Strava is hiring : Executive Creative Director in New York

Overview

Strava is looking for an experienced and passionate Executive Creative Director to join us in our mission to motivate the world to be more active. You will lead a talented team of 15 brand designers, copywriters, and production artists while partnering closely with marketing (growth, product & brand) and external agencies. This leader will create stand-out and memorable experiences that engage and inspire active people off and on-platform—existing users, subscribers, prospects, and creators. This leader will head the creative pillar within a broader design organization and will work closely with product design, design systems and user research in addition to our marketing and communications teams.

We are a subscription-based, consumer business, so this role requires empathy and understanding of people who embrace physical activity and movement to lead healthier, happier lives. As an Executive Creative Director, you’ll drive every aspect of the brand creative process, leading a cross-functional team (often including contractors and other production agencies) from big ideas to flawless execution. We are looking for someone who has experience in extending a new brand expression and who can drive both visual and copy, and who loves to deliver and learn from data-backed design. This role reports to the Chief Design Officer and is critical in building a broader creative function at Strava. Close collaboration with marketing leadership will be a critical aspect of success.

Work location : We follow a flexible hybrid model that translates to more than half of your time on-site in either our NYC, NY or SF, CA office — three days per week.

You

You are an established Executive Creative Director (or Senior Director of Brand Creative) who is excited to join our Design team. You’ll quickly make your mark on the work and the performance of the team, and you are exceptional at building relationships, collaborating and understanding how data drives the work.

You will be a vocal leader, advocating for your vision and your team, helping the organization see the power of creative work that deepens audience connection with the brand and propels the business forward. Collaborating with marketing experts, you’ll weave the brand into culture and fuel conversations both on and off our platform. You will evolve a team of creative designers (including photography, motion, and video), copywriters, content designers and production artists to drive relevance and distinctiveness with our core audiences (runners and cyclists) while expanding to new, more diverse audiences, especially under 30 women.

You will work cross-functionally with leads across Design, Marketing (Brand Marketing, Country Marketing, Product Marketing, Global Communications) and Product to bring the brand to life across all consumer touchpoints. As a global leader, you connect personally with Strava’s mission and have a passion for understanding what motivates people to be active and how to translate those insights into brand actions and stories. You are driven to contribute to the greater health and success of your team and the broader company by cultivating a culture of inclusivity and championing creativity in the organization.

What You’ll Do

Be insatiably curious about understanding active people and what motivates them so that Strava can add meaningful value to their lives.

Build something and get hands dirty. Strava’s strong brand offers a tremendous opportunity to recruit more people with marketing creativity that makes the brand magnetic.

Collaborate effectively with teammates in product, marketing, communications, partnerships and revenue functions at all levels, elevating the brand expression in the athlete’s heart and mind at all times.

Be data-obsessed in driving growth via data-backed marketing communications and product messaging that drives awareness, comprehension, and usage of product offerings. Focus on numbers to ensure creative output for launches has business impact.

Value creativity and measurement, ensuring the company understands how brand creative drives both short-term and long-term outcomes.

Inspire the organization to dream big about what the Strava brand can be; bring the brand to life in key cultural moments that elevate our brand and drive conversation while reinforcing brand values.

Drive the brand through social and owned channels and select paid opportunities, with emphasis on non-traditional channels rather than large TV or OOH campaigns.

You Will Be Successful Here By

Being an exceptional and seasoned creative leader with strong cross-functional partnership and high emotional intelligence; adept in both visual and copy / content.

Championing simplicity and clarity; translating a complex set of choices into a simple playbook to unlock relevance with a wider audience.

Being a strategic thought partner to the marketing team, translating marketing strategy into creative direction with a proven process and success.

Living the Brand values; leading with authenticity and creating an inclusive environment for all.

What You’ll Bring to the Team

15+ years or equivalent experience in building digital brands, with experience in marketing communications, organic social media, product messaging and growth marketing. Deep understanding of where the creative will live and perform.

A respected leader and motivator who leads from the front and earns trust across the organization.

Global leadership experience with a portfolio demonstrating creative excellence.

Ability to lead and manage a creative team with a clear vision and direction for the creative voice.

Data-obsessed with strong business acumen and ability to leverage data in creative decisions.

Critical thinker who can operate without a rigid playbook and foster a culture of creativity, experimentation and learning.

Able to collaborate and communicate clearly in a fast-paced, sometimes ambiguous environment, including coordinating and directing contractors, agencies, and in-house designers.

Willingness to think creatively about driving brand awareness with limited traditional film or TV investments.

Compensation Overview

At Strava, compensation reflects that employees are our most important ingredient. Pay varies by department and location. Salary ranges are categorized into tiers based on a geographic cost index. Starting pay is based on job-related skills, experience, qualifications, location, and market conditions. Ranges may be modified in the future. For more information, please contact your talent partner.

Compensation : $255,000 - $265,000. This range reflects base compensation only and does not include equity or benefits. Your recruiter can share more details during the hiring process.

For more information on benefits, please contact us or review the posted link in the application process.

Why Join Us?

Movement brings us together. Strava is building the world’s largest community of active people, helping them stay motivated and achieve their goals.

Our global team is passionate about making movement fun, meaningful, and accessible to everyone. Whether you’re shaping technology, growing our community, or driving innovation, your work at Strava makes an impact.

When you join Strava, you’re joining a movement. If you’re ready to bring energy, ideas, and drive, let’s build something incredible together.

Strava builds software that makes the best part of athletes’ days even better. We are committed to providing a world-class, inclusive workplace where our employees can grow and thrive. We are backed by investors and are expanding to meet the needs of our growing community of global athletes. Our culture reflects our community and we strive to hire teammates from all backgrounds, experiences and perspectives because we are stronger together.

Strava is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, disability, medical condition, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, marital status, or any other status protected by law. Reasonable accommodations are provided to participate in the application process and employment functions. Please contact us to request accommodation.

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