Creative Director

Edelman is a voice synonymous with trust, reimagining a future where the currency of communication is action. Our culture thrives on three promises: boldness is possibility, empathy is progress, and curiosity is momentum.
At Edelman, we understand diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) transform our colleagues, our company, our clients, and our communities. We are in relentless pursuit of an equitable and inspiring workplace that is respectful of all, reflects and represents the world in which we live, and fosters trust, collaboration and belonging.
Role Overview
We are looking for a culturally fluent, Social Creative Director - an expert in Chinese Social Media to lead breakthrough ideas across integrated communications in China. This role sits at the intersection of earned and social media, digital experience, and brand storytelling, with a strong strategic understanding for shaping ideas that drive conversation, influence, and measurable business impact.
You will be responsible for developing earned-first, social-by-design creative platforms that travel across channels, earned, owned and shared, while ensuring relevance within China’s fast-evolving digital ecosystem.
Key Responsibilities
1. Integrated Creative Leadership
Lead the development of big, earned-first ideas that can scale across, social, digital, experiential and PR.
Shape strategic thinking that paves the way for breakthrough social first ideas
Translate business challenges and insights into integrated creative platforms, not just executions
Ensure creative output aligns with brand purpose, reputation goals, and audience engagement
Champion “ideas that earn attention” rather than traditional paid-first campaigns
2. Social & Digital-First Thinking
Engineer and drive social-by-design creativity, ensuring ideas are native to platforms such as WeChat, Weibo, Douyin and Xiaohongshu
Leverage real-time trends, cultural moments, and community behaviors to shape creative direction
Partner with social, content, and influence teams to develop always-on and campaign-based content ecosystems
Integrate KOL/KOC and creator strategies into the core creative idea, not as an afterthought
3. Influence & Earned Media Integration
Create ideas that are inherently newsworthy, shareable, and conversation-driving
Collaborate with PR and media teams to ensure campaigns generate earned media impact and cultural relevance
Design campaigns that work seamlessly across earned, owned, shared, (and paid channels)
4. Client Partnership & Thought Leadership
Act as a senior creative partner to clients, shaping briefs and influencing marketing and communications strategy
Present ideas with clarity, storytelling, and confidence to senior stakeholders
Proactively bring innovative, culturally relevant thinking to clients
5. Creative Excellence & Future Team Leadership
Develop and inspire a multidisciplinary team (art, copy, content, social creatives)
Set high standards for craft across formats: short video, social content, interactive, experiential, and digital platforms
Foster a collaborative, inclusive working relationship with integrated Edelman teams and a high-performing creative culture
6. Data, Insights & Effectiveness
Partner with APAC strategy and data teams to ensure ideas are grounded in insights and audience intelligence
Use performance data and social listening to optimize creative output in real time
Focus on work that drives engagement, influence, and measurable business outcomes
Qualifications & Experience
12-15+ years in creative roles, integrated communications, or PR and advertising agencies
Proven experience delivering integrated, earned-led and or social campaigns in China
Strong understanding of China’s media landscape, social digital platforms, and cultural trends
Experience working with influencers, social ecosystems, and content creators
Portfolio demonstrating earned-first, socially driven creative work
Skills & Competencies
Big idea thinker with strong executional oversight
Strategically driven
Deep understanding of China social and digital platform and strategy
Deep understanding of brand, reputation, and communications strategy
Strong storytelling and presentation skills
Ability to collaborate across disciplines (strategy, PR, digital, data)
Fluent in Mandarin and English, verbal and written communication
What Sets You Apart
You think earned-first, not channel-first
You create ideas that people want to share, not just see
You understand how creativity drives reputation, trust, and influence
You thrive in a model where social, PR and digital are fully integrated
We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t perfectly align with every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.