Lead Creative Strategist (Paid Social), IJsselstein

Lead Creative Strategist (Paid Social) Full-time or 32+ hours· IJsselstein (hybrid) · €5,500–€7,000 gross/month We’re scaling fast, but we don’t believe the next phase of growth comes from spending more.

What we believe Winning ads don’t happen by accident. They come from: Real customer understanding not persona documents, but knowing what your customer actually types on Reddit at 11pm Clear, testable hypotheses behind every concept A feedback loop that improves every week, not dashboards no one looks atRight now, too many of our winning ads are still incidental. That’s what we’re here to fix and why we need you.

What you’ll do You’ll build and own the creative system we currently only have in fragments. Increase our creative hit rate to 5–8% within three months by setting up a consistent feedback loop: analysis → brief → production → testing → optimization Implement a hypothesis-driven testing framework that design and media buying teams can run independentlyConduct customer research that actually informs creative direction (reviews, Reddit, comments, competitor ads, interviews) Write clear, actionable briefs that leave no room for interpretation Work closely with media buyers to translate performance data (CTR, CPA, fatigue, hooks) into new creative anglesIntroduce weekly creative analysis that the team actively uses to improve output Help shape and improve how we use AI in workflows like research, briefing and QA

Who you are You combine creative instinct with analytical thinking and know how to turn both into repeatable results. You understand direct response deeply, especially hooks and the first seconds of an ad You’ve built winning ads and can clearly explain why they worked You have at least 4 years of experience in performance marketing, including 2+ years focused on creative testing in a DTC brand or agency environment with significant ad spendYou think in systems, not one-off wins, and enjoy building processes that others can execute You already use AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude in your daily work and have a clear perspective on where they add value You’re comfortable working with metrics like CTR, CPA, hold rate and frequency, and know how to turn insights into actionYou take ownership and move forward even when things are not fully defined You’re driven to become one of the best performance creative strategists in DTC

Bonus points You’re familiar with brands like schilderopnr.nl or diy-artclub.com and have ideas on how to improve our ads Experience with TikTok-native content Strong ad copywriting skills Experience coaching or mentoring others

What we offer Salary between€5,500 and €7,000 gross per month (full-time), depending on experience Flexible workload: 32 or 40 hours per week Hybrid setup from our HQ in IJsselstein (near Utrecht), including parking and a spacious office Direct impact: you influence how we spend €375,000 in ads every week

About SMT Group SMT Group was founded in 2016 out of curiosity about a product one of the founders discovered in their immediate environment. What started as an experiment has grown into an international e-commerce company in arts&crafts, with millions of customers in more than twenty countries. The team is globally distributed and consists of around 20 employees, including specialists in Design, Marketing, Finance, HR, Category Management, and Customer Service. We build creative experiences. Our goal is to become the most loved DIY art brand worldwide, with local platforms per country, all driven by the same high quality, creativity, and strong customer focus.To achieve this, we collaborate with various artists to launch hundreds of new products every month and continuously build a product range that combines creativity and commerce. Platforms under SMT Group include, among others:

schilderopnr.nl

diy-artclub.com

diamondpaintingwelt.de

and

happypainting.se

How to apply Send us: Your CV or LinkedIn profile (keep it concise) A Loom (max. 5 minutes) or written walkthrough covering: One ad you’re proud of The hypothesis behind it The results (what was the control, what changed, and why it worked) One example of a brief you’ve written (redacted is fine)One sentence: which of our ads would you replace first, and why No cover letter needed, your Loom replaces it.

Send your application to Patricia Lakeman at or call +31 6 24962626 if you have questions. We review every application within 5 working days.