Creative Lead Jobs in Irvine, CA

Overview:

Weedmaps is seeking an Associate Creative Director, Design to help define and evolve the visual future of the Weedmaps brand across campaigns, social media, editorial content, lifecycle marketing, product storytelling, and emerging AI-enabled creative systems. This role combines creative leadership, visual storytelling, and systems thinking. The Associate Creative Director, Design will lead concept development, establish scalable design frameworks, mentor creative talent, and partner cross-functionally to ensure Weedmaps delivers visually distinctive, culturally relevant, and high-performing creative work across every consumer touchpoint.

The impact you'll make:

• Lead visual creative development across brand campaigns, social media, editorial content, lifecycle marketing, creator partnerships, and product storytelling initiatives.
• Establish and evolve Weedmaps’ visual identity and design standards across channels and platforms.
• Develop campaign concepts, visual systems, and creative frameworks that drive audience engagement and business impact.
• Ensure creative work demonstrates exceptional craft, consistency, and cultural relevance.
• Partner with Editorial, Social, Lifecycle, Growth, Product Marketing, and Studio teams to translate strategic objectives into compelling visual solutions.
• Build scalable design systems and modular creative frameworks that support rapid iteration and cross-channel deployment.
• Guide social-first creative optimized for Instagram, TikTok, short-form video, and emerging platforms.
• Partner with Production teams to improve creative workflows and operational efficiency.
• Explore and implement AI-assisted design workflows that improve speed, scalability, and creative effectiveness.
• Maintain awareness of design trends, internet culture, platform behaviors, and emerging technologies.
• Provide creative leadership and direction to designers, freelancers, contractors, and production partners.
• Mentor and develop creative talent through coaching, feedback, and professional development.
• Review and approve creative work to ensure alignment with brand standards and strategic objectives.
• Help establish team processes, creative standards, and quality control mechanisms.
• Collaborate with Creative Leadership on resource planning, staffing needs, and workflow prioritization.
• Foster a culture of creative excellence, innovation, collaboration, and accountability.
• Contribute to long-term creative vision and organizational development initiatives.

What you've accomplished:

• 8+ years of experience in design, art direction, or creative leadership roles.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating excellence across campaigns, social content, digital storytelling, and brand systems.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary creative projects across multiple channels and platforms.
• Strong understanding of typography, layout, motion, visual storytelling, and modern design systems.
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders in fast-paced creative environments.
• Strong knowledge of social-first creative development and platform-native content creation.

Bonus points:

• Experience developing scalable design systems and creative frameworks.
• Familiarity with AI-assisted creative tools and workflows.
• Experience working within lifestyle, entertainment, media, technology, or cannabis-related brands.
• Strong understanding of creator ecosystems, internet culture, and audience behavior.
• Motion design, video storytelling, and creative production experience.
• Passion for cannabis culture, community, and emerging consumer trends.

The base pay range for this position is $143,000 - $169,229 per year, and a competitive bonus

2026 US Benefits for Full Time, Regular Employees:

• Physical Health (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• • 100% employer-paid premium for employees
  • Up to 80% coverage for dependents
  • Company HSA contribution with the High Deductible Health Plan
• 401(k) Retirement Plan (employer will match contribution up to 3.5% of employee contribution)
• Basic Life, Voluntary Life and AD&D Insurance options
• Supplemental, voluntary benefits
• • Student Loan Repayment/529 Education Savings with a monthly company contribution
  • FSA (Medical, Dependent, Transit and Parking)
  • Voluntary Life and AD&D Insurance
  • Critical Illness Insurance
  • Accident Insurance
  • Short- and Long-term Disability Insurance
  • Pet Insurance
  • Identity theft protection
  • Legal access to a network of attorneys
• PTO, paid sick leave, and company holidays (including a 2026 holiday shutdown)
• Paid parental leave

Why Work at Weedmaps?

Life at Weedmaps means innovation and heart. Come join us if you care about the plant, the people who love it, and are ready to let your talent shine. We foster a bustling and collaborative culture that revolves around an environment that focuses on the benefits of weed, and the community that supports it.

You too can have a hand in shaping the industry’s future; ready to roll with us?

See how we’ve grown—our journey, leadership team, and what’s next at Weedmaps.com/corporate

About Weedmaps:

Founded in 2008, we’ve grown from a small startup to a global leader in the cannabis industry. Our dedication to transparency, education, and community has set us apart, and today, we proudly serve cannabis to consumers and businesses in the U.S. and worldwide.

“Freedom to choose. Freedom to access. Freedom to enjoy.”

Notice to prospective Weedmaps job applicants:

Our team has been made aware of incidents involving LinkedIn, Telegram, and Facebook accounts impersonating Weedmaps recruiters. These individuals are attempting to use our company name to solicit payment from prospective candidates interested in applying for jobs at our company. Our team is actively working to combat these attempts, but in the meantime, please be mindful of the following:

• Our recruiters will always communicate with candidates through an @weedmaps.com email address.

• CORRECT: jlebowski@weedmaps.com

• INCORRECT: jlebowski@gmail.com

• Our recruiters will NEVER ask for or attempt to solicit payment from applicants in order to apply, interview, or work for Weedmaps.

• If you are interested in a role at Weedmaps, please apply through our established channels.

• Weedmaps Careers Page or LinkedIn

If you are unsure if a communication is legitimate, please contact our recruitment team at talentops@weedmaps.com and they will happily confirm for you. Thank you for your vigilance and we appreciate your interest in working with us!

Weedmaps is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions on the basis of merit. The Company prohibits unlawful discrimination against employees or applicants based on race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and protective hairstyles), religion and religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, military status, veteran status, uniformed service member status, sexual orientation, transgender identity, citizenship status, pregnancy, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws. The Company also prohibits unlawful discrimination based on the perception that anyone has any of those characteristics, or is associated with a person who has or is perceived as having any of those characteristics. Our company uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees.

Applicants are entitled to reasonable accommodations under the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act and applicable state/local laws, unless the accommodation presents undue hardship. Please email us at peopleoperations at weedmaps.com if you would like to confidentially discuss a potential accommodation during the interview process.