Senior Director, Content Studio

Location: New York, NY (Hybrid) Employment Type: Full-Time Department: Creative

About Darkroom

Darkroom is the leading next-generation growth marketing firm engineering the brands of tomorrow. Founded in 2017, we set out to redefine what a modern agency could be, by replacing the inertia of legacy advertising behemoths with a model built for speed, intelligence, and measurable impact.

At our core, Darkroom is a human services company powered by Shadow, a universal AI commerce layer that integrates executive-level strategy with proprietary agentic technology. This fusion enables our teams to deliver outsized returns by enhancing creative output, operational efficiency, and revenue generation across every stage of the customer journey.

Our track record speaks for itself: billions in attributable revenue driven across e-commerce marketplaces, media networks, DTC ecosystems, and social commerce platforms. Every engagement feeds into our proprietary data infrastructure, enabling a continuous feedback loop that accelerates growth, improves margins, and compounds results across our client portfolio.

What began as a boutique design studio has evolved into one of the fastest-growing private companies in America (Inc. 5000) and among the most effective performance media agencies of the 2020s (Varos). Our founders were recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 for advancing the intersection of technology, marketing, and advertising, cementing Darkroom’s role as a defining player in the future of media innovation.

About the Role

Darkroom is hiring a Senior Director, Content Studio to build and lead our Content Studio - a specialized department focused on becoming world-class at short-form content that sells product and builds brand.

This is not a generalist creative lead role. It exists because great design and great performance content are categorically different crafts. Your mandate is to build the internal muscle Darkroom needs: a performance-first content engine that pairs creative strategy with leadership to generate consistent winners for paid and organic advertising.

Day-one focus is performance creative across Meta, TikTok, and AppLovin (Axon). Over time, this function expands into organic social — but you will build the paid engine first. Main format focus is short form video.

You will manage a growing team of Creative Strategists and Editors and serve as the de facto leader of short-form content at Darkroom. This is a leadership role that requires someone who is closely connected to the day-to-day content creation process - from man-on-the-street interviews to AI video to statics. You need to know how to make content and sell products.

What You’ll Do

• Own the performance content engine Build the system for ideation → scripting → production → editing → iteration that produces ads with a clear value prop, proof, and offer.

• Lead creative strategy Define testing roadmaps — angles, hypotheses, batches, iterations, and scaling rules — and turn performance data into fast next-batch decisions.

• Build multi-format capability Expand Darkroom's output across paid short-form for Meta/TikTok/Axon, AI-generated product video, conversational commerce formats (street interviews, podcast-style, reactive cuts), internal Darkroom-made content, founder capture systems, and creator partnerships.

• Run the creative-media feedback loop Hold weekly creative performance reviews with Paid Media and Social Commerce teams. Turn spend signals into creative iteration. Turn UGC volume into strategic UGC usefulness.

• Lead, hire, and coach the team Build a high-output group of Creative Strategists and Editors. Create standards, feedback loops, and leadership depth within the studio.

• Integrate new technology Bring a genuine perspective on AI and emerging production tools. Use them to increase output quality and speed for our clients.

• Design the runway to organic Build the blueprint for organic social expansion while protecting execution focus on paid now.

• Plus/Optional Bonus: Manage production partnerships Know where our internal capabilities end. Define Darkroom's perspective on when and how to bring in outside production partners for larger-scale engagements.

You Should Apply If

• You are a short-form performance creative leader whose work sells product, not just tells stories

• You've owned Meta/TikTok creative at scale and can point to outcomes - hit rate, scaling winners, efficiency improvement, engagement growth, virality

• You can lead creative strategy and production together: angle → script → edit → iterate → scale

• You're culturally fluent and format-native, and you operate with rigor and speed

• You can build and run a team with clear standards and high accountability

Hard disqualifiers:

• No Meta/TikTok performance creative experience

• Strategy-only or taste-only — can't translate direction into shipped creative

• No short-form portfolio

• Can't run iteration cycles tightly with media partners

• Has never built a team

• Has never made an ad

What It's Like to Work at Darkroom

Darkroom is not a typical agency. We are looking for A players who want to build something great. We move fast, think deeply, and expect every team member to bring insight and rigor to everything they touch. We hold a high bar for performance, creativity, and ownership — but we also support each other relentlessly. No egos, no red tape — just world-class talent building something remarkable.

We believe in autonomy with accountability, truth over comfort, and outcomes over optics.

• Unlimited PTO + US holidays: Rebooting is part of the work. Take the time you need to stay sharp.

• Remote-First Culture: Many roles are fully remote. Employees based in or near our New York or Lisbon HQs are expected to work hybrid with weekly in-office time. Hub locations include the Brazil and Spain.

• Health & Wellness: Company-sponsored medical, dental, and vision coverage.

• Finances, growth, and retirement: Darkroom offers a robust 401(k) program with company match and profit-sharing opportunities to help you save and grow as the company grows.

• Parental Leave: Flexible parental leave to support new parents during this important transition.

• Growth: Our interdisciplinary model gives every Darkroomer exposure far beyond their core role. Grow your skills, expand your influence, and stay at the forefront of the industry.

Compensation: The base salary range for this role is $170,000 - $200,000 per year. This range represents the anticipated minimum and maximum for this position and applies to candidates based in New York, including New York City, in compliance with the New York State Pay Transparency Law and the New York City Salary Transparency Law. Actual compensation within this range will be determined based on experience, skills, and qualifications. This role is also eligible for performance-based compensation. A summary of benefits is listed above.

Darkroom is an equal opportunity workplace—we are dedicated to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national orientation, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.