Creative Lead - North America

Gazelle & Urban Arrow North America is seeking an experienced Creative Lead to drive content strategy, storytelling, and creative development across our growing North American business.

This is a strategic, hands-on role for a versatile marketer who can move comfortably between content strategy, creative direction, and execution. The ideal candidate can translate global brand direction into compelling digital storytelling and omnichannel campaigns, develop strong creative briefs and content plans, and manage a flexible network of agencies, freelancers, and global creative resources. They understand how to build a compelling narrative around a premium brand and bring it to life across the consumer journey, from social and digital advertising to web, email, video, PR, and dealer channels, while adapting the story and creative to the strengths of each platform.

As part of a lean marketing team, this person should also be comfortable rolling up their sleeves when needed, whether that’s adapting an existing asset, developing a template, editing copy, or creating quick-turn content. 

Who are we?

Royal Dutch Gazelle has been making bikes in the Netherlands since 1892, producing over 300,000 annually. Today, we’re Europe’s market leader, employing more than 550 people worldwide, and we still proudly build our bikes in our Dutch factory.

In 2017, we launched Gazelle Bikes North America in Santa Cruz, California, to bring Dutch cycling culture across the Atlantic. Our fast-growing team is introducing U.S. and Canadian riders to the joy, health, and sustainability of ebikes. Alongside Gazelle, we distribute Urban Arrow, the world’s leading e-cargo bike brand. With more than 100,000 sold, Urban Arrow has propelled cargo bikes from a Dutch niche into a global solution for families. We are part of Pon.Bike, whose portfolio includes other global brands such as Cervélo, Cannondale, and Santa Cruz Bicycles. This position is located in Santa Cruz, California (Hybrid / On-site, with a 3 day per week in-office requirement).

Overall Duties and Responsibilities

Content & Digital Storytelling

• Own the North American content strategy and editorial calendar for Gazelle and Urban Arrow, establishing content pillars, recurring storytelling themes, and priorities aligned with broader marketing and business goals.
• Translate global brand direction into compelling North American storytelling, collaborating with the HQ brand team and bringing stories to life for U.S. and Canadian audiences.
• Develop integrated, omnichannel stories and content ecosystems that connect a central narrative across social, video, web, email, paid media, PR, and dealer channels.

Creative Development & Production

• Develop creative briefs and content plans for campaigns, product launches, organic social, and ongoing marketing initiatives.
• Create and adapt day-to-day marketing content as needed, using Adobe Creative Suite and other creative tools to edit, resize, version, or develop assets when the scope does not require a specialized external resource.
• Direct creative production across photography, video, design, copy, and other content development, ensuring work is designed for effective use across channels and formats.
• Use AI-enabled creative tools thoughtfully where appropriate to support ideation, concept development, editing, adaptation, versioning, and efficient content production.
• Develop scalable templates and creative systems that enable the North American team, external partners, and dealer network to efficiently create or update brand-consistent marketing materials.

Creative Partners & Organic Social

• Manage & source a flexible network of creative resources, including agencies, photographers, videographers, designers, writers, creators, freelancers, and Netherlands-based production partners, providing clear briefs, feedback, and direction.
• Oversee organic social content strategy and creative direction while managing an external partner responsible for the day-to-day.

Campaign & Launch Creative

• Own the creative and content workstream for product launches and major campaigns, translating broader marketing strategy into a cohesive campaign narrative, messaging framework, content plan, and campaign deliverables.
• Partner with the digital team, sales, PR agency, and global teams to understand how consumers will encounter campaigns across channels and deliver the creative and content required for a connected experience.

Competencies and Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in content marketing, digital marketing, creative marketing, integrated marketing, or a related role.
• Demonstrated experience developing digital and omnichannel campaign storytelling, with the ability to build a central narrative and adapt it across social, video, web, email, paid media, and other consumer touchpoints.
• Strong storytelling and editorial instincts, with the ability to translate marketing strategy, audience insights, and product positioning into compelling consumer-facing narratives.
• Experience developing creative briefs and managing content and creative development for integrated campaigns and/or product launches.
• Experience managing agencies, freelancers, photographers, videographers, designers, writers, creators, or other external creative resources.
• Excellent writing, editing, and communication skills with strong attention to detail.
• Proficient with Adobe Creative Suite and the ability to independently create, edit, adapt, resize, and version everyday marketing assets. Experience with Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, or comparable tools is preferred.
• Familiarity with AI-enabled creative and marketing tools and the ability to thoughtfully incorporate them into creative workflows where they improve ideation, efficiency, adaptation, or production.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple creative workstreams and external partners simultaneously.
• Experience collaborating across functions and with remote or international teams is preferred.
• Resourceful and comfortable working within a lean team, with strong judgment around when to execute directly and when to engage specialized external expertise.
• Passion and background in cycling, active transportation, outdoor recreation, or mobility is necessary.

Language Skills

Ability to read, comprehend, and explain documents in English and communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, in English.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the overall duties and responsibilities of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable otherwise qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the overall duties and responsibilities.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be required to stand, walk, use hands and fingers, reach, lift, push, climb, stoop, kneel, crouch, pull, talk, and hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 60 pounds. Vision may be corrected within normal range. The noise level in the work environment is generally moderate.

Salary Range

This compensation package will be dependent on experience, qualifications, industry experience and the interview with a potential range of up to $110,000 - $120,000.