The opportunity:VML is seeking an Associate Creative Director, Social Copywriter to join its New York creative team. This role will help shape the voice and ideas behind social-first work within an iconic beverage brand portfolio, spanning always-on content, paid and organic social, creator partnerships, activations and broader campaigns.
You will turn cultural insight and platform behavior into original, brand-right work-from short-form social writing to larger creative platforms and campaign ideas. The role calls for a strong understanding of youth culture, an ability to write with authenticity for a variety of audiences and the judgment to move quickly without relying on trends for their own sake.
What you'll do:- Lead writing and idea development for social-first work across relevant platforms.
- Develop platform-native copy, including captions, hooks, short-form scripts, headlines and creator-facing materials.
- Identify emerging cultural conversations, memes and social formats, and determine how they can inform relevant, brand-appropriate work.
- Develop proactive ideas for always-on content, creator partnerships, activations and larger campaigns.
- Balance responsive, quick-turn writing with broader platform thinking and strategic storytelling.
- Bring a range of well-considered ideas to briefs and clearly articulate the rationale behind the strongest creative routes.
- Collaborate closely with art directors, strategists, producers, account teams and other creative partners.
- Present creative work and lead client conversations as needed, exercising sound judgment and discretion.
- Mentor and support junior and mid-level creatives.
What you'll need:- Experience as an Associate Creative Director or Senior Copywriter, or equivalent experience demonstrating readiness to lead at this level.
- A portfolio that demonstrates original social-first thinking, a distinctive writing voice and strong execution.
- A strong understanding of social platforms, youth culture, internet language and emerging formats.
- The ability to write authentically for a variety of audiences, with a nuanced approach that avoids stereotypes and forced trend language.
- Range across short-form copy and larger strategic storytelling, from social posts and scripts to campaign platforms and activation concepts.
- The ability to turn cultural observations into brand-appropriate creative ideas at pace.
- Confidence presenting work and leading client discussions with appropriate independence.
- Strong collaboration, prioritization and communication skills, including the ability to maintain quality across multiple fast-moving assignments.
We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we've adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.
