Creative Strategy Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Highwire is seeking an SVP, Creative Strategy for a 6-month contract engagement. This is a senior-level creative strategy role focused on delivering exceptional, insight-driven creative work for Highwire's clients. The right candidate has experience overseeing the strategy on large-scale, multi-channel engagements for top-tier clients.

The SVP, Creative Strategy is an experienced and confident creative strategist who thrives on translating complex client challenges into bold, compelling creative solutions. They bring a sharp strategic mind, a strong point of view, and the ability to work fluidly across accounts - concepting, directing, and delivering work that earns attention and drives results.

This role is client-facing, execution-oriented, and built for someone who loves the work itself.

Client Creative Strategy

• Serve as the senior creative strategy lead across a portfolio of client accounts, developing insight-driven creative strategies that align with client business objectives and communications goals.
• Translate client briefs, audience insights, and market research into clear, compelling creative platforms that guide campaign development.
• Lead creative strategy sessions with clients, presenting ideas and recommendations with confidence and clarity.
• Act as a trusted creative partner to senior client stakeholders, providing strategic counsel that strengthens relationships and elevates the quality of the work.
• Ensure creative strategies are grounded in data and audience understanding, while leaving meaningful room for originality and creative ambition.

Campaign Development & Execution

• Lead the conceptual development of integrated campaigns across paid, earned, shared, and owned channels - from initial brief through to final delivery.
• Work closely with Highwire's creative, digital, content, and communications teams to bring campaign ideas to life cohesively and consistently across all touchpoints.
• Direct the development of creative deliverables - including visual concepts, messaging frameworks, campaign narratives, and content - ensuring every output meets the highest standard of quality.
• Oversee multiple campaign workstreams simultaneously, maintaining creative integrity and strategic alignment across all accounts.
• Ensure all work delivered to clients is polished, on-brief, and ready to perform - with zero tolerance for errors or misalignment.

New Business & Pitch Support

• Develop and present creative strategy concepts for new business pitches, crafting ideas that are bold, insight-led, and clearly differentiated.
• Collaborate closely with Highwire's strategy and business development teams to ensure pitch creative is tightly aligned with prospective client goals and business context.
• Bring a senior, compelling voice to pitch presentations - articulating a clear creative vision that inspires confidence and wins business.

Creative Execution Across Accounts

• Provide senior-level creative direction and feedback on work across the agency's client portfolio throughout the engagement.
• Partner with account leads to understand client priorities and ensure creative strategy is aligned with broader campaign and communications planning.
• Bring fresh thinking, cultural awareness, and creative ambition to every brief - challenging the team to reach for ideas that are genuinely original and impactful.
• Stay attuned to trends across industries, platforms, and culture, applying relevant insights to client work in meaningful and timely ways.

• 12+ years of creative strategy experience, with significant time in senior creative roles within a top-tier agency or in-house environment.
• An exceptional portfolio demonstrating strategic, cross-channel creative thinking with proven business impact across multiple industries.
• Deep experience developing and presenting creative strategy to senior and C-suite client stakeholders.
• Strong conceptual skills with the ability to generate bold, original ideas rooted in insight and strategy.
• Proven track record of leading integrated, multi-channel campaign development from concept through execution.
• Fluency across digital, social, content, and brand creative - with a clear understanding of how each channel plays a role in a connected campaign.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills, with the ability to articulate creative vision to both creative and non-creative audiences.
• Experience supporting new business pitches, from concept development through to live presentation.
• A genuine, active commitment to DIBs - ensuring creative work is inclusive, culturally resonant, and representative of diverse audiences.
• Ability to hit the ground running, deliver immediate value, and operate with confidence across multiple accounts in a fast-paced agency environment.

The salary range for this position is $175,000 to $249,000, with the final offer based on a combination of factors, including education, relevant experience, skills, prior training, internal equity, and local geographic market data. This role also includes a competitive benefits package with medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) matching, generous paid time off, and additional perks designed to support your overall well-being and growth. #LI-Hybrid