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Creative Startup Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Senior Creative Strategist About Kikoff Kikoff is a high growth consumer fintech startup offering credit-building solutions that are affordable, accessible, and educational. Our core product, the ...

Creative Strategist

New York, NY · On-site +1

$95K - $125K/yr

ABOUT YOU * 2-4 years of experience in user acquisition or data-driven marketing at a high-growth startup/company or media agency. * Excellent project management skills, balancing multiple creative ...

Creative Strategist

New York, NY · On-site

$84K - $109K/yr

Background at a DTC, digital-first, or high-growth startup brand preferred * Comfortable with ambiguity, fast iteration, and a high-volume creative environment What Makes This Job Amazing * True ...

Creative Strategist

New York, NY · On-site

$84K - $109K/yr

Background at a DTC, digital-first, or high-growth startup brand preferred * Comfortable with ambiguity, fast iteration, and a high-volume creative environment What Makes This Job Amazing * True ...

Cultural fit for a fast-paced, creative startup atmosphere and our hybrid NYC team. * Fluency in English; additional languages are advantageous. Why Justt At Justt you'll take real ownership from day ...

Posted today

Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, high-output startup or growth-stage environment * Experience reviewing creative performance metrics and translating insights into future concepts * Ability to ...

Creative Lead

New York, NY · On-site

$150K - $180K/yr

Experience in a growth-stage startup environment * Experience designing for consumer brands - bonus points if it's for a new category * Direct experience building and scaling a creative function or ...

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 ...

Creative Lead

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$112K - $150K/yr

Venture-backed startup experience. * Experience with digital asset management systems and content ... Demonstrated ability to present creative concepts clearly to executives and cross-functional ...

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 ...

Creative Strategist

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$80K - $120K/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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Cultural fit for a fast-paced, creative startup atmosphere and our hybrid NYC team. * Fluency in English; additional languages are advantageous. Why Justt At Justt you'll take real ownership from day ...

Creative Director

New York, NY · On-site

$200K - $280K/yr

You'll be our first creative leader: a player-coach who makes the work and multiplies it. The ... with comfort operating at startup pace. * 0→1 experience launching a brand or product.

Creative Director

Manhattan, NY · On-site

$180 - $260/hr

You'll be our first creative leader: a player-coach who makes the work and multiplies it. The ... with comfort operating at startup pace. * 0 to 1 experience launching a brand or product.

Cultural fit for a fast-paced, creative startup atmosphere and our hybrid NYC team. * Fluency in English; additional languages are advantageous. Why Justt At Justt you'll take real ownership from day ...

Creative Strategist

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$80K - $120K/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 ...

Showing results 21-40

Creative Startup information

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$40K

$90.3K

$138K

How much do creative startup jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 19, 2026, the average yearly pay for creative startup in the United States is $90,276.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $50,500.00 and $130,000.00 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 cities are hiring for Creative Startup jobs?

Cities with the most Creative Startup job openings:

What are the most commonly searched types of Creative Startup jobs?

The most popular types of Creative Startup jobs are:

What states have the most Creative Startup jobs?

States with the most job openings for Creative Startup jobs include:

Infographic showing various Creative Startup job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 78% Full Time, 18% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 88% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $90,276 per year, or $43.4 per hour.

Senior Creative Strategist

Kikoff

San Francisco, CA • On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 19 days ago


Job description

Senior Creative Strategist

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.