Job Details

About Formant

At Formant, we're building the operating system for intelligent machines. Our mission is to unlock the full potential of robotics by making it effortless to manage, operate, and scale heterogeneous fleets-powered by AI. Our customers span autonomous cleaning, logistics, agriculture, and more. We're a small, agile team working on a big, tangible future: real-world AI in motion.

The Role (Please Read Carefully)

This is not a traditional marketing manager role.

We're hiring a marketing lead and creative producer - a senior individual contributor who will define and execute Formant's voice, story, and visual presence from the ground up.

You will act as an internal production studio of one. You will set the narrative, create the assets yourself, ship frequently, and iterate fast. Over time, this role may help shape how marketing scales - but today, success means doing the work, not managing people.

You'll report directly to our Chief Business Officer and work closely with technical founders, engineers, and customers. You'll need to be comfortable getting close to the product, the technology, and the machines themselves.

This role is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. You must be local or willing to relocate.

What You'll Actually Do

You will own Formant's external voice and creative output end-to-end.

Creative Production & Brand

• Film, edit, and publish high-quality (but scrappy) video content featuring robots, customers, and the product
• Produce interviews, demos, and occasional podcast-style content
• Design and ship visual assets across web and social (landing pages, posts, thumbnails, decks)
• Maintain a strong, consistent visual and editorial standard

Narrative & Technical Storytelling

• Define and evolve Formant's brand voice and point of view in AI + robotics
• Translate complex technical concepts into clear, credible stories for a developer-heavy audience
• Turn customer conversations and founder thinking into compelling written and visual content
• Avoid marketing fluff - clarity and honesty win

Distribution & Momentum

• Build momentum across channels (LinkedIn, blog, email, events) - quality over volume
• Repurpose ideas across formats instead of starting from scratch every time
• Run fast, lightweight experiments to learn what resonates with the industry

Execution Style

• Operate independently with high agency
• Ship without waiting for perfect inputs
• Use AI tools naturally as part of your creative workflow (not as a gimmick)

What You Will Not Do

• Manage a team or agency
• Spend most of your time on paid funnel optimization
• Build complex attribution dashboards
• Act as a brand gatekeeper who doesn't create themselves

Who This Role Is For

You're likely a great fit if:

• You've built or shaped a brand, voice, or creative direction largely on your own
• You can solo direct, film, edit, write, and design
• You have strong editorial and visual taste - and can explain why something works
• You speak "engineer" comfortably and aren't afraid to dig into technical details
• You've worked closely with founders or senior leaders before
• You enjoy ambiguity and momentum more than process
• You're mid-to-senior career, but still deeply hands-on

Who This Role Is Not For

This role is not a good fit if:

• You primarily manage agencies instead of making things yourself
• You need a team or large budget to feel effective
• You're seeking a VP or Director title
• You prefer highly structured environments and long alignment cycles
• You're most excited by dashboards, funnels, or attribution models

Why You Might Have Been Rejected Elsewhere (But Not Here)

• You're "too creative" - we value bold visuals and strong POVs over corporate safety
• You're a generalist - we want someone dangerous across video, design, copy, and strategy
• You're post-process - you care more about shipping and momentum than meetings

How to Apply

We care less about resumes and more about proof of craft and taste.

Please include:

• A link to your portfolio or examples of shipped work (video, writing, social, design)
• A short note explaining:
• • Why you made it
  • What worked
  • What didn't
  • What you learned

Applications without real examples of work will not be considered.

The role is located in the San Francisco, CA - Bay Area