Creative Director, CandyJar
Inkitt
San Francisco, CA · $160k–$170k a year · Posted November 4, 2026
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Where San Francisco, CA ranks
Where San Francisco, CA placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #1Best cities for security jobs316 openings · of 20
- #1Best cities for technology jobs7,178 openings · of 100
- #1Best cities for financial services pay after cost of living$173k · of 33
- #1Best cities for entry-level jobs that want AI skills35% · of 100
- #1Best cities for entry-level jobs that want AI skills in the West Coast35% · of 54
- #1Cities with the most jobs that do not need a four-year degree in the West Coast902 jobs · of 47
Rankings about design jobs
- Best cities for design jobs #1 New York (717 openings)
- Most requested AI skills in design jobs #1 AI tools in daily work (14.5%)
- Employers with the most design jobs #1 Amazon (176 roles)
Pay compared with the market
This listing pays about $165,000 a year. Across 55 open creative director listings that state pay, the middle half runs $164,000 to $221,500 and the median is $182,000. That is inside the middle half of those listings, 9% below the median.
Listed pay is what employers advertise, not what people are paid.
How AI is used in this kind of work
Among art directors, AI is already used for some of the tasks. Measured exposure for art directors: 21% (some).
Share of this job’s tasks that AI is already used for at work, from real usage. It is not a forecast of job loss, and a low number means no use seen yet. Source: Anthropic Economic Index.
About the job
Inkitt is building the Disney of the 21st Century, standing at the forefront of technology and entertainment. Leveraging AI and predictive algorithms, Inkitt discovers unknown stories and turns them into blockbuster hits, producing a new $1M ebook every 4 weeks and selling directly to consumers through its Galatea app. Inkitt has become the 11th most bestseller-generating publisher in the world, boasting a 40x higher hit-rate than traditional publishers. Recently raising a Series C and backed by some of the top VC’s such as: Khosla, Kleiner Perkins, and NEA Ventures, our recent expansion into CandyJarTV is only the beginning of our journey to becoming the next-gen entertainment powerhouse.
Top 3 Objectives of the Role
Own and protect the creative vision across AI-generated film projects, ensuring storytelling quality is never compromised for speed.
Translate traditional film directing into AI production , bringing narrative directing expertise while embracing new AI creative workflows.
Help shape the future of AI-native entertainment , bringing excitement for Inkitt's storytelling model and contributing to innovative narrative content.
Top 5 Hard Skills + Channel Experience
Professional narrative directing experience (independent film, television directing programs, narrative shorts, music videos, or similar)
Script analysis and story development , including breaking down scripts and providing creative feedback
Editorial review experience , giving direction on edits, pacing, color correction, and sound design
Visual storytelling fundamentals , including shot composition, shot selection, storyboarding, and cinematic language
Professional production experience , collaborating with writers, editors, producers, and creative teams in a production environment
Additional preferred experience:
Independent film or boutique studio backgrounds
Film festival recognition or directing fellowship programs
Romance, women-forward, or action/adventure storytelling experience
Exposure to AI creative tools (preferred)
Experience working across multiple productions simultaneously
Top 5 Softer Skills
Exceptional vision communication , with the ability to clearly articulate and defend creative direction
Constructive creative leadership , providing thoughtful, actionable feedback to creative teams
Open-mindedness , incorporating feedback and alternative perspectives without ego
Strong prioritization , balancing multiple projects while determining what creative feedback matters most
Passion for innovation , with genuine excitement for AI, new storytelling formats, and Inkitt's mission
At Inkitt, we strive to build a company culture and provide employment opportunities based on diversity and inclusion. We believe every author should have an equal opportunity to succeed, as should our team members. As a growing team from 20+ countries, we welcome everyone to apply.
We look forward to hearing from you!
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160000 - 170000 USD a year