Creative Director

Are you ready to redefine what's possible in creative services? This pivotal leadership role offers an unparalleled opportunity to make an indelible impact, directly shaping the creative vision for a significant book of business and elevating client outcomes across diverse sectors. You'll lead from the front, influencing strategy and contributing to high-priority accounts, while cultivating exceptional people leadership and product judgment.

About the Company

Aquent is proud to partner with an innovative, tech-enabled growth firm that stands at the forefront of marketing, consulting, and data intelligence. This dynamic organization is dedicated to fueling revenue growth and enhancing brand recognition for a diverse portfolio of leading and emerging companies worldwide. Driven by a mission to redefine what's possible through a team of growth-obsessed experts, they champion a people-first culture, demanding innovation and results, all powered by integrity, autonomy, and grit. Join a team that expertly manages billions in media, consistently challenging traditional planning and measurement through meticulous testing and data science across every milestone of the customer journey.

About the Role

We are seeking a visionary and experienced leader to elevate creative services within a thriving growth marketing environment. This exceptional opportunity empowers you to shape creative strategy, foster team growth, and directly impact client success across an exciting range of industries, including lifestyle, CPG, and B2B. As a player-coach, you will be instrumental in driving innovation, ensuring unparalleled product quality, and building strong client relationships, all while leading and mentoring a talented team of creative professionals. This role is a significant stepping stone for further advancement, allowing you to cultivate exceptional people leadership and product judgment while staying deeply connected to the craft.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of creative professionals, overseeing hiring, onboarding, and day-to-day operations to foster a high-performing environment.
• Develop and mentor team members, actively fostering growth paths, positive sentiment, and psychological safety within the team.
• Drive performance management, provide direct and constructive feedback, and make recommendations for raises and promotions.
• Oversee capacity planning and staffing to strategically align resources with evolving client needs and business objectives.
• Facilitate ongoing training and knowledge-sharing sessions to keep the team at the forefront of industry trends and tools.
• Meet directly with clients to articulate creative strategy, performance insights, and channel nuances, building strong relationships.
• Provide hands-on execution and exemplary support on complex or high-priority client accounts, demonstrating leadership through action.
• Act as the primary escalation point for creative client concerns, ensuring swift and effective resolution.
• Strengthen client retention through the delivery of strong creative solutions and the proactive identification of expansion opportunities.
• Proactively address client churn risks within your book of business, implementing strategies to mitigate potential losses.
• Ensure exceptional product quality through consistent and accountable QA processes, maintaining high standards.
• Lead creative product development, structured innovation initiatives, knowledge-sharing, and dynamic brainstorms.
• Collaborate effectively with service leads and platform partners to remain at the forefront of creative trends and technologies.
• Maintain full working knowledge of relevant systems and adapt seamlessly to evolving processes and methodologies.
• Employ cutting-edge AI technologies to enhance and optimize business processes and drive superior results.
• Demonstrate a genuine interest in expanding and evolving creative services within the industry, pushing boundaries.

Required Qualifications

• 7-8 years of digital marketing/creative experience, with a minimum of 5 years in an agency setting.
• Minimum 5 years of hands-on, expert-level experience across creative disciplines, including copywriting, design, production, strategy, and/or post-production.
• 5+ years of experience managing a team, including proven success in performance management and development planning.
• A robust portfolio showcasing a compelling track record of conceptualizing, developing, and delivering creative campaigns across multiple channels at scale.
• Demonstrated judgment and credibility that has consistently earned the trust and respect of creative specialists.
• Expert knowledge of how creative functions within the broader marketing funnel and contributes to overall business strategy.
• Executive-level presentation and communication skills, with the ability to confidently advise senior client stakeholders and internal leadership.
• A visionary leader with a proven track record of building strong team cultures, inspiring creative teams, and pushing boundaries while consistently delivering measurable business results.