Sr. Manager, Brand Creative

Be essential at Cars Commerce

At Cars Commerce, we’re fanatical about simplifying everything about car buying and selling. We do right by our customers and consumers to better connect the industry with simplified and tierless technology to enhance, measure and drive local automotive retail. Whether through our No.1 most recognized marketplace, Cars.com, our industry-leading digital experience, Dealer Inspire, our trade and appraisal technology, AccuTrade, our reputation-based digital wholesale auction marketplace, Dealerclub, or our new Cars Commerce Media Network, Cars Commerce is essential for success in the automotive industry.

No one ever travels alone here: at its core, Cars Commerce is collaboration. In fact, it’s built into the very fabric of our shared values. We like to say we Rise Together – putting people at the center of what we do, from consumer to customer to community. Life at Cars Commerce makes it easy when we share the ethos to be Open to All, encouraging open-minded communication because we know diverse thinking yields better outcomes. But critical to our success is Caring to Challengeand Taking Ownership, fueling a competitive spirit in a respectful environment where we think about tomorrow but act today. At our foundation, we have integrity, Doing the Right Thing, even when it’s hard. It’s our shared commitment to these values that makes Cars Commerce a place where growth becomes not only possible, but downright unavoidable.

But don’t take our word for it. As a U.S. News & World Report Best Company to Work For in 2024, we're obsessive about the employee experience. We are among the top 20% being declared “Best” of our industry based on six critical factors that are important to employee wellbeing, like quality of pay, benefits, work life balance and more.

Directly overseeing copywriting and creative development inside the Cars Commerce Brand Creative organization, the Sr. Manager, Brand Creative is responsible for leading the creative vision, messaging, and execution of marketing campaigns to consumers on behalf of Cars.com B2C brand and businesses on behalf of Cars Commerce’s portfolio of B2B brands. The Sr. Manager, Brand Creative is also responsible for leading our Cars Commerce Brand Studio: a specialized creative group dedicated to partnering with OEMs and national advertisers to activate co-branded consumer campaigns and bespoke publishing on Cars.com.

This isn't your typical creative director role. At Cars Commerce, the Sr. Manager, Brand Creative works at the intersection of consumer brand-building, dealer community-building, and automotive industry innovation by leading projects inside a powerhouse internal creative team that has the resources and talent to make big ideas happen. The Director, Brand Creative can strategize on brand messaging and macro-economic trends at 30,000-feet, and still be comfortable rolling up their sleeves to craft compelling narratives for video, digital, social, OOH, audio, and emerging channels. They understand on any given Monday their customer is the enterprise, but their audience is the consumer, the auto dealer, and the national OEM brand — individually, and all at once.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Brand Vision & Strategy

• Define and evolve Cars.com's commercial and editorial brand presence across all channels

• Partner with marketing and creative leadership to translate business objectives into breakthrough creative strategies

• Establish and maintain brand voice, messaging architecture, and creative standards that differentiate Cars.com in a crowded automotive marketplace

• Lead the development of integrated commercial consumer campaigns that drive both brand awareness and business results

Creative Leadership & Execution

• Lead & oversee the creative output of their team’s assigned projects from concept through production—including broadcast/streaming commercials, digital content, radio spots, social campaigns, and experiential activations

• Lead creative development for key initiatives including dealer solutions marketing, OEM partnerships, and consumer-facing brand campaigns

• Champion innovative storytelling approaches that make complex automotive technology and car shopping considerations accessible and engaging

• Partner with Video Production to direct photoshoots, film shoots, and content creation—ensuring brand consistency and creative excellence

Team & Agency Management

• Build and mentor an industry-leading copywriting team that supports and inspires a multidisciplinary organization of art directors, content creators, producers, and developers;

• Foster a culture of creative excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the larger Brand Creative organization;

• Under the direction of the Sr. Director, Brand Creative, partner with Brand Design & UX, Video Production, Post-Production, Media, and Brand Strategy teams to ensure seamless execution of complex creative executions;

• Manage relationships with external production partners, agency partners, and both internal / external clients

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Present creative concepts and recommendations to senior leadership and cross-functional partners with confidence and strategic clarity;

• Translate feedback and business requirements into creative solutions that exceed expectations;

• Serve as the internal champion for the creative work—educating stakeholders on the "why" behind creative decisions;

REQUIRED SKILLS

• 10+ years of creative experience in advertising, with at least 5 years in a leadership role

• Portfolio demonstrating strategic thinking and creative excellence across multiple channels (video, digital, audio, print)

• Proven track record leading brand campaigns from concept through execution

• Experience in automotive, marketplace, classified, or tech industries strongly preferred

• Deep understanding of both brand-building and performance marketing and DCO

• Expert presentation skills with the ability to sell ideas internally and inspire teams

• Strong copywriting and art direction skills, with a talent for feedback that coaches teams and elevates work across disciplines

• Experience with direct management of creative teams and developing talent

• Bachelor's degree in Advertising, Marketing, Communications, or related field (or equivalent experience)

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

• Experience within an in-house/internal agency environment

• Understanding of the automotive retail ecosystem (dealers, OEMs, consumer purchase journey)

• Background in digital marketplace or platform marketing

• Broadcast/video production experience

• Design and Video workflows leveraging AI and emerging technologies

• Experience working with dealer networks or B2B2C marketing models

#LI- EJ #LI-Remote

Salary Range

$135,300.00-169,150.00

Our Comprehensive Benefits Package includes:

• Medical, Dental & Vision Healthcare Plans

• New Hire Stipend for Home Office Set-Up

• Generous PTO

• Refuel - a service based recognition program where employees receive additional paid time away to learn grow and reset

• Paid Holidays, Floating Holiday, Volunteer Day, Recharge Day

Learn more about our Benefits, Perks, & Culture on our LinkedIn Life Pages!

For US-based Positions: Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. Please note that we are unable to sponsor employment visas at this time.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. California Applicants: Click here to review our California Privacy Policy for Applicants. For current employees, please click here to review our California Privacy Policy for Employees.