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Account Director
The Role
We're hiring an Account Director to own client relationships and delivery at Story and to help build the account discipline as we grow into a full-force creative agency. Our clients are deep-tech and science companies, founders building in hard industries, and the work spans brand, strategy, comms, and video. You'll own client accounts end to end as the senior partner they trust with their business, the champion who protects the work, and the operator who makes sure nothing slips.
What You'll Do
- Lead the relationship. Be the senior day-to-day partner for client marketing leaders and founders. Cultivate deep trust, understand their business challenges, and connect them to creative solutions. Be the person they call first.
- Go deep on the business. Know each client's goals, audience, market, and product well enough to interrogate briefs, push the work, and spot opportunities before the client sees them.
- Champion the work. Partner with creative, strategy, and production leads to push bold ideas, sell them with conviction, and protect the integrity of the work through feedback and revisions.
- Own the commercial side. Manage scopes of work, budgets, and staffing on your accounts. Track account health and profitability, flag scope creep early, and identify opportunities to grow the relationship.
- Keep the money moving. Own invoicing readiness: POs secured before work starts, client procurement portals set up and current, invoices submitted on time, payment status tracked with follow-up on collections.
- Run delivery. Own status, internal and external. Communicate and track project updates, manage status documents, and draft meeting recaps with clear next steps, owners, and timing.
- Guard the details. Review all creative before it ships to confirm every piece of client feedback is addressed. Keep a running history of feedback and watchouts so the same note never comes back twice.
- Manage up and across. Proactively align disciplines, surface problems before they become fires, and know when to pull in leadership.
- Build the function. Help create the templates, processes, and rituals that let Story scale client service beyond video, and mentor account team members as we grow.
- Support new business. Contribute to pitches and proposals, and bring added-value ideas that open new revenue for clients and for Story.
What We're Looking For
- Substantial agency account experience. You've run complex, integrated, multi-workstream client relationships before.
- Whip-smart and business-curious. You ask the second question, read the earnings call, and connect the work to what the client's business actually needs.
- Strategic and cultural fluency. You can translate marketing goals into distinct creative executions and know why an idea will land.
- Commercial instincts. You're comfortable with scopes, budgets, and the fiscal health of an account.
- Exceptional presentation and communication skills. You can hold the room, sell a big idea, and manage a complex stakeholder matrix without drama.
- Obsessive follow-through. Nothing falls through the cracks on your watch, and clients feel it.
- A love of the pace. You thrive in fast, intense, high-ownership environments.
Nice to Have
- Experience at a creative agency or production studio working with deep-tech, science, or technical founders.
- Familiarity with the video production process end to end.
- Experience helping stand up processes or teams at a growing company.
Benefits
- Full-time. On-site, San Francisco.
- Top-of-the-line benefits, 401K, and more.
AI/VFX Generalist
The Role
AI is changing the VFX landscape fast. We're looking for someone who's already ahead of that curve — aware of the new tools and actively using them to do better work, faster. This role combines traditional VFX capabilities with emerging AI-driven production.
What You'll Do
- Composite and integrate VFX elements across a range of project types and styles.
- Use AI tools to accelerate traditional VFX workflows — cleanup, generation, enhancement.
- Generate full assets when needed using generative video and image tools.
- Collaborate closely with directors, editors, and motion designers.
- Stay current on emerging AI tools and bring informed recommendations to the team.
- Manage your own files, organization, and delivery pipeline.
Key Attributes
- Deep understanding of traditional VFX and compositing.
- Hands-on experience with AI-driven tools: Runway, Sora, Kling, ComfyUI.
- Highly iterative mindset.
- Fast turnarounds.
- Genuinely curious about where AI and VFX are heading.
- Self-motivated, collaborative, no ego.
How We Work
We move fast and we work hard. Projects are highly collaborative. We're a small team — your work actually matters.
Our Take on AI
We believe in real people doing real work, and that applies here too. The goal is always to serve the story, not simply show off the tool. AI as accelerant, not total replacement.
Requirements
- Strong portfolio with VFX and compositing work across multiple styles.
- Proficiency in After Effects, Nuke, and/or Blender.
- Hands-on experience with generative AI tools — Runway, Sora, ComfyUI.
- Ability to complete a trial project.
- Based in SF Bay Area or willing to relocate.
- Degrees not required.
Benefits
- Health care & dental.
- Beautiful San Francisco office with a view.
- Free lunch.
Brand Strategist
The Role
We're looking for a Brand Strategist to develop and execute brand and messaging strategy across Story's client accounts and our own channels. You'll work closely with our senior strategy, creative, and client teams to shape how companies in deep tech and science tell their story.
What You'll Do
- Develop brand positioning, messaging frameworks, and narrative strategy for client accounts.
- Conduct research and discovery to ground strategy in real audience and market insights.
- Partner with writers, designers, and directors to make sure the strategy comes through in the work.
- Contribute to new business pitches and proposals.
- Help maintain and evolve Story's own brand voice.
Key Attributes
- Sharp strategic thinking paired with strong communication skills.
- Comfortable translating complex technical subject matter into clear, compelling narratives.
- Detail-oriented and organized — you can manage multiple accounts without dropping the ball.
- Collaborative, curious, and fast.
How We Work
Fast-paced, high-ownership, and genuinely collaborative. We're a small team — your work matters and people notice it.
Our Take on AI
We believe in real people doing real work. Open to AI as a tool where it genuinely helps — research, moodboarding, workflow support.
Requirements
- Experience in brand strategy, communications, or a related field.
- Strong writing and presentation skills.
- Based in the SF Bay Area or willing to relocate.
- Degrees not required — your work speaks for itself.
Benefits
- $125,000.
- Health care & dental.
- Beautiful San Francisco office with a view.
- Free lunch.
Brand Strategy Director
The Role
We're hiring a Brand Strategy Director to lead narrative and positioning work across Story's client roster and our own brand. You'll set the strategic frame for how companies in deep tech and science tell their story — and make sure everything we ship reflects a clear, defensible point of view.
What You'll Do
- Own brand strategy and narrative development for key client accounts.
- Lead positioning, messaging, and voice work from discovery through delivery.
- Partner with creative and client teams to make sure strategy translates into the actual work.
- Shape how Story positions itself in the market.
- Contribute to pitches and proposals on high-priority new business.
Key Attributes
- Deep experience developing brand strategy for ambitious companies.
- Strong writing and presentation instincts — you can sell a strategic frame and make it stick.
- Comfortable operating at both the conceptual and executional level.
- Collaborative, fast, and decisive.
How We Work
Fast-paced, high-ownership, and genuinely collaborative. The quality bar is something we're always trying to raise, not just hold.
Our Take on AI
We believe in real people doing real work. Open to AI as a tool where it genuinely helps — research, moodboarding, workflow support.
Requirements
- Track record of brand strategy work that moved a business outcome.
- Strong portfolio of positioning, messaging, or narrative strategy work.
- Based in the SF Bay Area or willing to relocate.
- Degrees not required — your work speaks for itself.
Benefits
- $150,000–$180,000.
- Health care & dental.
- Beautiful San Francisco office with a view.
- Free lunch.
BTS Shooter / Editor
The Role
We're looking for a BTS Shooter/Editor to capture and cut behind-the-scenes content across Story's shoots, original series, and studio life. You'll be the person with a camera on set catching the moments that make it into our own social channels — then editing them fast, before the moment's gone.
What You'll Do
- Shoot behind-the-scenes footage on client shoots, original series productions, and around the studio.
- Cut fast-turnaround BTS content for Story's social channels.
- Keep up with a quick content cadence — shoot today, post soon after.
- Organize and archive BTS footage for future use.
- Work alongside editors, producers, and directors to learn the full production pipeline.
- Bring your own creative eye to what's worth capturing.
Key Attributes
- A genuine passion for shooting and editing — this is a full hands-on role, not just observing.
- Fast, scrappy editing instincts; comfortable with quick turnarounds over polish.
- Self-motivated and reliable — you show up on set ready to work.
- Open to feedback, eager to learn from a small team of working professionals.
- Good communicator, comfortable being around clients and talent on set.
Our Take on AI
We believe in real people doing real work. We're open to using AI as a tool where it helps — workflow support, certain editing shortcuts — but this role is about developing real shooting and editing chops.
Requirements
- A reel or social portfolio showing shooting and/or editing work, even informal.
- Basic proficiency with a camera and an editing tool (Premiere, DaVinci Resolve, CapCut, etc.).
- Based in the SF Bay Area or willing to relocate.
- Prior professional experience and a college degree are not required — enthusiasm and a good eye go a long way.
Benefits
- Beautiful San Francisco office with a view.
- Free lunch.
- Hands-on mentorship across shooting, editing, and production.
Design Director
The Role
We're hiring a Design Director to lead visual craft across Story's client work, original series, and brand. You'll set the design bar, mentor our designers, and make sure everything we ship looks like it belongs at an agency operating at Ogilvy scale. This role has a clear path to Head of Design as we grow.
What You'll Do
- Lead design direction across client deliverables, pitch decks, brand systems, and original series assets.
- Mentor and manage Story's design team, setting standards and pushing quality.
- Partner with creative, strategy, and production leads to make sure design serves the work.
- Own Story's visual identity and keep it consistent across every touchpoint.
- Contribute to new business pitches and help win work with strong visual presentation.
Key Attributes
- A strong, distinctive design sensibility across brand, digital, and motion.
- Experience leading and developing a design team.
- High craft standards — you know the difference between good and great and won't ship until it's great.
- Fast, iterative, and decisive.
- Strong communicator and collaborator.
How We Work
Fast-paced, high-ownership, and genuinely collaborative. The quality bar is something we're always pushing higher.
Our Take on AI
We believe in real people doing real work. Open to AI as a tool where it genuinely helps — moodboarding, certain production shortcuts, workflow support.
Requirements
- Portfolio demonstrating senior-level design work across brand and digital.
- Experience managing or mentoring designers.
- Proficiency in Figma and Adobe Creative Suite.
- Based in the SF Bay Area or willing to relocate.
- Degrees not required — your work speaks for itself.
Benefits
- $150,000–$180,000.
- Health care & dental.
- Beautiful San Francisco office with a view.
- Free lunch.
- Clear path to Head of Design.
Designer
The Role
We're looking for a Designer to bring visual craft to everything Story touches — pitch decks, brand systems, thumbnails, social content, and the occasional print or web asset. You'll work closely with our marketing, motion, and client strategy teams to make sure every piece we ship looks like it belongs at an agency operating at Ogilvy scale.
What You'll Do
- Design pitch decks, proposal templates, and internal presentations that are polished and on-brand.
- Build thumbnails, social graphics, and key art for Story's originals and client deliverables.
- Contribute to brand identity work — style guides, typography systems, color, layout.
- Collaborate with motion designers and editors to keep static and motion design cohesive.
- Manage your own files, versioning, and delivery timelines.
Key Attributes
- Strong design sensibility across brand, digital, and social formats.
- Highly iterative mindset — you refine until it's right.
- Fast turnarounds without sacrificing quality.
- Self-motivated, organized, and reliable under real deadlines.
- Open to feedback; quick to implement notes.
How We Work
Fast-paced, high-ownership, and genuinely collaborative. We're a small team — your work matters and people notice it.
Our Take on AI
We believe in real people doing real work. Open to AI as a tool where it genuinely helps — moodboarding, certain production shortcuts, workflow support.
Requirements
- Strong portfolio spanning brand, social, and presentation design.
- Proficiency in Figma and/or Adobe Creative Suite.
- Ability to complete a paid design test as part of the hiring process.
- Based in the SF Bay Area or willing to relocate.
- Degrees not required — your work speaks for itself.
Benefits
- $120,000–$140,000.
- Health care & dental.
- Beautiful San Francisco office with a view.
- Free lunch.
DP / Producer
The Role
We're hiring a Director of Photography/Producer — a hybrid role for someone who can shoot beautifully and run a production. You'll be behind the camera on shoots across brand films, documentary-style pieces, and client work, while also owning the logistics that get a shoot there in the first place.
What You'll Do
- Shoot across a range of formats — docu-style interviews, brand spots, narrative pieces, event coverage.
- Own visual style and lighting decisions on set, in collaboration with directors.
- Produce shoots end-to-end: scheduling, crew booking, gear prep, locations, and logistics.
- Manage on-set budgets and vendor relationships.
- Interface directly with clients on set, representing Story's craft and professionalism.
- Collaborate with editors and post team to make sure footage sets up the edit for success.
Key Attributes
- A strong eye — composition, lighting, and camera movement that elevate the story.
- Production instincts: you can plan a shoot day that actually runs on time.
- Calm, decisive leadership on set with crew and clients present.
- Fast problem-solving when locations, weather, or schedules go sideways.
- Collaborative mindset — you shoot for the edit, not just for the reel.
Our Take on AI
We believe in real people doing real work. We don't believe in AI replacing human creativity but are open to using it as a tool where it helps — pre-production planning, storyboarding, workflow support.
Requirements
- Strong reel demonstrating both cinematography and produced work.
- Experience producing shoots — budgets, crew, logistics — not just operating camera.
- Proficiency with professional cinema cameras and lighting packages.
- Based in the SF Bay Area or willing to relocate.
Benefits
- Health care & dental.
- Beautiful San Francisco office with a view.
- Free lunch.
Fullstack Filmmaker
The Role
We need people who can move fluidly through every stage of production — concept, pre-production, on-set, and post — and do it at a high level. Some projects you'll own soup to nuts. Others you'll lead with a producer. Either way, you need to understand every part of the process deeply enough to direct it, do it yourself, or both. This is not an entry-level role.
What You'll Do
- Develop creative concepts from brief to execution.
- Produce projects logistically and creatively — budgets, schedules, talent, locations.
- Direct and shoot (we work with Sony FX cameras; experience preferred).
- Edit your own work and/or direct an editor.
- Coordinate with VFX teams.
- Run client calls, manage relationships, and represent Story Co in the room.
- Juggle multiple projects simultaneously.
Who You Are
- You've directed, shot, and edited — not just one of those things.
- You understand visual storytelling at a fundamental level.
- You're fast.
- You're comfortable in client-facing situations and can hold a room.
- You thrive with ownership.
- Strong communicator, strong collaborator, no ego.
How We Work
Fast-paced, hard-working, and genuinely collaborative. Projects move quickly and the quality bar is something we're always trying to push higher.
Our Take on AI
We believe in real people doing real work. We're open to incorporating AI where it genuinely serves the work: storyboarding, certain VFX elements, pipeline support.
Requirements
- Portfolio demonstrating work across multiple stages of production.
- Demonstrated ability to direct, shoot, and edit at a professional level.
- Experience managing client relationships.
- Ability to complete a paid test project.
- Based in SF Bay Area or willing to relocate.
- Degrees not required.
Benefits
- Health care, dental, and vision.
- Beautiful San Francisco office.
- Free lunch.
- Projects that are genuinely rare and worth your time.
Head of Client Services
The Role
This is the person who builds the agency with us and defines the future of what advertising/marketing looks like. As Head of Client Services, you own our client relationships, our delivery, and our growth — with near-full autonomy and a short approval chain. You represent the business to clients and the leader the team rallies behind. We move fast and intensely. You move faster. You'll go shoulder-to-shoulder with marketing leaders, founders, and CEOs. You can conceive creative on the spot. You'll build the team and the systems that let us scale, and you'll drive our expansion beyond video into a full-force creative agency. You report straight to the CEO and sit on the leadership team.
What You'll Do
- Lead growth. Own how we win, serve, and grow clients, and push our expansion beyond video into a full creative offering.
- Represent the business. Win the trust of founders, CEOs, and marketing leaders, and be the senior partner on the accounts that matter most.
- Make great work happen. Conceive creative on the spot, demand sharp copy and standout advertising, push for high-craft video, and dream up the stunts that get everyone talking.
- Build the team. Hire, mentor, and fire up a high-performing group — and shape the culture as we scale.
- Run the engine. Put the processes and standards in place that let us grow fast without dropping the ball.
- Guard the bar. Define what great looks like and hold it, so every single deliverable is unmistakably Story before it hits a client's inbox.
- Own the hard moments. When a project, client, or deadline is on the line, you're the one who steps in — calm under fire, turning the save into a stronger relationship.
- Own our presence. Bring a killer instinct for social media and modern marketing — for our clients and for Story itself.
What You Bring
- A track record. You've done it before — built, led, and grown great creative and agency work. No minimum years; we care about what you've actually shipped.
- Love of the craft — copywriting, advertising, high-craft video, and bold marketing stunts — and the taste to know when it's great.
- On-the-spot creativity. You yourself are deeply creative and can conceive the idea in the room and rally a team around it.
- Production chops. Marketing strategy paired with hands-on production experience (video strongly preferred).
- A team builder's instinct. You've built and developed teams people want to be on.
- Charisma and presence. You're the person clients want in the room and the leader people follow.
- A love of the pace. You thrive in fast, intense, high-ownership environments.
- Range. Fluent in social media and modern marketing, and able to make deep-tech subject matter clear and exciting.
Nice to Have
- Experience with deep-tech or technical founders.
- Hands-on familiarity with the video production process, end to end.
- A network in the startup, venture, or tech-marketing world.
Benefits
- Full-time, in-office. San Francisco, CA.
Motion Designer
The Role
We're looking for a Motion Designer to join our in-office team in San Francisco. You'll work across all of Story Co's pillars: docu-style films, client work, YouTube series, and beyond, adding dynamic visuals and energy to projects that already have a high bar for quality.
What You'll Do
- Design and animate motion graphics across a range of formats and styles.
- Work from briefs developed by directors and producers, adding your own flair when applicable.
- Collaborate closely with editors and VFX teams to integrate motion elements seamlessly.
- Manage your own files, organization, and delivery pipeline.
- Occasionally interface with clients alongside producers.
Key Attributes
- Strong design sensibility across multiple styles.
- Highly iterative mindset.
- Fast turnarounds without sacrificing quality.
- Self-motivated and organized.
- Open to feedback.
- Willing to push back.
- Good communicator.
- Eagerness to grow — compositing and VFX skills are a big plus.
How We Work
We move fast and we work hard. Projects are highly collaborative. We're a small team — your effort and input actually matter.
Our Take on AI
We believe in real people doing real work. We're open to using AI as a tool where it genuinely helps — storyboarding, certain MGFX/VFX elements, workflow support.
Requirements
- Strong portfolio showcasing motion design work across multiple styles.
- Proficiency in After Effects; Cinema 4D, Blender, and/or compositing experience a strong plus.
- Ability to complete a paid test project.
- Based in SF Bay Area or willing to relocate.
- Degrees not required.
Benefits
- Health care & dental.
- Beautiful San Francisco office with a view.
- Free lunch.
Video Editor — Client Services
The Role
We're looking for a versatile Video Editor to join our in-office team in San Francisco. You'll collaborate closely with directors, producers, and clients directly across a wide range of projects — docu-style films, polished brand spots, narrative pieces, and everything in between.
What You'll Do
- Edit across multiple styles and formats: docu-style, brand, narrative, commercial.
- Work directly with directors and producers from assembly cut through final delivery.
- Receive feedback, iterate fast, and maintain quality under real deadlines.
- Manage your own project files, organization, and delivery pipeline.
- Interface with clients — presenting work, incorporating notes, representing Story well.
- Own finishing videos through color and sound, occasionally collaborating with VFX teams.
Key Attributes
- A true passion for editing.
- Strong sense of pacing, rhythm, and dynamic storytelling.
- Highly iterative mindset.
- Fast turnarounds without sacrificing quality.
- Self-motivated and organized.
- Open to feedback.
- Willing to push back on ideas that aren't hitting the mark.
- Good communicator.
How We Work
We move fast and we work hard. Projects are highly collaborative, and the quality bar is something we're constantly trying to raise. We're a small team — your work actually matters and people notice it.
Our Take on AI
We believe in real people doing real work. We don't believe in AI replacing human creativity but are open to using it as a tool: storyboarding, certain VFX elements, workflow support.
Requirements
- Strong portfolio with diverse array of work.
- Proficiency in DaVinci Resolve.
- Ability to complete a paid test edit.
- Based in the SF Bay Area or willing to relocate.
- Degrees not required — your work speaks for itself.
Benefits
- Health care & dental.
- Beautiful San Francisco office with a view.
- Free lunch.
Social Media Manager
+ ×The Role
We're looking for a Social Media Manager to lead social for Story and for the clients we partner with. This is a strategic, editorial role first: you set the narrative for each channel, plan campaigns end to end, and write the copy that carries them. You'll still be close to the work, but the emphasis is on judgment, taste, and strong writing rather than sheer output. You'll work across LinkedIn, X, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok — partnering with client teams on their presence while owning how Story itself shows up.
What You'll Do
What We're Looking For
Our Take on AI
We believe in real people doing real work. We don't believe in AI replacing human creativity but are open to using it as a tool where it genuinely helps — moodboarding, certain production shortcuts, workflow support.
Requirements
Benefits