Creative Director

Creative DirectorOur client is seeking a highly experienced and strategically-minded Creative Director to lead their creative team. This pivotal role is about providing clear creative direction and strategic oversight while remaining hands‑on with design execution—from brand identity and print design to web design and digital campaigns. You’ll be instrumental in translating client business goals into captivating visual and written communications, guiding the creative team through the process, ensuring impeccable quality control, and celebrating creative achievements that drive measurable business results for our clients.Key ResponsibilitiesLead brand strategy & creative direction: Audit new client brands, providing strategic observations and recommendations. Craft creative briefs for all projects, develop brand and marketing audits, and present strategic frameworks that align with client business objectives and customer psychology.Quality control & oversight: Review all work produced by the creative team, maintaining premium quality standards across all deliverables. Provide timely input, feedback, and direction to ensure compelling, effective marketing communications at every stage of the client buying cycle.Strategic guidance & storytelling: Act as a captivating storyteller and strategic marketer, translating complex business goals into clear, compelling brand narratives. Apply storytelling frameworks to shape brand identities and marketing communications that resonate with target audiences.Team leadership & collaboration: Lead brainstorming sessions, facilitate creative collaboration between designers, content developers, and account managers. Be available to answer questions, provide creative direction, and ensure the team has clear priorities and direction.Hands‑On Design ExecutionConceptualize & design: Create high-quality design work based on established brand elements and creative briefs, from initial concept sketches to final execution. Design for both print and web, ensuring brand consistency across all touchpoints.Production & technical execution: Prepare files for print production, manage relationships with printers and vendors, review proofs for accuracy and quality, and ensure proper file management. Manipulate, color correct, and modify images to meet project requirements.Digital design & development: Design for web and digital channels, work with content developers to shape wireframes for both print and online, and design/broadcast email communications and promotions. Understanding of responsive web design, HTML, CSS, and web standards is essential.Brand identity development: Develop and refine brand identities, create brand manuals and style guides, and ensure consistent application of brand elements across all client communications.Team Development & Internal OperationsCreative team growth: Help ensure the creative team is thriving and growing—that they are being encouraged, appropriately challenged, adequately equipped, and effectively trained to do GREAT work. Conduct quarterly creative team reviews and annual performance evaluations.Thought leadership & continuous learning: Stay informed of design trends, client industries, and marketing best practices. Read industry articles and books monthly, collect and share samples of excellent design and storytelling, and contribute to the agency's thought leadership through writing and sharing insights.Project coordination: Work closely with the project coordinator to review weekly work output, update project management systems (Asana), and ensure all tasks are properly tracked and scheduled. Review monthly account reports and provide creative insights and action items to Account Managers.Professional development: Create annual professional development plans, propose innovation ideas, identify skill acquisition goals, and lead creative exercises and short field trips to inspire the team.Outcomes You’ll DeliverFor Clients: Clear, compelling, beautiful, and effective marketing communications that drive business results. Ease of production and a seamless creative process.For the Agency: A thriving creative team capable of premium‑quality work, the ability to charge a premium for services, and no call‑backs due to quality issues.What You Bring10+ years of progressive experience in brand strategy, creative direction, and hands‑on design work, with a significant focus on both B2B and B2C clients.Strong preference for candidates with experience gained within a creative agency or in‑house art department environment.Expert proficiency in brand strategy and brand identity development, with a proven track record of creating compelling brand narratives.Mastery of Adobe Creative Cloud (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator) with the ability to execute high‑quality design work independently.Strong understanding of web design, HTML, CSS, web standards, and responsive design principles. Experience with web development is a significant asset.Exceptional writing skills and the ability to craft compelling copy and creative briefs that inspire great work.StoryBrand certification or equivalent training in storytelling frameworks for marketing.Leadership training and experience managing and developing creative teams, with demonstrated ability to provide constructive feedback and foster growth.Impeccable taste in art and design, with keen attention to detail and quality control.Strong strategic thinking and the ability to translate business objectives into creative solutions that achieve measurable results.Excellent communication and presentation skills, capable of articulating creative concepts to diverse audiences and selling creative recommendations to clients.Highly organized and detail‑oriented, capable of managing multiple projects at various stages of completion simultaneously.Experience with photography and video editing (stills and video) is an asset.University degree in Design, Communications, or a related field.Seniority levelDirectorEmployment typeFull‑timeJob functionDesign, Art/Creative, and Information TechnologyIndustriesHuman Resources Services #J-18808-Ljbffr