Creative Director, Brand Storytelling

Roku•Santa Monica, CA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Creative Director/Filmmaker — Brand Storytelling leads the concept, development, and production of Roku-produced brand commercials, video idents, experience videos, and other high-impact brand films within the Creative Studio. This is a hands-on creative leadership role for an exceptional storyteller who can find the simple, ownable, and entertaining idea, shape compelling narratives within the world of Roku City, and guide the creative vision from first pitch through post-production. You will turn brand and business objectives into entertaining, visually distinctive work that strengthens Roku's cultural relevance, recognition, and audience connection. The role requires both creative ambition and practical fluency across editorial, animation, visual effects, sound, color, and finishing. You will lead stories that can be funny, surprising, emotional, or all three—using comedy, character, visual invention, live-action sensibility, animation, and emerging production techniques. This role partners closely with an AI-assisted, in-house production team to establish creative standards, develop treatments and scripts, direct development, and bring the work to life with speed, flexibility, and craft. You will be accountable for ensuring work is high-quality, on-brand, emotionally resonant, and delivered efficiently across campaigns, products, and global markets.

Requirements

10+ years of experience as a video creative director, filmmaker, director, or equivalent creative leader in a brand, agency, entertainment, studio, network, or production environment
A strong portfolio demonstrating excellence in commercial filmmaking and visual storytelling, including brand films, commercials, idents, experience videos, or other high-impact video work
Demonstrated ability to develop an idea from a brief into a clear, compelling concept and carry it through pre-production, production, and post-production workflows
Exceptional visual storytelling skills, with a sharp eye for composition, camera, performance, pacing, production design, motion, sound, and editorial rhythm
Experience creating comedy-driven work, including strong premise, character, timing, tone, surprise, and emotional payoff
Experience leading multidisciplinary teams of producers, editors, animators, designers, writers, technical artists, and production partners
Ability to give clear, actionable feedback and inspire excellent work without creating unnecessary process or friction
Comfort working in an evolving, AI-assisted production environment with genuine interest in agentic creative workflows and emerging approaches to filmmaking
Sound judgment around the responsible use of AI, including originality, rights, likeness, representation, confidentiality, and brand safety
Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to make complex creative choices simple and persuasive for a range of stakeholders
A collaborative leadership style and a positive, creative team dynamic
Experience developing global brand work and adapting stories across markets, formats, and cultural contexts
A strong understanding of the streaming ecosystem and the role that simplicity and delight play in the customer experience
A portfolio or reel showcasing commercial, visual storytelling, comedy, and animation work (please include links and passwords, if applicable)
Bachelor's and/or master's degree in film, communications, design, or a related field—or equivalent practical experience

Nice To Haves

Experience with AI-assisted video tools, virtual production, procedural workflows, or AI-assisted editorial, animation, and visual effects is highly valued

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end creative development of Roku Creative Studio brand commercials, video idents, experience videos, and related brand storytelling—from brief and insight through concept, treatment, script, visual development, production, post-production, and final delivery
Define the creative point of view for each project, establishing the story, tone, visual language, comedic approach, performance direction, pacing, sound, and craft standards
Write, develop, or collaborate on scripts, treatments, storyboards, beat sheets, visual references, and production plans
Direct the creative process across live-action-inspired, animation, visual effects, motion, and AI-assisted video approaches—identifying when each technique best serves the story
Lead an in-house production model using AI-assisted and agentic workflows, maintaining a high bar for originality, quality, brand integrity, and responsible use of AI
Collaborate with Brand Strategy, Copy, Marketing, Product, Devices, Advertising, and other cross-functional partners to translate business objectives into audience-first stories
Present concepts and creative recommendations to senior stakeholders, building alignment while protecting the strength and distinctiveness of the work
Champion a culture of experimentation, candor, generosity, humor, and creative excellence within the team
Build and maintain relationships with select external creative, production, talent, and finishing partners when specialized support is needed
Establish and evolve a portfolio of Roku brand storytelling that scales across campaigns, products, experiences, and global markets