Senior Vice President, Creative Strategy (Contract)

Senior Vice President, Creative Strategy (Contract)

California, United States; San Francisco, California, United States

Highwire is seeking an SVP, Creative Strategy for a 6-month contract engagement. This is a senior-level creative strategy role focused on delivering exceptional, insight-driven creative work for Highwire's clients. The right candidate has experience overseeing the strategy on large-scale, multi-channel engagements for top-tier clients.

The SVP, Creative Strategy is an experienced and confident creative strategist who thrives on translating complex client challenges into bold, compelling creative solutions. They bring a sharp strategic mind, a strong point of view, and the ability to work fluidly across accounts — concepting, directing, and delivering work that earns attention and drives results.

This role is client-facing, execution-oriented, and built for someone who loves the work itself.

Key Responsibilities

Client Creative Strategy

• Serve as the senior creative strategy lead across a portfolio of client accounts, developing insight-driven creative strategies that align with client business objectives and communications goals.
• Translate client briefs, audience insights, and market research into clear, compelling creative platforms that guide campaign development.
• Lead creative strategy sessions with clients, presenting ideas and recommendations with confidence and clarity.
• Act as a trusted creative partner to senior client stakeholders, providing strategic counsel that strengthens relationships and elevates the quality of the work.
• Ensure creative strategies are grounded in data and audience understanding, while leaving meaningful room for originality and creative ambition.

Campaign Development & Execution

• Lead the conceptual development of integrated campaigns across paid, earned, shared, and owned channels — from initial brief through to final delivery.
• Work closely with Highwire's creative, digital, content, and communications teams to bring campaign ideas to life cohesively and consistently across all touchpoints.
• Direct the development of creative deliverables — including visual concepts, messaging frameworks, campaign narratives, and content — ensuring every output meets the highest standard of quality.
• Oversee multiple campaign workstreams simultaneously, maintaining creative integrity and strategic alignment across all accounts.
• Ensure all work delivered to clients is polished, on-brief, and ready to perform — with zero tolerance for errors or misalignment.

New Business & Pitch Support

• Develop and present creative strategy concepts for new business pitches, crafting ideas that are bold, insight-led, and clearly differentiated.
• Collaborate closely with Highwire's strategy and business development teams to ensure pitch creative is tightly aligned with prospective client goals and business context.
• Bring a senior, compelling voice to pitch presentations — articulating a clear creative vision that inspires confidence and wins business.

Creative Execution Across Accounts

• Provide senior-level creative direction and feedback on work across the agency's client portfolio throughout the engagement.
• Partner with account leads to understand client priorities and ensure creative strategy is aligned with broader campaign and communications planning.
• Bring fresh thinking, cultural awareness, and creative ambition to every brief — challenging the team to reach for ideas that are genuinely original and impactful.
• Stay attuned to trends across industries, platforms, and culture, applying relevant insights to client work in meaningful and timely ways.

Success Factors

• 12+ years of creative strategy experience, with significant time in senior creative roles within a top-tier agency or in-house environment.
• An exceptional portfolio demonstrating strategic, cross-channel creative thinking with proven business impact across multiple industries.
• Deep experience developing and presenting creative strategy to senior and C-suite client stakeholders.
• Strong conceptual skills with the ability to generate bold, original ideas rooted in insight and strategy.
• Proven track record of leading integrated, multi-channel campaign development from concept through execution.
• Fluency across digital, social, content, and brand creative — with a clear understanding of how each channel plays a role in a connected campaign.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills, with the ability to articulate creative vision to both creative and non-creative audiences.
• Experience supporting new business pitches, from concept development through to live presentation.
• A genuine, active commitment to DIBs — ensuring creative work is inclusive, culturally resonant, and representative of diverse audiences.
• Ability to hit the ground running, deliver immediate value, and operate with confidence across multiple accounts in a fast-paced agency environment.

The salary range for this position is $175,000 to $249,000, with the final offer based on a combination of factors, including education, relevant experience, skills, prior training, internal equity, and local geographic market data. This role also includes a competitive benefits package with medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) matching, generous paid time off, and additional perks designed to support your overall well-being and growth.

About Highwire

Highwire is a strategic marketing communications agency at the intersection of innovation and industry. We partner with ambitious companies and established brands to navigate complexity, lead markets, and grow with purpose. With integrated expertise in strategic marketing and communications, corporate reputation, creative, and insights, we cut through the noise to deliver bold ideas and measurable impact across B2B technology, healthcare, cybersecurity, energy, professional and financial services, and more.

At Highwire, we believe that storytelling fuels transformation. We know that the most impactful stories represent all voices and perspectives. As a values-driven agency, we foster an inclusive environment where everyone—regardless of age, race/ethnicity, size, shape, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion and different abilities–can feel safe, celebrated and worthy.

We ensure that every Highwire Walker has the requisite support to soar in their careers. Our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging is foundational and embedded in our business and culture. We aspire to change our industry and build a better future for all.

Our people-first culture is reflected in the meaningful benefits, flexibility, and support we offer:

• Competitive salary with merit-based opportunities for growth
• Flexible hybrid work model tailored to your schedule and lifestyle
• Generous vacation policy, including extended summer and winter breaks
• Early log-off on Fridays through our Empower Hours program
• 401(k) plan with employer matching
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus FSA options
• Paid parental leave benefits
• Commuter benefits
• Annual Growth Mindset stipend for books, events, or learning experiences
• Monthly technology reimbursement
• Wellness benefit program for mental and physical health
• 501c3 donation matching program
• Mentorship and ongoing professional development opportunities
• Monthly recognition and team celebrations
• Employee referral and new business referral bonuses
• Quarterly Highwire events and team gatherings
• Dog-friendly office environment
• A supportive, inclusive, and collaborative workplace where you can grow and do your best work

Location & Work Environment

Highwire offers both remote and hybrid work options, depending on where you live.

Hybrid: Candidates located within commuting distance of our New York, NY or San Francisco, CA offices follow a hybrid schedule, with three in-office days per week.

Remote: We hire for fully remote roles in the following states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Washington, D.C..

Please note: We are only able to consider candidates who reside in one of the locations listed above at the time of hire.

Join the Highwire team

If you're inspired by the opportunity to shape meaningful stories and grow alongside a team that values innovation, accountability, and inclusion, apply below to start the conversation.

Please note: This posting may be used to build our talent pipeline, connect with top professionals in the industry, or extend reach across multiple locations. We welcome all interested candidates to apply and explore opportunities at Highwire!