The opportunity:

VML is seeking an Associate Creative Director, Social Copywriter to join its New York creative team. This role will help shape the voice and ideas behind social-first work within an iconic beverage brand portfolio, spanning always-on content, paid and organic social, creator partnerships, activations and broader campaigns.

You will turn cultural insight and platform behavior into original, brand-right work—from short-form social writing to larger creative platforms and campaign ideas. The role calls for a strong understanding of youth culture, an ability to write with authenticity for a variety of audiences and the judgment to move quickly without relying on trends for their own sake.

What you’ll do:

• Lead writing and idea development for social-first work across relevant platforms.
• Develop platform-native copy, including captions, hooks, short-form scripts, headlines and creator-facing materials.
• Identify emerging cultural conversations, memes and social formats, and determine how they can inform relevant, brand-appropriate work.
• Develop proactive ideas for always-on content, creator partnerships, activations and larger campaigns.
• Balance responsive, quick-turn writing with broader platform thinking and strategic storytelling.
• Bring a range of well-considered ideas to briefs and clearly articulate the rationale behind the strongest creative routes.
• Collaborate closely with art directors, strategists, producers, account teams and other creative partners.
• Present creative work and lead client conversations as needed, exercising sound judgment and discretion.
• Mentor and support junior and mid-level creatives.

What you’ll need:

• Experience as an Associate Creative Director or Senior Copywriter, or equivalent experience demonstrating readiness to lead at this level.
• A portfolio that demonstrates original social-first thinking, a distinctive writing voice and strong execution.
• A strong understanding of social platforms, youth culture, internet language and emerging formats.
• The ability to write authentically for a variety of audiences, with a nuanced approach that avoids stereotypes and forced trend language.
• Range across short-form copy and larger strategic storytelling, from social posts and scripts to campaign platforms and activation concepts.
• The ability to turn cultural observations into brand-appropriate creative ideas at pace.
• Confidence presenting work and leading client discussions with appropriate independence.
• Strong collaboration, prioritization and communication skills, including the ability to maintain quality across multiple fast-moving assignments.