YouTube Creative Director & Strategist Job at Contrarian Thinking in Austin

Position Overview

Building the worlds most trusted and biggest business media company in the world.

If youve already taken a channel from good effort to this is blowing up, and you want your next challenge to be building tour generations media company this is for you.

Youll obsess on stories worth telling. Youll work directly with Codie Sanchez to own the creative direction and growth strategy for her YouTube channel. Your obsession with audience psychology, retention, and click-worthiness will drive every decision you make. Youll lead the content pipeline end-to-end, but your sharpest edge will be in concept, scripting, and execution. If you know your stuff, you know those are the parts that separate forgettable videos from the ones people cant stop talking about.

This is not a role for someone who likes YouTube. This is for someone who understands the science and the art of making people click, watch, and share and has done it before at a high level.

Youll lead a high-caliber creative team (editors, thumbnail designers, researchers), hire, and constantly push the bar higher. Youll analyze, ideate, and package content that crushes in both CTR and retention while holding the team accountable for execution.

We move fast. We measure everything. And we obsess on brand.

If youre in, its going to be the best career youve ever had with opportunity to become an owner in the many deals we do.

Responsibilities

• Own the YouTube content strategy from idea ? publish ? post-launch optimization (titles, thumbnails, interactions)
• Lead concept creation, scripting, and shot planning for long-form and short-form videos
• Work directly with Codie Sanchez to craft content that aligns with brand vision and audience growth goals
• Direct and guide the creative team (editors, thumbnail designers, researchers) to ensure every video meets the highest standards
• Manage the thumbnail/title creation process to maximize CTR
• Review and give actionable feedback on scripts, cuts, and final edits to improve retention and engagement
• Analyze performance data weekly and adjust strategy accordingly
• Identify collaborations, trends, and new formats that can unlock growth
• Maintain an agile content calendar while hitting consistent publish cadences
• Be willing and able to travel (~20%) for shoots, events, and on-location filming

Requirements

• Proven track record of scaling a creators YouTube channel (show us the numbers and your role)
• Deep understanding of retention, pacing, storytelling, and CTR optimization
• Strong grasp of YouTube analytics and audience behavior
• Hands-on knowledge of production: you know what a good shot looks like and how to get it (even if youre not holding the camera daily)
• Comfortable managing a creative team and hiring top talent
• Excellent communication skills, able to give direct, actionable feedback
• In-office, Austin-based role (no remote)
• Nice to have: experience in business, finance, or educational content
• Nice to have: portfolio with measurable growth results

Crew Benefits

• 100% company-paid health, dental, and vision for full-time team members (dependents optional)
• Unlimited PTO (with manager approval) + 8 paid US holidays
• On-time direct deposit twice a month
• Option to enroll in 401K via Guardian
• Free access to all Contrarian Thinking courses and community events

What is Contrarian Thinking?

We free minds and build bank accounts. Our mission is to help 1 million people become financially free and create 100,000 small business owners. Were a digital education and media company with 8M+ followers in 3 years, a newsletter with 800k+ subscribers, and a YouTube channel thats just getting started with your help, it will become the go-to for business ownership and financial freedom.