Creative Director (Art)

About the position

We are seeking a dynamic and highly skilled Creative Director (Art) to join our award-winning agency, where creativity, innovation, and an all-in company culture drives everything we do. This role will focus on leading creative for our automotive client, a major player in the industry, encompassing a wide range of initiatives—from vehicle campaigns to strategic programs, partnerships, and cutting-edge digital initiatives. As the Creative Director, you will be at the helm of developing transformative creative solutions that span multiple touchpoints, including traditional advertising, digital experiences, branded content, retailer activations, and experiential marketing. You'll collaborate with a talented cross-functional team to bring their brand vision to life in ways that captivate and engage consumers in the category. With a strong emphasis on creative, strategy, and market leadership, this role offers a unique opportunity to lead internal creative teams and clients to industry-shaping automotive work.

Responsibilities

• Lead the creative development for all automotive campaigns, overseeing concepts, designs, and executions across multiple platforms (TV, digital, social, print, experiential, etc.).
• Build strong, collaborative relationships with key clients, understanding their brand vision, business goals, and customer needs to produce impactful, boundary-expanding creative.
• Partner with ECD, strategists, account managers, and other disciplines to align creative direction with brand strategy, consumer insights, and market trends.
• Lead, mentor, and inspire art directors, copywriters, and other creatives, fostering a culture of creativity, innovation, and excellence.
• Lead and in some cases execute the creation of innovative, breakthrough concepts that stand out in the highly competitive automotive market.
• Ensure all creative deliverables meet the highest standards of quality and consistency, staying true to the brand's voice and identity.
• Present and pitch creative concepts to clients, effectively communicating the rationale behind the ideas and securing client approval.
• Work cross-functionally with production, digital, media, and other teams to bring ideas to life, ensuring seamless execution of creative concepts.
• Stay ahead of industry trends (automotive and beyond), emerging tech, and new digital platforms, ensuring the agency's creative output remains relevant and innovative.
• Be an active participant in our company culture, attending events, mentoring creatives, and celebrating our people and our work avidly.

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in creative roles, with at least 3+ years in a leadership capacity (automotive experience is strongly preferred, but not required).
• Proven track record of leading and delivering award-winning campaigns.
• Strong portfolio showcasing a diverse range of creative work, including but not limited to automotive and lifestyle brands.
• Deep understanding of consumer behavior and trends, with the ability to translate these insights into compelling creative concepts.
• Expertise in digital, traditional, and experiential creative, with a keen eye for emerging technologies and platforms.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and presentation skills.
• Strong ability to manage and inspire a creative team while maintaining a collaborative approach.
• Proficiency in creative software (Adobe Creative Suite).
• Broadcast and digital production experience required.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines and manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Nice-to-haves

• A keen interest and/or previous experience with automotive clients.
• A strategic and visionary thinker who can elevate creative concepts and drive innovation.
• A natural leader, with the ability to inspire, mentor, and collaborate effectively within teams.
• Excellent communication skills, with ample experience pitching ideas confidently and building strong client relationships.
• A high level of professionalism, with the ability to remain calm under pressure and manage multiple projects and people effectively.
• A positive, proactive attitude with the desire to inspire and motivate teams.
• Investment in our company culture.

Benefits

• Professional Development (performance reviews 2x annually, training opportunities related to your field of development, one-on-ones with managers, etc.).
• Competitive, equitable salaries (reviewed annually to ensure equity and competitiveness).
• A strong, vibrant, continually-evolving Diversity, Equity and Inclusion belief (in thought and action), encompassing our agency and our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).
• Competitive, company and employee sponsored benefits, including: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k (company matched 50% of first 6%), PTO (vacation/sick time) allowance, 18-week maternity leave, 12-week parental leave, 19 paid company holidays, Family Building Benefit (adoption, surrogacy benefit), tuition reimbursement and much more.