Associate Creative Director, Copy - Remote

Overview

Smalls is looking for a creative visionary to join us as Associate Creative Director, Copy—someone who truly gets cats and is excited to bring cat-first thinking to our cat-first world. You'll be the right hand to our Creative Director, leading messaging strategy that isn’t afraid to lean into bold themes that go where other brands won’t, challenge pet industry conventions, and spark culture-disrupting conversations. We're looking for someone who understands how cats exist in society—their independence, their complexity, their refusal to be anything other than themselves—and can translate that unapologetic nature of cats into compelling copy that resonates with fellow cat parents while driving acquisition, retention, and lifetime value. As a creative leader, you'll collaborate closely with growth marketers, designers, product teams, innovation/food, and data analysts to create cohesive, conversion-focused messaging while keeping brand values front and center.

In Short

• Develop and own brand voice strategy across all customer touch points, ensuring consistency while driving acquisition and retention KPIs.
• Lead cross-functional creative concepting sessions, generating breakthrough messaging ideas rooted in cat parent insights and cultural trends.
• Collaborate with a dedicated creative pod spanning design, video, and copy to bring integrated campaigns to life.
• Take full ownership of messaging strategy for all growth channels—understanding what drives engagement, iterating on voice and tone, and unlocking new cat parent audiences.
• Define and lead copy development across performance marketing, lifecycle campaigns, product launches, packaging, and brand initiatives.
• Use performance data and customer feedback to inform messaging decisions and prioritize copy iterations.
• Analyze content performance across channels to uncover messaging insights and lead iterative tests.
• Act as strategic partner to every department—ensuring copy direction aligns with both performance and brand equity goals.
• Brief and manage internal copywriters and freelance/agency partners.
• Stay ahead of pet industry trends, competitor messaging, and cultural shifts to keep Smalls' voice cutting-edge and authentic to cat culture.

Requirements

• You have 5-7 years of creative copywriting experience with proven leadership in brand voice development, preferably at DTC or consumer brands.
• Your portfolio showcases strategic messaging across multiple channels—from performance marketing to brand storytelling.
• You’re a cat parent with a deep understanding of feline behavior, cat culture, and the unique dynamics of the cat-human relationship.
• You have led cross-functional creative projects and managing both internal teams and external freelance partners.
• You have a strong background in performance copywriting with knowledge of A/B testing, conversion optimization, and data-driven creative decisions.
• You have the proven ability to develop and maintain brand voice guidelines while adapting messaging for different audiences and channels.
• You have conviction in your creative thinking, but you’re low-ego enough to listen, adapt, and work alongside others.
• You are a fearless storyteller who's comfortable tackling gritty themes, challenging industry conventions, and sparking culture-disrupting conversations.
• You possess exceptional communication and collaboration skills with the ability to present creative concepts to leadership and stakeholders.
• You lead with a strategic mindset, understanding how copy connects to business objectives like acquisition, retention, and LTV.
• You're passionate about authentic cat representation in a dog-dominated industry and excited to build community among underserved cat parents.
• You're a self-directed leader who thrives in fast-paced startup environments and can balance multiple priorities while maintaining creative excellence.

Benefits

• Mission-Driven Company: We love cats and we're here to make nine lives ten.
• People-Driven Company: We treat our people like people; we're committed to Smalls, and we work hard but also respect everyone’s lives outside of work.
• Data-Driven Culture: We love using data to guide decision-making where appropriate, but we also know when to move quickly and go with our gut.
• Competitive Salary: Make some $$$.
• Very Competitive Benefits: Fully paid Health, Vision, and Dental insurance. 4-day work week. Unlimited PTO.
• Fully Remote Office & Culture: Our team is spread across the US day to day, but we travel for department & company off-sites and retreats.
• Free Product: Free cat food every month.