Performance Creative Strategy Lead (All Genders)

Festanstellung, Vollzeit · Hamburg

YOU & AHEAD

At ahead, we’re on a mission to reinvent sweets and snacks without the sugar – making healthier living as easy as enjoying your favourite treat. To get there, we don’t just need better products. We need to tell better stories. Stories that stop thumbs, spark curiosity, shift behaviours and ultimately help millions reduce their sugar intake without feeling restricted.

This is where you come in.

We’re building one of Europe’s most advanced performance creative engines for DTC brands. Your mission is to transform ahead into a creative powerhouse – delivering world-class, high-volume, high-performance video ads for Meta, TikTok and YouTube that educate, entertain and convert. You’ll shape our creative strategy, build creative systems, lead ideation, own testing frameworks, grow talent and – over time – step into the Head of Creative role.

YOUR TASKS

Performance Creative Strategy: Build and own ahead’s full performance creative engine, translating insights, product USPs, and audience psychology into breakthrough ad concepts and storytelling frameworks your team will ship
Creative Systems & Processes: Design and implement creative operating systems, pipelines, standards, QA, and documentation. Establish rituals such as creative reviews, retros, testing meetings, and learning loops to enable fast, predictable, and scalable output
Team Leadership & Development: Lead, mentor, and grow video editors, designers, and copywriters. Build a culture of ownership, creativity, and performance thinking while preparing the team for future scale (20+ people)
Creative Concept Development: Oversee the creation of world-class briefs, scripts, storyboards, and creative territories, delivering high-performing ads that hook, retain, and convert
Production Oversight & Output: Translate strategy into executable briefs across founder ads, UGC/creator content, in-house shoots, product demos, and motion graphics. Deliver high-quality output while hitting ambitious volume targets from 30 to 300+ video assets/month
Direct Response Excellence: Apply behavioral psychology, attention design, and decision-making insights to creative execution. Collaborate closely with media buyers to shape testing roadmaps, iterate fast, and maximize performance
Cross-functional Collaboration: Partner with Performance, Brand, Product, and Retail teams to align messaging, bring market insights, competitor research, and consumer psychology into the creative roadmap, and represent the Creative function at leadership level

YOUR PROFILE

Performance Creative Expertise: 5-10+ years in performance creative for DTC brands, agencies, or content studios, with proven success scaling video output for Meta, TikTok, and YouTube
Leadership & People Skills: Experienced in leading creative teams (copywriters, editors, designers) with strong coaching and mentoring capabilities to set a high bar while motivating teams
Systematic & Operational Mindset: Skilled at building creative systems, processes, and frameworks. Able to scale output from chaos to predictable results without sacrificing quality
Storytelling & Strategy: Turn complex product insights into emotionally engaging, conversion-driven ads. Deep understanding of hooks, thumbstop, retention, creative testing frameworks, iteration velocity, and performance signals
High-output & Execution-Oriented: Thrive in fast-paced environments, excel in rapid testing cycles, and bring structure, clarity, and momentum to complex projects
Future Head of Creative: Ready to take full ownership of the creative organisation as we scale across EU markets. You are visionary enough to inspire and operational enough to execute
Communication skills: Confident communicator with the ability to motivate and influence teams in both English and German
Location: Based in Hamburg or open to relocation

WHAT MAKES YOUR PROFILE COMPLETE

You thrive under pressure, turning rapid iteration into predictable, high-performing creative output
You communicate persuasively, build trust through clarity, and inspire teams to perform at their best
You take full ownership of creative strategy, execution, and team growth
You balance creativity, data, and performance thinking to consistently deliver winning campaigns
You are ready to lead a high-performing team, systemize processes, and set new benchmarks in performance creative

WHAT WE OFFER

Build one of Europe’s most advanced performance creative teams from the ground up
High autonomy and direct access to founders and leadership
Fast-scaling environment with ambitious creative goals
The opportunity to step into a Head of Performance Creative role based on performance
A culture defined by ownership, clarity, and excellence

AND WHY AHEAD?

Working at ahead is more than just a job - it’s your opportunity to develop as a professional and as a person, while shaping the future of snacking. Our mission is to make low sugar the new standard, and we pour that ambition into every product we create. You’ll become part of a team where international talent, startup drive, real impact, and true ownership come together.

Hypergrowth Environment: If you're looking for greenfield, creative freedom, and real impact, you're in the right place. We're a team that is scaling fast - with purpose
Great Workspace: A central office in the heart of Hamburg near the Alster, top equipment (MacBook), snacks, drinks, plenty of ahead products - and yes, a ping-pong table. We’re also pet-friendly, so you can always bring your furry friend along
Amazing Team: Young, international, ambitious - inspiring colleagues who collaborate, support each other, and genuinely enjoy working together
Career Growth: Develop through cross-functional projects, structured feedback cycles, and a steep learning curve in a dynamic, high growth environment. We offer a fair, attractive salary with role-dependent bonus opportunities
Great Benefits: Fuel yourself with ahead snacks, drinks, and merch - we’ve got you covered. On top: a €50 monthly allowance to spend as you like - Urban Sports Club, mobility options, or vouchers from your favorite brands (IKEA, MediaMarkt, Lego and more)
Vacation Days: Enjoy 28 vacation days plus two extra days off on December 24 (Christmas Eve) and December 31 (New Year’s Eve)
Events & Offsites: Regular after-work hangouts and legendary annual team offsites you won’t forget

This role is based in Hamburg, with the flexibility of up to 2 home office days per week and the option to work from abroad for agreed upon periods. If this resonates with you, you can dive into the next steps as outlined below!

YOUR NEXT STEPS WITH US

Let’s get started! Here’s what the application process looks like:

Send us your CV and a few reasons why you want to be a part of ahead.

We will get back to you as soon as possible to schedule an interview.
After our initial meetings, you’ll work on a case study to give you a sense of the tasks you’ll be handling.
Meet our team and the founders, Johannes and Philip, during the interview process and case study presentation.
If both sides are happy, you can start as soon as possible!

Ready to build a creative machine that sets new benchmarks?

We’d love to meet you!

Disclaimer

ahead GmbH is an equal opportunity workplace and is devoted to providing equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, or gender identity.

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About us

At ahead, we’re building the snack brand for a new generation – one that loves chocolate, cookies & gummies, but doesn’t love what sugar does to their bodies.
We use cutting-edge food tech to reinvent childhood favorites: no added sugar, no empty carbs – just full taste, better ingredients, and zero compromise.
The result? Everyday indulgence that actually fits your lifestyle.
Let’s make low-sugar the new normal. And fun again.
We’re growing fast, expanding across Europe, and looking for smart, driven, curious minds to join us.
If you’re ready to change how millions of people snack – for good – we’d love to meet you.

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Vielen Dank für dein Interesse an der ahead GmbH! Wir freuen uns darauf, mehr über dich zu erfahren. Bitte nimm dir einen Moment Zeit, um dieses kurze Formular auszufüllen.