The Customer Experience (Marketing) team works to showcase our brand through the lens of expertise and love. They work to provide a personalized experience for our consumers backed by best-in-class, data-driven marketing capabilities. The Customer Experience team focuses across 4 departments including, Marketing, Creative, Communications, and our Loyalty & CRM team. Everyone brings their own point of view to create a unique experience for the pets and pet parents.

Collaborative & Flexible Work Environment: We believe in fostering growth, teamwork and creativity in a dynamic workplace. This role is based at PetSmart’s Phoenix Home Office, where associates currently enjoy the benefits of in-person collaboration while having the flexibility to work remotely one day per week (a “flex workday” with leader approval), and an expected four days in the office. At PetSmart, you’ll be part of an engaging and supportive environment designed to help you and our teams thrive.

We are a dynamic, fast-paced creative team driven by agility, and collaboration. Our mission is to deliver exceptional results, earning the trust of our business partners through bold ideas and strategic creativity.

We are looking for a unicorn that meets the following criteria:

You are a supportive mentor and inspiring leader, guiding a copy team with expert feedback and motivation to bring out their best work at every stage of the creative process.

You bring passion and energy to every idea, crafting engaging brand messaging with precision. With a keen eye for detail, a deep understanding of words and design, and a pulse on messaging trends, you navigate the omni-retail landscape with ease.

You are a confident, visionary storyteller and dynamic leader. You think strategically, crafting thoughtful, on-brand messaging that puts pet parents and business needs first. You offer creative options, articulate your decisions, and proactively refine your work for maximum impact.

Highly organized and efficient, you excel in fast-paced environments without sacrificing quality. You juggle tasks seamlessly, meet tight deadlines, and adapt to creative direction while leveraging project management tools and advanced technology for a streamlined process.

You’re a proactive force, driving projects forward with energy and innovation. With a strong sense of ownership, you create impactful work while bringing a confident, strategic perspective to the team.

With a strong passion for embracing modern methodologies, you thrive on leveraging advanced technology and AI to streamline processes, drive innovation, and deliver impactful results.

You love pets! You’d do anything for pets and pet parents. You want Petsmart to thrive and you’ll do what it takes with great enthusiasm for the business.

Who do you report to?

Vice President, Creative

Responsibilities

• Create inspiring creative messaging and lead others to do so as well.
• Develop and maintain a unique, authentic brand voice for PetSmart, influencing the execution of initiatives across current and future campaigns.
• Write (and manage others to do so) compelling, on-brand copy for all PetSmart program initiatives and platforms, including emails, web/app content, social media posts, print collateral, video/audio scripts, and broader campaign efforts.
• Create visually digestible brand guidelines to streamline team workflows and increase efficiency.
• Produce engaging presentations to effectively communicate and sell ideas.
• Drive innovation and evolve creative work, challenging traditional approaches to maintain freshness and relevance.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including writers, designers, creative directors, project managers, and clients, to deliver impactful solutions.
• Generate creative ideas quickly, especially under tight deadlines, ensuring a fast-paced work environment while managing multiple projects at once.
• Craft messaging that evokes emotional responses, aligns with the brand voice, and resonates with pet parents.
• Articulate ideas. Masterfully sell your work and get others to buy into ideas easily.
• Lead and manage a small team of Sr. Copywriters and experienced contract writers, ensuring incredible creative, high standards and consistent output.
• Take initiative in problem-solving, conducting research, and making informed decisions to keep projects on track.
• Immerse yourself in the business and be a wealth of knowledge.
• Continuously seek opportunities to improve processes, leveraging technology, creativity, and innovation to enhance work quality and quantity.
• Develop and maintain the PetSmart Copy Style Guide, ensuring consistency in messaging, typesetting, legal requirements, and brand language.

Required Skills and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, advertising, communications, or a related field is preferred but not required. We prioritize experience, passion, collaboration, and a strong portfolio.
• Senior-level copywriting experience with 6+ years of professional writing and management experience. We seek the right fit and relevant experience, not just years of tenure.
• An impressive portfolio clearly showcasing creative and strategic approaches across multiple platforms, with retail experience considered a plus.
• Exceptional command of grammar, and writing to a specific brand voice, while adapting tone to various media channels and adhering to legal and best practices.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word; major bonus points for experience with macOS-based Creative Suite, XD, and project management software.
• A strong advantage if you are forward-thinking in leveraging technology to enhance creative output, streamline processes, and improve efficiency.
• A collaborative mindset with a passion for working in a team-oriented environment.
• Expertise in crafting on-brand, compelling campaign ideas, headlines, persuasive CTAs, and subject lines with a clear sense of storytelling that aligns with business objectives.
• Strong time management, communication, and attention to detail with excellent presentation skills.
• Experience working on an in-house creative team or in an agency setting is required.
• Comfortable and confident in presenting work to clients and executives.
• Self-motivated, proactive, and able to work independently while managing multiple projects effectively.

At PetSmart, we work hard to create a culture where every associate feels like they truly belong and we celebrate the unique stories, backgrounds, and experiences our associates share.  These experiences not only bring new perspectives in shaping our Belonging culture but they’re core to PetSmart’s success.

Not sure if you meet 100% of the position requirements and whether you should apply? We’d still like to hear from you and encourage you to apply with us! You just may be the ideal candidate for this role, and if not this one, perhaps another position.

Our home office offers outstanding amenities in a fun and rewarding workplace including:

• Pet friendly environment, bring your pets to work!
• On-site Dog Park
• “Top Dog” gym with equipment, fitness classes, massage therapists and personal trainers
• “Sit & Stay” Café serving fresh breakfast and lunch options
• On-site coffee bar
• “Lil’ Paws” learning center and onsite daycare facility (associate paid)
• Volunteer events with PetSmart Charities
• Learn more about #LifeAtPetSmart here: https://www.lifeatpetsmart.com/life-at-petsmart/
• Check out Associate stories and share in some celebrations at PetSmart: https://www.blog.lifeatpetsmart.com/
• Explore PetSmart Benefits here: https://benefits.petsmart.com/
• If you don't already live in the Phoenix area here's a guide to the area:  Welcome to Phoenix Guide

PetSmart provides an equal opportunity for all associates and job applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or other legally protected characteristics.