Associate Director, Creative Strategy

About the role

Darkroom is engineering the brands of tomorrow through a next-generation growth marketing operating system built for speed, intelligence, and measurable impact. In this role, you will own the creative vision and strategic direction for high-velocity paid media campaigns that define market category leadership. You will act as the primary creative strategist for our Performance Creative service, translating complex business objectives into compelling, conversion-focused advertising narratives. You will leverage a fusion of human insight and Shadow, our universal AI commerce layer, to accelerate the production of world-building brand assets. This position requires a rare comfort with both the granular details of ad pixels and the macro-level architecture of a full-funnel narrative. You will be responsible for delivering an unprecedented volume of high-concept ads that de-risk client growth while expanding creative diversity across formats. Ultimately, you will shape the creative culture of the future by mentoring designers and editors to execute with precision at scale.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Spearhead creative strategy for full-funnel paid media programs, mastering Meta and TikTok ecosystems while extending influence to YouTube, Amazon, and Display platforms.
• Architect short-form video concepts that sell products and services with expert-level direction, pacing, and narrative hooks optimized for attention.
• Decode marketing strategy and performance data to transform metrics such as thumb-stop rate, hold rate, and clickthrough rate into actionable creative directions.
• Lead the briefing and collaboration with Designers and Editors to manifest static ads, animations, mobile-first videos, and storyboards that perform.
• Independently shape up design assets in Figma or rapidly prototype high-impact ads to maintain momentum and reduce iteration cycles.
• Drive the production of a high-volume creative pipeline, targeting the delivery of 50 to 100 new ads monthly to support aggressive scaling goals.
• Champion diversity in format by strategically deploying statics, motion graphics, video content, and UGC within singular campaign architectures.
• Partner with the Social Commerce team to elevate UGC creative workflows and integrate insights with Paid Media scaling strategies.
• Establish testing frameworks that balance bold creative storytelling with data-informed decisions to consistently improve performance.
• Operate at the center of the creative team, ensuring that every asset aligns with revenue objectives and brand integrity.
• Mentor and direct junior creatives, elevating the overall quality and output of the Creative Department.
• Synthesize emerging platform trends into durable creative principles that keep client brands ahead of the curve.
• Maintain a relentless focus on paid media performance, ensuring that every concept is built to maximize return on ad spend.
• Document creative processes and best practices to institutionalize knowledge and scale creative excellence.
• Act as the strategic guardian of the brand narrative across all paid touchpoints, ensuring consistency and impact.
• Navigate ambiguity and fast-paced deadlines with resilience, delivering high-quality work under intense operational tempo.

Requirements

• You must possess a Bachelor's degree in Design, Video Editing, Performance Marketing, or a related field.
• You must have demonstrable experience developing ad concepts for digital paid media advertising formats.
• You must have a proven track record of working with high-tempo creative production environments.
• You must be proficient in design and video editing tools, including but not limited to Figma and editing software.
• You must be fluent in English, with exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• You must be authorized to work in Portugal and comply with local employment regulations.
• You must be available for full-time engagement during EST business hours (9 AM-5 PM).
• You must have a deep understanding of paid media performance metrics and how they inform creative strategy.
• You must be comfortable iterating rapidly based on data and stakeholder feedback.

Nice to have

• Experience working with AI tools for creative production and workflow optimization.
• Background in e-commerce, DTC, or performance-driven brand growth.

Practical notes

This is a fully remote role supporting a team in the EST time zone (9 AM-5 PM EST), with all business conducted in English.