Director Influencer Marketing (Agency)

Job Description

We are seeking a seasoned Director, Influencer Marketing (Freelance) to lead creator-driven programs across a diverse portfolio of brands. This role is responsible for building strategic, performance-oriented influencer initiatives that drive awareness, engagement, and measurable business outcomes.

The ideal candidate is a builder and operator in equal measure—able to translate brand and performance goals into robust influencer strategies, guide cross-functional teams through execution, and continuously refine the approach with data and insights. You are deeply immersed in creator culture, understand how communities form and engage across platforms, and know how to turn that knowledge into scalable, repeatable programs.

This is a senior, client-facing freelance role that partners closely with strategy, creative, media, and analytics teams to deliver integrated, social-first solutions.

Key Responsibilities

Campaign Leadership & Delivery

• Own end-to-end development and delivery of influencer marketing programs from brief to wrap, including always-on, tentpole, and product launch campaigns.
• Lead influencer discovery, vetting, and casting strategies to ensure fit with brand voice, audience, safety guidelines, and KPIs.
• Craft clear, inspiring creator briefs and program frameworks that set direction for content, messaging, deliverables, timelines, and success metrics.
• Guide day-to-day execution led by supporting team members—approvals, feedback, content routing, and issue escalation.
• Ensure contracts, licensing, usage, and compliance guidelines (FTC, platform rules, brand safety) are clearly defined and followed.
• Oversee campaign performance tracking and reporting, turning data into actionable optimizations and recommendations.

Strategic Direction & Thought Leadership

• Translate business and marketing objectives into coherent influencer strategies that integrate with broader media and creative plans.
• Develop clear POVs on platform shifts, creator behaviors, and cultural trends, and advise clients on how to respond and invest.
• Define measurement approaches, including KPIs, benchmarks, and learning agendas across awareness, engagement, and lower-funnel outcomes.
• Design frameworks and playbooks for influencer engagement, content formats, usage rights, and amplification tactics.
• Identify opportunities to scale successful pilots into ongoing programs, including ambassador structures, creator collectives, and content franchises.

Team Management & Collaboration

• Provide senior-level guidance to influencer specialists, coordinators, and cross-functional partners supporting campaigns.
• Set standards for quality, communication, and responsiveness in all client- and creator-facing work.
• Mentor junior team members on creator sourcing, outreach, negotiation, and campaign management best practices.
• Partner closely with media, strategy, and creative leads to ensure influencer programs are fully integrated into paid and owned ecosystems.

Creative & New Business Support

• Shape creative concepts that are native to each platform and grounded in creator-led storytelling.
• Collaborate with creative teams to evolve content directions based on performance and audience feedback.
• Contribute to pitch work, RFP responses, and proactive proposals that leverage influencer marketing as a core growth driver.
• Build and maintain case studies, benchmarks, and best-practice examples to support new business efforts.

Insights, Innovation & Market Intelligence

• Stay current on emerging platforms, creator tools, monetization models, and partnership structures.
• Leverage social listening, platform analytics, and audience insights to inform strategies and creative recommendations.
• Continuously evaluate influencer partners, vendors, and technology platforms to improve efficiency and impact.
• Package and share learnings across teams to evolve internal influencer marketing capabilities and standards.

Requirements & Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in influencer, social, or digital marketing, with significant exposure to creator-led programs.
• Demonstrated success leading complex, multi-platform influencer campaigns for established brands.
• Strong understanding of major and emerging platforms (e.g., TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Twitch, X/Twitter, and others) and their creator ecosystems.
• Hands-on experience with influencer discovery and measurement tools, as well as social and web analytics platforms.
• Proven ability to manage multiple stakeholders, balance competing priorities, and operate with urgency in a fast-paced environment.
• Exceptional communication skills, including client-ready presentations and comfort leading senior-level conversations.
• Experience managing or mentoring team members in a matrixed or agency-style environment.
• BA/BS in Marketing, Communications, Advertising, Media, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).

Location: Remote – ideally sitting in LA or NY