ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Creative Startup Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Kikoff

Senior Creative Strategist

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$127K - $184K/yr

This is a consumer fintech startup, and you will be working with serial entrepreneurs who have ... Senior Creative Strategist Location: San Francisco, CA (Hybrid 3 Days in Office) Full-Time Role ...

Unto Labs

Creative Lead

San Francisco, CA · On-site

Comfortable operating in ambiguity and moving quickly at a startup Nice to Have * Experience in ... Own the entire creative function as an early hire with substantial influence over company direction

Kikoff

Senior Creative Strategist

San Francisco, CA

Senior Creative Strategist Location: San Francisco, CA (Hybrid 3 Days in Office) Full-Time Role ... startup offering credit-building solutions that are affordable, accessible, and educational. Our ...

Amca

Lead, Creative Operations

El Segundo, CA · On-site

... startup project management. Responsibilities While the set of projects that falls under Creative ... Operations is ever-changing, below are examples of the kinds of work this person will own across ...

Inkitt

Creative Strategist

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$110K - $130K/yr

What You'll Bring: * 3+ years of experience in creative strategy or content marketing specifically in support of paid UA or performance marketing, ideally in a fast moving startup. * Exceptional ...

Full Swing Golf, Inc.

Creative Director

Carlsbad, CA · On-site

$140K - $190K/yr

As Creative Director , you will lead a team of designers, videographers, and brand storytellers to ... Experience working in a startup or high-growth environment. Requirements Do You Have: * Bachelor ...

Full Swing Golf Inc

Creative Director

Carlsbad, CA · Hybrid

$140K - $190K/yr

As Creative Director , you will lead a team of designers, videographers, and brand storytellers to ... Experience working in a startup or high-growth environment. Requirements Do You Have: * Bachelor ...

Full Swing Golf Inc

Creative Director

Carlsbad, CA · Hybrid

$140K - $190K/yr

As Creative Director , you will lead a team of designers, videographers, and brand storytellers to ... Experience working in a startup or high-growth environment. Requirements Do You Have: * Bachelor ...

Inkitt

Creative Strategist

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$110K - $130K/yr

What You'll Bring: * 3+ years of experience in creative strategy or content marketing specifically in support of paid UA or performance marketing, ideally in a fast moving startup. * Exceptional ...

Inkitt

Creative Strategist

San Francisco, CA

$110K - $130K/yr

What You'll Bring: * 3+ years of experience in creative strategy or content marketing specifically in support of paid UA or performance marketing, ideally in a fast moving startup. * Exceptional ...

Lumimeds

Creative Director - Remote

Los Angeles, CA · Remote

S.-based telehealth startup focused on weight management and long-term metabolic health. We are ... You'll own the full creative process for paid performance advertising--strategy, production, and ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

All JobsCreative Startup JobsCreative Startup Jobs in California

Creative Startup information

See California salary details

$39.5K

$89.1K

$136.2K

How much do creative startup jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 13, 2026, the average yearly pay for creative startup in California is $89,094.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $49,800.00 and $128,300.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a Creative Startup?

A Creative Startup is a new business venture focused on innovative ideas in creative industries such as design, media, technology, fashion, art, or entertainment. These startups combine creativity and entrepreneurship to develop unique products, services, or experiences that stand out in the market. Their goal is often to disrupt traditional industries or introduce entirely new concepts, leveraging creativity as a core competitive advantage. Creative Startups typically thrive in dynamic environments and may use technology to scale their impact and reach wider audiences.

What are some common challenges faced when working in a creative startup environment?

Working in a creative startup often means embracing a fast-paced, dynamic atmosphere where roles and responsibilities can shift rapidly as the company grows. Team members may face challenges such as managing tight deadlines, adapting to frequent changes in project direction, and balancing creativity with the need to deliver tangible results. However, these challenges are often offset by a collaborative culture, opportunities to contribute ideas, and the potential for rapid career growth as the startup scales. It's important to be flexible, proactive, and open to wearing multiple hats while thriving in this environment.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Creative Startup Founder, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Creative Startup Founder, you need a blend of entrepreneurial mindset, creative problem-solving abilities, and a solid understanding of business fundamentals, often supported by experience or education in entrepreneurship or design. Familiarity with digital design tools, project management software, and startup accelerators is highly valuable. Excellent communication, resilience, and leadership are crucial soft skills for inspiring teams and networking with stakeholders. These competencies are important because they drive innovation, enable efficient business operations, and help navigate the challenges of launching and scaling a creative venture.

What is the difference between Creative Startup vs Graphic Designer?

AspectCreative StartupGraphic Designer
Required CredentialsPortfolio, relevant design skills, sometimes a degree in design or related fieldPortfolio, design software proficiency, degree or certification often preferred
Work EnvironmentFast-paced, innovative, often small teams or freelance settingsDesign studios, agencies, corporate in-house teams, freelance
Employer & Industry UsageStartups, creative agencies, entrepreneurial venturesAdvertising, marketing, media, corporate branding

While both roles involve creative skills, a Creative Startup typically refers to working within or founding a new business focused on innovation and branding, often in a flexible environment. A Graphic Designer specializes in visual communication, working on specific design projects across various industries. The main difference lies in scope: Creative Startup roles often encompass broader responsibilities including branding, marketing, and business development, whereas Graphic Designers focus primarily on visual design tasks.

What are the most commonly searched types of Creative Startup jobs in California? The most popular types of Creative Startup jobs in California are:
What are popular job titles related to Creative Startup jobs in California? For Creative Startup jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Creative Startup jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Creative Startup jobs in California are:
Creative Startup jobs near you
Infographic showing various Creative Startup job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 78% Full Time, 18% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 89% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $89,094 per year, or $42.8 per hour.
Senior Creative Strategist

Senior Creative Strategist

Kikoff

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$127K - $184K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 12 days ago

Job description

Kikoff: The Fintech Powering Financial Security at Scale
Kikoff is a profitable, pre-IPO fintech company on a mission to empower everyone to achieve financial security. With record revenue growth in 2025 and a unicorn valuation, we've built a suite of products that help millions of people build credit, access liquidity, and save money.
We're scaling fast. Join us if you want to build something meaningful and help millions of people move forward financially.
Why Kikoff:
This is a consumer fintech startup, and you will be working with serial entrepreneurs who have built strong consumer brands and innovative products. We value extreme ownership, clear communication, a strong sense of craftsmanship, and the desire to create lasting work and work relationships. Yes, you can build an exciting business AND have real-life real-customer impact.
Senior Creative Strategist
Location: San Francisco, CA (Hybrid 3 Days in Office)
Full-Time Role
About Kikoff
Kikoff is a high growth consumer fintech startup offering credit-building solutions that are affordable, accessible, and educational. Our core product, the Kikoff Credit Account, has helped over 1 million customers build better credit. Kikoff has been featured by Nerdwallet, Forbes, Buzzfeed, Business Insider, CNBC, and others; and our app has a 4.9 rating amongst thousands of reviews. But Kikoff is more than just a credit builder: we are a long-term financial partner for our customers, and we have an exciting product roadmap of solutions to help our customers reach their financial goals.
We're looking for a Senior Creative Strategist to help shape and scale the next generation of performance-driven advertising at Kikoff. You'll own the end-to-end creative process-from concept to production-creating ads that not only stop the scroll but drive real results. You're as comfortable using AI tools to push creative boundaries as you are producing traditional, high-performing spots that convert-bridging storytelling, strategy, and innovation across every format.
Please include a portfolio of your work.
What You'll Do
  • Lead the ideation, scripting, and creative development of high-performing creatives across digital and paid channels.
  • Translate growth goals and audience insights into compelling creative strategies and test plans.
  • Monitor creative performance, analyze results, and iterate quickly based on learnings to surface insights and optimize creative direction.
  • Drive testing and experimentation, moving fast to uncover insights and scale what works.
  • Build AI-native and human-led workflows for content creation leveraging tools for ideation, scripting, video generation, and editing.
  • Partner closely with production and post-production teams to bring concepts to life, ensuring creative excellence and efficiency across both AI-assisted and traditional productions.
  • Collaborate cross-functionally with Growth, Brand, and Product Marketing to align creative testing with business objectives.
  • Stay ahead of industry and platform trends, acting as a thought leader in AI-driven creativity, emerging formats, and performance storytelling.
Who You Are
  • 6-9 years of experience in creative strategy, advertising, social media or content marketing. Ideally both agency and in-house experience
  • Strong creative writing skills and a passion for storytelling, the creative process, and solving puzzles.
  • Proven track record of concepting, writing, and producing ads that convert.
  • Fluent in AI tools for creative production (e.g., VEO 3, Sora 2, Higgsfield, Midjourney, etc.).
    Deep understanding of social and performance marketing channels, from TikTok and YouTube to Meta and CTV.
  • Creative and analytical in equal measure-you can identify what works and why, then scale it.
  • Comfortable leading brainstorms, managing timelines, and collaborating across creative and growth functions.
  • Obsessed with culture, trends, and storytelling that connects with real people.

Bonus Points
  • Experience with direct response creative, user acquisition campaigns, or B2C brands.
  • Familiarity with editing software (Premiere, CapCut, Final Cut Pro or similar)
  • Strong presentation skills and ability to sell creative ideas internally.

Base Range
$127,000-$184,000 USD
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Kikoff Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to complying with all federal, state, and local laws providing equal employment opportunities and considers qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sex, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, citizenship, or any other legally protected class.
Please reference the following for more information.

Apply