CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Our client⠀in the⠀pharmaceutical⠀space is⠀looking⠀for a⠀Creative⠀Director⠀(CD) to⠀provide⠀creative⠀leadership⠀including⠀copy and⠀design⠀direction⠀to their⠀in-house⠀agency.

Working⠀with⠀creative⠀teams, the⠀CD guides⠀the⠀concept⠀execution⠀and⠀supports⠀the⠀creative⠀direction.⠀The CD is⠀responsible⠀for⠀supporting⠀peers in⠀the⠀account⠀services⠀and⠀operations⠀teams in⠀managing⠀senior⠀client⠀relationships,⠀creating⠀workflow⠀efficiencies⠀and⠀providing⠀full-service⠀support to⠀clients.⠀The⠀Creative⠀Director⠀must be⠀able to⠀convincingly⠀present⠀creative⠀concepts⠀to all⠀parties⠀when⠀appropriate.⠀This⠀person⠀must⠀exhibit⠀outstanding⠀creative⠀judgment⠀and guide⠀the⠀creative⠀services⠀team in⠀achieving⠀the⠀highest⠀possible⠀standards⠀appropriate⠀for all⠀materials⠀regardless⠀of medium.⠀The⠀Creative⠀Director⠀maintains⠀a working⠀knowledge⠀of⠀clients’⠀business⠀challenges⠀and leads⠀innovative⠀and⠀conceptual⠀solutions⠀to address⠀those⠀challenges,⠀getting⠀personally⠀involved⠀on⠀high-profile⠀and⠀complex⠀creative⠀challenges.

This⠀will be a⠀full-time,⠀salaried⠀position⠀that is⠀local to⠀central⠀New⠀Jersey.⠀Candidates⠀must be⠀able to⠀come⠀onsite⠀twice a⠀week.

Responsibilities:

Team Leadership

• Work⠀harmoniously⠀with⠀others to⠀get a job⠀done and⠀lead the⠀team in a⠀collaborative⠀fashion.
• Share⠀critical⠀information⠀with⠀everyone⠀involved⠀in a⠀project to⠀produce⠀more⠀effective⠀creative⠀solutions.
• Help⠀to set a⠀tone of⠀cooperation⠀within the⠀In-House⠀agency and⠀across the⠀organization.
• Promote⠀a⠀solution-oriented⠀mentality⠀across the⠀creative⠀studio⠀team.
• Encourage⠀individuals⠀to take on⠀specific⠀roles to⠀deepen⠀existing⠀skills or⠀develop⠀new⠀ones.
• Give⠀the team⠀proper⠀recognition⠀and credit⠀for their⠀contributions.
• Build⠀a⠀collective⠀team⠀vision and⠀define⠀goals and⠀objectives⠀for studio⠀members.
• Lead⠀with⠀passion⠀that⠀energizes⠀the team⠀to⠀over-deliver⠀against⠀expectations⠀and⠀results in⠀high⠀employee⠀engagement⠀and⠀overall⠀job⠀satisfaction.

Creative Direction, Leadership and Execution

• Provide⠀creative⠀leadership⠀and⠀coaching⠀while⠀partnering⠀with⠀Associate⠀Creative⠀Directors⠀to⠀accomplish⠀creative⠀objectives.
• Set⠀creative⠀quality⠀control⠀standards⠀and hold⠀team⠀accountable⠀to these⠀standards.
• Direct⠀complex,⠀large-scale⠀project⠀activities⠀and⠀effectively⠀lead and⠀manage the⠀work of⠀the⠀creative⠀studio⠀team.
• Lead⠀conceptual⠀development⠀of Tier 1⠀creative⠀on select⠀projects⠀including⠀development⠀of⠀sketches/prototypes⠀and⠀imagery⠀selection⠀or⠀headlines⠀and⠀copy.
• Provide⠀brand⠀guidance⠀and⠀direction⠀to ensure⠀consistent⠀alignment⠀with brand⠀standards.
• Motivate⠀the team⠀to deliver⠀a⠀consistently⠀high level⠀of quality⠀as⠀evaluated⠀by⠀clients.
• Understand⠀data used⠀to track⠀market⠀trends and⠀customer⠀actions⠀and use it⠀to inform⠀the⠀creative⠀work.
• Lead⠀and mentor⠀team in⠀the⠀creative⠀process⠀leveraging⠀research,⠀analytics⠀and brand⠀insights.
• Direct⠀team as⠀brand⠀advocates,⠀and in⠀partnership⠀with the⠀ECD⠀encourage⠀and⠀develop⠀new⠀interpretations⠀of the⠀brand⠀standards⠀and⠀out-of-the-box⠀approaches⠀to grow⠀the verbal⠀and visual⠀identity⠀of the⠀brand to⠀meet ever⠀expanding⠀company⠀needs.
• Develop⠀creative⠀strategies⠀as⠀requested⠀to address⠀marketing⠀and⠀business⠀objectives.
• Articulate⠀the⠀creative⠀rationale⠀that⠀drives the⠀concept’s⠀execution⠀and⠀tactics.
• Expect⠀team to⠀push new⠀thinking⠀and⠀challenge⠀cliché or⠀rerun⠀ideas.
• Confidently⠀and⠀diplomatically⠀steward⠀new ideas⠀through⠀the⠀organization⠀on behalf⠀of the⠀team.

Staff Development

• Work to⠀improve⠀the⠀team’s⠀performance⠀by⠀pursuing⠀opportunities⠀for⠀continuous⠀learning/feedback.
• Constructively⠀help and⠀coach team⠀in their⠀professional⠀development⠀through⠀informal⠀and formal⠀feedback⠀sessions⠀(i.e.,⠀performance⠀reviews)⠀as⠀appropriate.
• Guide⠀the⠀workload,⠀development⠀and growth⠀of direct⠀reports.
• Demonstrate⠀a real⠀sense of⠀caring for⠀the⠀team’s⠀professional⠀and⠀personal⠀well⠀being.
• Plan⠀regularly⠀scheduled⠀one-on-one⠀time for⠀personal⠀coaching⠀and⠀mentoring⠀of direct⠀reports.
• Implement⠀and refine⠀conceptual⠀development/ideation⠀process⠀and⠀define.
• Coach⠀team on⠀presentation⠀expectations.
• Exhibit⠀a⠀“can-do”⠀approach⠀and⠀inspire⠀and⠀motivate⠀associates⠀to⠀excel.
• Foster⠀a team⠀spirit⠀that is⠀reflective⠀of their⠀collective⠀personalities.
• Nurture⠀a culture⠀that is⠀fun to⠀work in⠀and helps⠀build an⠀open⠀creative⠀community.
• Proactively⠀address⠀staff⠀performance⠀issues.
• Celebrate⠀team and⠀individual⠀successes⠀and create⠀a safe⠀environment⠀for⠀constructive⠀feedback.

Client Service

• Build⠀strong⠀relationships⠀with⠀clients⠀and be⠀perceived⠀as a⠀credible,⠀trusted⠀advisor.
• Partner⠀with⠀clients to⠀achieve⠀effective⠀outcomes⠀in an⠀efficient⠀manner.
• Work⠀with⠀clients to⠀articulate⠀creative⠀needs⠀concisely⠀yet⠀completely.
• Appropriately⠀balance⠀client⠀desires,⠀business⠀requirements⠀and⠀marketing⠀strategies.
• Find⠀common⠀ground⠀with⠀clients⠀when⠀debating⠀creative⠀or⠀strategic⠀opinions.

Qualifications:

• Experience⠀level:⠀Experienced
• Bachelor’s⠀degree⠀required;⠀MFA⠀preferred,⠀preferably⠀in design,⠀advertising,⠀English,⠀journalism⠀or related⠀field.
• Minimum⠀of 10⠀years⠀professional⠀experience⠀required;⠀5 as an⠀art⠀director.
• Minimum⠀of 5 years⠀management⠀experience⠀leading⠀teams of⠀creatives⠀required.
• Portfolio⠀required.
• In-house⠀agency⠀experience⠀required.
• External⠀agency⠀experience⠀desired.
• Demonstrated⠀creative⠀conceptualization⠀skills.