and formats.
• Experience with influencer campaigns or UGC.
• Understanding paid vs organic social.
• Collaborative, feedback-oriented, deadline-driven.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Interest in culture, design and branding.

Responsibilities

• Lead the visual direction for social-first campaigns across platforms.
• Oversee the creative team on organic social content and campaigns.
• Develop concepts and visual strategies for social media.
• Create bold ideas that drive conversation and relevance.
• Stay informed on trends and technologies in social media.
• Present work to clients, articulating the why behind the ideas.
• Collaborate with leads, copywriters, strategists, producers, and managers.
• Anticipate platform shifts and language trends in social spaces.

Skills

Social media strategy

Creative leadership

Copywriting for social

Brand storytelling

Mentoring teams

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Figma

After Effects

Job description

Who We Are

VML is a leading creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce, creating connected brands to drive growth. VML is celebrated for its innovative and award-winning human-first work for clients including AstraZeneca, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Microsoft, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, and Wendy's. In 2026, VML was named Campaign's Global Network of the Year and ranked #2 Creative Network of the Year at Cannes Lions. VML's global network spans 55+ markets with principal offices in Buenos Aires, Kansas City, London, New York, São Paulo, Shanghai and Singapore.

VML is part of WPP, the trusted growth partner for the world's leading brands. Powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform WPP Open, WPP unites cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, creativity, production, enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel.

For more information, please visit www.vml.com and follow along on LinkedIn #WeAreVML.

Who we are looking for:

VML is seeking a Creative Director (Copy) with a focus on social media. You will help steer the creative vision for our social content that is consistently expanding into areas beyond standard platforms. Our team is concept-driven, craft-obsessed and champions fresh-thinking; we want ideas that make us excited before they even get out the door. A strong design sensibility and a constant curiosity of how-to-break conventional standards are key, with bonus points for those who are comfortable shooting, editing and creating content. You'll lead and mentor a team of copywriters and art directors, collaborate strategy and community managers, and enjoy a stable of clients who are clever, quick and interested in delivering for their brands - on trend and on time.

We are an integrated crew of fun and interesting creatives who support and cheer on your personal hobbies and side projects, as much as we do the work.

What you'll do:

• Big idea thinking | Lead the visual direction and execution of social-first campaigns across platforms like Instagram, TikTok, X, Facebook, LinkedIn and emerging channels.
• Manage | Oversee team of creatives on organic social evergreen and campaign-driven social.
• Concept | Develop creative concepts and visual strategies for social media campaigns across various platforms (e.g., Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok).
• Create | Concept bold, engaging ideas that drive conversation and cultural relevance for clients.
• Craft | Stay informed about industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies in social media and digital marketing.
• Client facing | Regularly connect with clients to create a partnership that builds trust in our thought leadership and ideas. Present work to articulating the "why" behind the creative.
• Collaborate | Collaborate with creative leads, copywriters, strategists, producers, and social managers to bring ideas to life.
• Cultivate | Stay ahead of platform shifts, language trends and creative best practices in the social landscape.

What you'll need:

• Minimum 10 years' experience in an agency setting with a focus on social media campaigns.
• Strong portfolio showcasing creative concepts and visual executions for social media platforms.
• Deep knowledge of social platforms and what types of visuals perform well on each. Excellent understanding of social media platforms, their respective audiences and best practices.
• Experience working in or with influencer campaigns, UGC, or creator-led content.
• Understanding of paid vs. organic social strategies.
• Highly collaborative, ego-free and comfortable giving and receiving feedback.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines, manage multiple projects simultaneously and to work collaboratively as part of a larger team in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Passionate about culture, design, branding and how they intersect in the social space.
• Expert in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign); Figma, After Effects or similar motion tools a big plus.
• Sincere interest in any pop-culture hyper fixation is welcome - sports (soccer/tennis/basketball/football), digital gaming, music, literature, reality tv, film.
• Bilingual or familiarity with Spanish language is a plus.

What we offer:

• Passionate, driven people | We champion a culture of people that do extraordinary work.
• Consciously cultivated culture | We aim to embody the behaviors to build an inclusive community that is in it together, bringing both positivity and active listening into the workplace as we simultaneously strive to empower creative bravery.
• Competitive benefits | What we offer full time hires ranges from the full spectrum of group health coverage options (medical, dental, vision) to a generous 401k match (100% dollar-for-dollar match, up to 5% of salary contribution), and a variety of paid time off offerings that reflect our investment in all aspects of your overall life balance and wellness.