Head of Creative

Great stories start with extraordinary people.

We’re bringing together exceptional creative talent to tell the stories of people shaping the future. Work alongside people who raise your standards, champion your ideas, and give you room to do the best work of your career.

Story inspires science. Science makes story real.

Your Story

We're looking for a Head of Creative with exceptional taste, deep filmmaking expertise, and the ability to make ambitious ideas real.

Story produces high-end commercial and branded content for some of the world's most ambitious companies, alongside a growing slate of original scripted fiction and nonfiction projects. You'll lead the creative vision across both sides of the business, from developing concepts and scripts to directing talent and shaping the final film.

You're a storyteller first. You understand what makes an audience care, how to turn a complex idea into a compelling narrative, and what separates good filmmaking from great filmmaking.

But you're also a maker. You've spent years doing the work yourself. You can write a script, direct a shoot, or open an edit timeline and solve a problem no one else has been able to crack. Your creative judgment comes from deep, hands-on experience, not just overseeing other people's work.

This is a hands-on leadership role. You'll build and lead our creative team, oversee multiple projects, and set the creative standard for everything Story produces. We need someone who can inspire exceptional work from others while being fully capable of stepping in and making it happen themselves.

What You'll Own

• Lead creative at Story. Set the creative vision and maintain an exceptional standard across our commercial productions and original scripted and nonfiction projects.

• Develop great stories. Lead concept development, treatments, scripts, and creative pitches. Find the compelling story inside even the most complex or technical subject matter.

• Make the work better. Guide projects from the first idea through final delivery. Give clear, actionable creative direction across writing, directing, cinematography, editing, sound, and design.

• Get hands-on. Step in when a project needs you. Rewrite a difficult script, work directly in an edit timeline, rethink a scene, or personally solve a creative or technical problem that's holding up production.

• Build and lead the creative team. Hire, mentor, and manage exceptional directors, writers, editors, designers, and other creative talent. Raise the standard of everyone around you.

• Oversee multiple projects. Maintain a strong creative point of view across several productions in different stages of development, production, and post.

• Partner with clients. Translate ambitious business objectives into compelling films. Present creative ideas confidently, navigate feedback, and protect the quality of the work.

• Collaborate with production. Work closely with the Head of Production to develop ambitious ideas that can be executed beautifully, efficiently, and within budget.

• Shape Story's creative identity. Help define the kind of work we pursue, the filmmakers we collaborate with, and what makes a Story production distinctive.

You're the Right Person If

• You have extensive experience as a creative director, director, writer-director, or senior creative leader in film, commercial production, or documentary.

• You have exceptional creative taste and a portfolio of work that demonstrates it.

• You're a strong writer and storyteller, capable of developing original concepts, treatments, and scripts.

• You have deep, hands-on technical expertise in at least one filmmaking discipline, such as directing, cinematography, or editing, with strong practical knowledge across production and post.

• You're comfortable opening an editing timeline, working with footage, and personally solving difficult creative or technical problems.

• You understand the entire filmmaking process, from development and pre-production through shooting, editorial, color, sound, and delivery.

• You have experience leading creative teams and can give precise, constructive feedback that genuinely improves the work.

• You can manage multiple creative projects simultaneously without losing sight of the details.

• You're comfortable working directly with clients, presenting ideas, and translating feedback into better creative work.

• You understand the difference between making a $500K commercial and a $30K independent film, and know how to make both exceptional.

• You're resourceful, decisive, and willing to do whatever the work requires.

• You're based in the SF Bay Area or willing to relocate.

What Sets You Apart

You have extraordinary taste. You know great filmmaking when you see it. You obsess over story, imagery, pacing, performance, music, and the small details that make a film memorable. Your standards are high, and you know how to bring others up to them.

You're a maker, not just a manager. You can lead a room of exceptional creatives, but you're just as comfortable opening an edit timeline, picking up a camera, or rewriting a script yourself. When a project hits a wall, you have the skills to step in and solve the problem directly.

You're a natural storyteller. You know how to find the human story inside a complicated subject. You can take an abstract idea, a technical brief, or a rough documentary interview and turn it into something audiences genuinely care about.

You make other creatives better. You're demanding but collaborative. You know how to challenge an idea, give specific feedback, and bring out the best in talented people. You care as much about building an exceptional team as you do about your own work.

You have the instincts of an independent filmmaker. You're ambitious, inventive, and resourceful. You don't believe great work requires unlimited resources. You know how to make smart creative decisions that turn constraints into advantages.

Compensation

The base salary range for this role is $180,000 – $250,000. Your final offer will depend on your experience, skills and level.