VP, Creative Strategy

Job Title: VP, Creative Strategy

Location: New York, NY (Hybrid)

Start Date: ASAP

Whalar is the leading, most awarded, independent Creator and Social agency.  We transform brands into cultural drivers by unlocking the full creative power of Creators. 

We go beyond the conventional social and influencer strategy. We have the technology and methodology to tap into the beating pulse of communities, listen to nuances that move culture, and connect brands in ways that make them unforgettable.

With hubs in London, Berlin, New York, and Los Angeles, our reach is global. Learn more: https://www.whalar.com/

About the role:

We’re looking for an experienced VP of Creative Strategy to help drive and evolve how Whalar wins new business. This person thrives on a blank canvas: running a pitch engine from intake to output, every RFP, every net-new offering, every pitch room where the work has to win the client over.

Reporting directly to the Head of Creative Strategy, you’ll own new-business projects end-to-end with real autonomy while serving as their right hand on the pitches that require the most senior strategic leadership. You'll partner closely with the VP of Creative Strategy for Clients to ensure a seamless transition from pitch to client onboarding, while helping shape the case studies and credentials that win the next opportunity.

This role goes beyond traditional creative strategy. You'll define where audience insight meets human creativity and emerging technology, turning those intersections into transformative ideas grounded in real communities and amplified by AI and emerging technologies. You'll create strategies that creators want to build on, ideas that get remixed, shared, and carried further than any campaign they started as, while confidently presenting and selling those ideas to everyone from day-to-day clients to executive stakeholders.

Here’s what you’ll do day-to-day:

• Own and lead new business pitches from brief through delivery, ensuring every submission meets Whalar's standard of creative and strategic excellence.
• Triage incoming opportunities, define the strategic approach, shape creative territories, and guide cross-functional teams toward winning solutions.
• Set the strategic narrative for every pitch, creating a compelling through-line from insight to execution.
• Present and sell strategic recommendations to audiences ranging from brand managers to C-suite executives.
• Partner with the Head of Creative Strategy to develop new offerings, products, and strategic capabilities that anticipate client needs and create commercial opportunities.
• Continuously evolve how strategy is developed within the New Business team by introducing new methodologies, tools, AI applications, and ways of working.
• Design ideas built for participation, creating campaigns that audiences and creators actively engage with, remix, and extend across brand, product, and performance marketing.
• Identify opportunities where AI and emerging technologies unlock new forms of creativity, storytelling, and production, translating technical capabilities into meaningful marketing solutions.
• Collaborate closely with Creative, Creator Strategy, Measurement, Paid Media, and Client Services to ensure every pitch tells one cohesive, insight-driven story.
• Partner with the VP of Creative Strategy for Clients to ensure continuity from successful pitches through onboarding while strengthening Whalar's case studies, credentials, and future business development materials.

Here’s what we’re looking for:

• 12+ years of experience in creative, social, and content strategy, including 5+ years leading new business, pitch, or strategy teams.
• A proven track record of personally developing, leading, presenting, and winning high-value new business pitches.
• Direct experience creating creator marketing campaigns within the creator economy.
• Strong understanding of how brand, product, and performance marketing work together.
• Exceptional presentation, storytelling, and executive communication skills with the ability to influence audiences at every level.
• The ability to build the strategic foundation behind winning creative ideas, including insights, positioning, creative territories, and strategic narratives.
• A systems-thinking mindset with experience developing frameworks, platforms, and repeatable approaches that create lasting business impact.
• Comfortable building structure where none exists, proactively creating new processes, systems, and ways of working.
• Deep fluency in creator culture, participatory communities, and how ideas spread through modern digital ecosystems.
• A genuine passion for the creator economy and a clear point of view on where it's headed.
• Curiosity about AI and emerging technology, along with a thoughtful perspective on how they'll shape the future of creativity and marketing.
• Experience within a creator marketing, influencer marketing, or creator economy business is highly desirable.
• Expertise across one or more of Whalar's key categories, including entertainment and gaming, spirits and luxury, beauty, sports, technology, or automotive.
• Experience turning strategic capabilities into clearly defined, marketable products or service offerings.
• Strong measurement literacy and the ability to connect creative ideas to business outcomes.
• An established network of senior brand and marketing relationships.
• Experience operating successfully within large, matrixed, or global organizations.

The salary range for this role is $200,000 - $225,000 and serves as a general guideline for the potential compensation. The final salary offer will be determined based on a comprehensive evaluation of factors such as the candidate's experience, expertise, alignment with the position's requirements, location, and, ultimately, budget approvals.

Our values:

At Whalar, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) isn't just a statement, it's our collective strength. Our people are our superpower. A diverse team and inclusive leadership have shaped Whalar since our inception in 2016, fueling a constant evolution of growth. We champion a culture of respect and empathy, fostering a sense of belonging that transcends demographics. We hire individuals of all backgrounds and empower them to thrive, challenge stereotypes, and actively break societal barriers. 

The perks:

Whalar provides flexible benefits and collaborative work environments/experiences, so employees can work productively in a setting that best and uniquely suits their needs.

• Medical, Dental, Vision
• 25 days of PTO + Sick days + Winter break
• Monthly phone/internet reimbursement
• Professional development stipend
• New joiner's Home office allowance 
• Up to 16 weeks of paid parental leave
• Volunteer days
• Identity theft protection & Legal assistance
• Company Paid Life & Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Life Insurance Policy
• Voluntary Hospital and Critical Illness Insurance
• Voluntary Pet insurance
• Employee Resource Groups

Whalar provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Equal opportunity extends to all aspects of the employment relationship, including hiring, promotions, training, working conditions, compensation, and benefits.