Creative Lead

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 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.

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.

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

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

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.)