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Creative Lead

Mountain View, CA

Kodiak Robotics, Inc. was founded in 2018 and has become a leader in autonomous ground transportation committed to a safer and more efficient future for all. The company has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) powered technology stack purpose-built for commercial trucking and the public sector. The company delivers freight daily for its customers across the southern United States using its autonomous technology. In 2024, Kodiak became the first known company to publicly announce delivering a driverless semi-truck to a customer. Kodiak is also leveraging its commercial self-driving software to develop, test and deploy autonomous capabilities for the U.S. Department of Defense.

Role Summary

Kodiak is hiring a Creative Lead to help elevate the quality, consistency, and speed of our marketing output across every major touchpoint. This is a senior, hands-on creative role for someone who can lead campaign thinking, shape both visual and verbal storytelling, guide the work of others, and step in to execute when needed.

In the near term, this role will help distribute ownership away from a single centralized bottleneck by taking on creative direction across campaigns and channels, setting messaging and storytelling standards, and overseeing the output of existing team members. This person will play a critical role in improving creative quality, increasing throughput, and helping build a stronger, more independent marketing function over time.

What You’ll Do

Creative Direction and Campaign Development

  • Lead creative direction across major marketing initiatives, campaigns, launches, and company moments
  • Develop strong campaign concepts and translate them into effective execution across channels
  • Shape how the Kodiak brand shows up visually and verbally across marketing work
  • Establish and maintain a high bar for creative quality, consistency, and clarity
  • Build ideas that can scale from larger brand and campaign efforts into smaller day-to-day executions

Cross-Channel Creative Leadership

  • Guide creative development across web, social, presentations, paid media, events, partner storytelling, and other marketing materials
  • Ensure work is on-brand, channel-appropriate, and aligned to business priorities
  • Partner closely with marketing leadership to translate strategy into clear, compelling creative output
  • Help define and refine messaging and copy standards across content

Team Guidance and Output Oversight

  • Oversee and elevate the output of the current designer and content producer
  • Provide clear creative direction, actionable feedback, and strong quality control
  • Help keep projects moving by making decisions, unblocking work, and maintaining momentum
  • Support a more distributed and effective creative operating model by increasing ownership and reducing dependency on a single approver

Hands-On Execution

  • Step in directly to concept, write, design, edit, or refine work when needed, especially early on
  • Contribute to both polished campaign work and faster, scrappier executions
  • Support production planning, creative reviews, and photo/video direction as needed
  • Work with urgency and sound judgment, knowing when to push and when to move

What You’ll Bring

  • 8+ years of experience in creative, brand, design, or campaign-focused roles
  • Experience at an agency and/or in-house brand team known for high output and a high creative bar
  • Strong portfolio demonstrating brand identity work, campaign development, and cross-channel creative execution
  • Demonstrated strength in both visual and voice storytelling
  • Experience guiding creative direction while also contributing hands-on to the work
  • Strong instincts for typography, composition, layout, storytelling, and brand expression
  • Ability to move fluidly between big-picture thinking and execution detail
  • Comfort operating in a fast-moving environment with shifting priorities and multiple active projects
  • Demonstrated ability to manage ambiguity, make decisions, and keep work moving
  • Experience providing creative feedback and guiding the work of others
  • Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, Google Workspace, and common creative/collaboration tools

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience helping create, evolve, or sharpen a brand identity
  • Experience building campaigns from concept through rollout
  • Experience across B2B and/or B2C brands
  • Tech experience is a strong plus
  • Experience with photo and video direction or production support
  • Motion, video, or editorial sensibility
  • Comfort working on a lean team where speed, adaptability, and ownership matter

Work Environment

Hybrid role

Expected to spend regular time in the office to build presence, collaborate closely with the team, experience the culture, generate ideas, and help capture content as needed

Why This Role Matters

Today, too much creative ownership is centralized. This role is intended to change that by bringing stronger creative leadership, sharper storytelling, and more day-to-day momentum to the marketing function. The Creative Lead will help raise the quality of the work, improve speed and consistency, and guide the evolution of a more effective creative team structure.

What we offer:

  • Competitive compensation package including equity and biannual bonuses
  • Excellent Medical, Dental, and Vision plans
  • Flexible PTO and generous parental leave policies
  • Our office is centrally located in Mountain View, CA
  • Office perks: dog-friendly, free catered lunch, a fully stocked kitchen, and free EV charging
  • Long Term Disability, Short Term Disability, Life Insurance
  • Wellbeing Benefits - Headspace, One Medical, Gympass, Spring Health
  • Fidelity 401(k)
  • Commuter, FSA, Dependent Care FSA, HSA
  • Various incentive programs (referral bonuses, patent bonuses, etc.)

The pay range listed below reflects the base salary in our SF/Silicon Valley location, across several internal levels. Actual starting pay will be based on job-related factors including: work location, experience, relevant training, education, skill level and performance during interview. Total compensation at Kodiak includes base pay, equity, bonus and a competitive benefits package

California Pay Range

$170,000 - $200,000 USD

 
At Kodiak, we strive to build a diverse community working towards our common company goals in a safe and collaborative environment where harassment of any kind is strictly prohibited. Kodiak is committed to equal opportunity employment regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law.
 
In alignment with its business operations, Kodiak adheres to all relevant statutes, regulations, and administrative prerequisites. Accordingly, roles that carry more sensitive requirements may be limited to candidates that can satisfy additional scrutiny and eligibility for such positions may hinge on verification of a candidate’s residence, U.S. person status, and/or citizenship status. Should the position require, and Kodiak determines that a candidate’s residence, U.S. person status, and/or citizenship status necessitate an export license, bar the candidate from the position, or otherwise fall under national security-related restrictions, Kodiak will consider the candidate for alternative positions unaffected by such restrictions, under terms and conditions set forth at Kodiak’s sole discretion, or, as an alternative, opt not to proceed with the candidate’s application. If applicable, Kodiak may provide visa sponsorship for eligible candidates.
 
We use a third-party AI tool (Endorsed) to assist in the initial screening of applications. As part of the evaluation process, we provide Endorsed with job requirements and candidate-submitted applications. Final hiring decisions are made by our human recruitment team, and no automated system makes the ultimate decision regarding hiring. Certain features of the platform may qualify it as an Automated Employment Decision Tool (AEDT) under applicable regulations. We began using Endorsed on January 1, 2026. You can review the independent bias audit report covering our use of Endorsed [here](https://endorsed.com/local-law-144). By submitting your application, you acknowledge that your application may be processed by AI systems as part of the screening and selection process. If you have any questions or would like to request a separate review of your application, please contact careers@kodiak.ai with "Separate Review Request" in the email subject line.

 

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