Creative Strategist Jobs in Michigan (NOW HIRING)

Role Overview

Reporting to the Chief Marketing Officer, the Brand Creative Director drives brand meaning and guides narrative architecture and storytelling systems for Burton and Anon. 

Partnering closely with the CMO, this role defines what stories we tell, why they matter and how they build over time - across brand, category, sport, retail, digital and commerce.

More than a traditional creative director, this leader shapes Creative Strategy & Story as a discipline. They ensure storytelling is intentional, cumulative and culturally resonant - rather than episodic or campaign-by-campaign. They operate upstream of execution, partnering closely with Product Creative, Brand + Sports Marketing, Category Marketing, Integrated Marketing, Creative Studio and Creative Operations to ensure clarity, consistency and impact at scale.

This is a senior leadership role with influence and authority, leading through vision, narrative clarity, cultural intelligence and decisive creative judgment - not hierarchy. This role is ideal for a low-ego, high-taste creative leader who thrives at the intersection of sport, culture, community, product innovation and commerce - and who is energized by shaping a globally beloved brand’s next chapter through story.

Creative Strategy & Story Mandate

This role leads development of Creative Strategy & Story for marketing.

The Brand Creative Director:

• Defines the narrative architecture for Burton and Anon
• Decides what constitutes a campaign vs. a supporting story vs. editorial
• Establishes seasonal storytelling arcs and long-term story pillars
• Ensures brand, category and commercial storytelling ladder together
• Protects meaning as creative scales globally across channels and regions

Key Responsibilities

1. Brand Narrative & Creative Strategy Leadership

• Lead and evolve Burton and Anon’s brand narrative architecture, including long-term story pillars, seasonal arcs and campaign hierarchy
• Define what the brand is saying each season and why it matters now
• Ensure storytelling builds over time, reinforcing brand meaning rather than resetting each cycle
• In partnership with CMO, serve as final authority on marketing creative strategy, storytelling and expression

2. Creative Identity, Frameworks & Stewardship

• Build flexible, scalable creative and storytelling frameworks that enable global consistency with room for local expression
• Define and maintain storytelling hierarchy (hero narratives, supporting stories, editorial layers)
• Ensure all marketing expression honors product creative intent while elevating brand storytelling

3. Cultural Intelligence & Story Application

• Serve as Burton’s senior cultural intelligence leader, deeply connected to Gen Z culture, emerging sport communities, style, creators, platforms and subcultures
• Translate cultural insights into clear storytelling implications - what stories to tell, what to stop telling, and how tone, casting, pacing and platforms should evolve
• Partner with Product Creative on cultural trends and emerging aesthetics as inputs into product design direction
• Balance youth relevance with multi-generational resonance, honoring legacy riders while attracting new ones

4. Cross-Functional Creative Leadership

• Serve as the upstream creative strategy partner to Brand/Sports and Category Marketing teams - shaping how stories are framed emotionally and narratively across brand, product and commerce
• Participate in seasonal Product Creative reviews to provide cultural insight and downstream storytelling perspective (input, not approval)
• Rally teams behind creative direction with clarity, confidence and collaboration

5. Brand × Product Moments & Co-Creation

• Partner with Product Creative Director to establish creative direction for major moments where brand and product are inseparable (collaborations, limited editions, anniversaries, special projects)
• Collaborate with the Product Creative Director to ensure these moments honor product vision while maximizing cultural and storytelling impact
• Represent brand creative in external partnerships alongside Product Creative leadership

6. Category, Retail & Commerce Storytelling Fluency

• Bring enterprise-wide storytelling fluency across Burton hardgoods, softgoods and Anon
• Offer strategic guidance to ensure brand narratives translate cohesively into DTC and wholesale environments
• Act as a consultative partner to Creative and Production leadership, reinforcing clarity and consistency in how category and regional stories ladder to the global brand

7. Modern, Scrappy Creative Leadership

• Bring a fast-moving, resourceful, “scrappy but smart” approach to creative problem-solving
• Leverage AI-powered tools to accelerate strategic exploration, test narrative directions and rapidly visualize storytelling systems (not to replace craft)
• Be hands-on when needed - concepting, shaping narratives, building references, and inspiring teams
• Leads by example, inspiring an “infectious enthusiasm” for Brand stories

8. Mentorship & Creative Uplift

• Mentor designers, writers, producers and cross-functional partners - building taste, confidence and creative clarity
• Lead with humility, generosity and collaboration
• Model a culture of curiosity, progression and respect
• Build a strong creative partnership culture with Product Creative teams

9. Executive & External Representation

• Represent Burton and Anon’s brand creative strategy to founders, executive leadership, the board and key partners
• Present creative strategy, cultural insights and competitive positioning at GTM gates, sales meetings and board meetings
• Serve as a senior creative voice in leadership forums

Decision Rights & Escalation

• Brand Creative Director: Final authority on marketing creative strategy, storytelling and expression in partnership with CMO
• Product Creative Director: Critical decision authority on product design direction
• Joint escalation to CMO/CPO for conflicts at the intersection of brand and product
• This role does not own creative production, trafficking or localization

Required Experience & Expertise

Creative Strategy & Leadership

• 10–15+ years in senior creative leadership roles
• Proven ability to lead through influence and partnership
• Demonstrated success shaping brand narratives across seasons, not just campaigns

Brand, Culture & Storytelling

• Deep experience with modern heritage, sport, lifestyle, youth culture or performance brands
• Strong narrative sensibility across film, photography, motion and systems
• Ability to translate culture into strategy—not just aesthetics

Category & Channel Fluency

• Experience working across hardgoods, softgoods, accessories, and/or technical products
• Strong understanding of retail, wholesale, DTC, and omni-channel storytelling

Modern Creative Practices

• Comfort using AI and modern creative tools for exploration and system-building
• Experience modernizing brand systems without losing soul

Leadership Style & Personal Attributes

• Low ego, high taste, solid risk, big heart
• Calm, decisive, and clear under pressure
• Curious, culturally connected and authentic
• Passionate about sport, community, joy and creativity
• Energized by regrounding an iconic brand into its future
• Inherent influencing and motivational leadership to mobilize teams around evolving creative direction

Travel

• This position is located in Burlington, VT requiring periodic domestic and international travel for cultural research, creative partnerships and seasonal alignment