Director, Creative Effectiveness

Unclassified - Chicago, IL

Full-time - Director

Chicago, IL

About the position

We are seeking a Director of Creative Capabilities to be an integral driver of our mission of becoming the undisputed creative leader in food. The Director will be a strategic thought partner to the VP of Creative Culture & Effectiveness, bringing their unique ideas, toolkit, and inspiration to elevate our creative endeavors. This role is not only about creativity but also about operational excellence, as the Director will be passionate about building the systems, processes, tools, and routines necessary to raise the bar on creative excellence and effectiveness across the organization. The Director will help lead and inspire a world-class marketing organization dedicated to pushing the boundaries of creativity in marketing, branding, and consumer experience. This involves fostering a culture of curiosity, courage, collaboration, and strategic thinking, empowering the team to consistently deliver exceptional work and think bigger, faster, braver, and more impactful than before. Key components of the role include driving the approach and agenda for creative acceleration at Kraft Heinz, shaping and developing innovative approaches and tools that inspire and empower the organization to achieve creative excellence and drive business results. The Director will also develop and lead practical plans to close gaps in creative capabilities and expand the program's scope and impact. In partnership with inclusive marketing, insights, media, and external partners, the Director will build and optimize systems and processes to ensure effective planning, execution, and measurement of creative initiatives. Stakeholder engagement is crucial, as the Director will build strong relationships with key collaborators across the organization, presenting ideas and gaining consensus from stakeholders to drive the creative agenda forward. A hands-on approach is essential to understand the realities of the business and the perspectives of marketers and their agency partners. The Director will guide the team in driving the vision, planning, and roll-out of Kraft Heinz's ACE (Accelerating Creative Excellence) program, ensuring its successful implementation and continuous improvement across the globe. Additionally, the Director will optimize agency relationships to ensure maximum ROI and brand effectiveness, oversee the sharing and celebration of creative work, manage the external creative reputation, and support inbound and outbound licensing strategies to support broader brand and business objectives.

Responsibilities

• Drive the approach and agenda for creative acceleration at Kraft Heinz.
• Shape, develop, and drive the implementation of innovative approaches and tools that inspire and empower the organization to achieve creative excellence and drive business results.
• Develop and lead practical plans to close gaps in creative capabilities and expand the program's scope and impact.
• Build and optimize systems and processes to ensure effective planning, execution, and measurement of creative initiatives in partnership with inclusive marketing, insights, media, and external partners.
• Build strong relationships with key collaborators across the organization and present ideas to gain consensus from stakeholders.
• Maintain a hands-on approach to understand the realities of the business and the perspectives of marketers and their agency partners.
• Guide the team in driving the vision, planning, and roll-out of Kraft Heinz's ACE (Accelerating Creative Excellence) program.
• Ensure the successful implementation, administration, and continuous improvement of the ACE program across the globe.
• Optimize agency relationships to ensure maximum ROI and brand effectiveness.
• Oversee the sharing and celebration of creative work and its impact across the organization.
• Manage the external creative reputation through award programs, public engagements, and thought leadership initiatives.
• Oversee and support inbound and outbound licensing strategies to support broader brand and business objectives.

Requirements

• Minimum of 10 years of hands-on experience, including client and/or agency side positions.
• Proven track record of driving creative excellence, innovation, effectiveness, and impact.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, inspire, and impact teams without direct authority.
• Strong influence and relationship-building skills with the ability to drive the agenda in ambiguous situations.
• Exceptional strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to create and execute practical plans to achieve strategic objectives.
• Excellent communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to create simple, compelling narratives and present ideas effectively.
• Passion for planning, building systems, and executing action plans.
• Strong project management skills and the ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated fluency in brand foundations, briefs, and critical brand-building activities (e.g., strategy, consumer insights, design, media, craft).

Nice-to-haves

• Experience in the food industry or related sectors.
• Familiarity with digital marketing and social media strategies.
• Knowledge of consumer behavior and market trends.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and performance-based bonuses.
• Comprehensive health insurance plans.
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with company matching contributions.
• Paid time off and holidays.
• Opportunities for professional development and career growth.
• Flexible work arrangements and remote work options.