P6P6 — Principal Professional
Principal – Head of Narrative/Creative
Shape the company’s creative narrative direction.
What this level means
Top individual contributor; recognized authority with strategic impact, equivalent to a low executive level
- Scope
- Organization-wide architecture and the hardest problems
- Autonomy
- Defines direction; minimal oversight
- Complexity
- Strategic, open-ended problems shaping the technical future
- Impact
- Organization-wide
- Decision rights
- Sets technical strategy for a major area
- Leadership
- Recognized authority; multiplies many teams
- Typical experience
- 12–18 yrs
What you'd do
- Drive innovation in storytelling.
- Represent narrative strategy to senior leadership.
- Shape the company's creative narrative direction.
- Lead cross-media narrative initiatives.
- Influence organizational narrative culture.
- Drive storytelling innovation.
- Represent narrative strategy.
- Influence narrative culture.
Skills, knowledge & tools
- Strategic vision setting
- Industry leadership
- Organizational influence
- Advanced negotiation
- Cross-media narrative leadership
- Creative narrative direction
- Industry trends and leadership
- Organizational influence strategies
- Advanced negotiation techniques
- Cross-media storytelling
- Strategic Vision
- Industry thought leadership
- Organizational influence
- Advanced negotiation
What good looks like
- 15+ years; may include executive creative roles or cross-media experience
- Bachelor's degree in Creative Writing, Literature, or related field
- Proven industry leadership
Common titles
Narrative Design VINarrative Design 6Principal Narrative DesignNarrative Designer VINarrative Designer 6Principal Narrative DesignerStorytelling VIStorytelling 6Principal StorytellingCharacter Development VICharacter Development 6Principal Character DevelopmentCharacter Developer VICharacter Developer 6Principal Character DeveloperDialogue Writing VI
Where it sits & what it pays
O*NET / SOC: 27-0000 — Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, & Media Occupations(inferred · under review)
Market-pay benchmarks for this family × level are coming — JobFrame anchors pay to the family/level structure rather than the raw title.