Associate Creative Director, Copy
SHADOW•New York, NY
•$135,000 - $170,000•Hybrid
About The Position
SHADOW is seeking an Associate Creative Director (Copy) with 8+ years of multidisciplinary creative experience, ideally within agency environments and for consumer brands. This cross-divisional agency role is responsible for leading the ideation and development of culturally relevant campaign concepts and executing copy vision across SHADOW’s full roster of clients. The ideal candidate is a fast, strategic thinker who understands how ideas live, travel, and evolve in culture, and knows how to write for that reality.
Requirements
- 8+ years of multidisciplinary creative experience, ideally within agency environments and for consumer brands.
- Cultural Fluency & POV: Live and breathe internet culture. Understand how conversations move across platforms, how brands earn attention (as opposed to buying it), and how to contribute meaningfully to cultural moments without chasing them.
- Work demonstrates taste, restraint, and strong creative conviction.
- Dynamic Craft: Expert with fluency writing across formats: scripting, long-form storytelling, campaign narratives, taglines, headlines, captions, memes, and reactive copy.
- Understand social platform nuance (TikTok, Instagram, X, YouTube, Reddit, emerging channels) and how to write natively for each.
- Conceptual Thinking: Proven ability to originate big, sticky ideas that are born in culture and scalable across channels.
- Can translate strategy and cultural insight into clear, compelling concepts and sharp copy systems.
- Leadership: Senior creative voice for both clients and internal teams, setting the standard for social excellence.
Responsibilities
- Lead the development of social-first and culture-driven campaign concepts for new and existing clients in close collaboration with art directors, copywriters, strategists, social leads, and producers.
- Shape the narrative, voice, and messaging across all creative expressions.
- Oversee copy across integrated campaigns, real-time/reactive moments, video and short-form scripted series, experiential extensions, and digital/web touchpoints.
- Ensure work feels native, timely, cohesive, and distinct.
- Guide brand participation in cultural moments, trends, and conversations with clarity and authenticity.
- Balance speed with strategy, ensuring reactive and always-on copy maintains brand voice and creative integrity.
- Own and evolve brand voice across social ecosystems.
- For select clients, help build or refine messaging frameworks, tone-of-voice guidelines, and campaign/social playbooks that empower consistency while leaving room for spontaneity.
- Manage, mentor and develop a team of copywriters.
- Provide clear, constructive feedback, encourage experimentation, and raise the overall quality and ambition of the creative output.
- Build trusted creative relationships with clients, acting as a strategic and cultural partner.
- Grow and maintain a network of writers, editors, creators, and cultural collaborators to support fast, relevant execution when needed.
Benefits
- Medical + dental + vision insurance
- Generous PTO and paid holidays
- Dedicated mental health days
- Unlimited sick time
- 401(k) retirement plan with matching
- Pre-tax commuter and healthcare benefits
- 12 weeks paid leave for new parents
- Individualized career mapping
- Summer Fridays (early close Fridays Memorial Day - Labor Day)
- Hybrid work schedule (1-3 days in office per week, depending on role)
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
