Associate Creative Director

(spark) is hiring an Associate Creative Directorto join our full-service production agency.

We know that the role of an ACD is one of the hardest jobs in the business. It combines learning and teaching, leading and making, doing and delegating. We know it's not easy because we've been there before... but we're here to help you rock it.

Why Join Our Team?

(spark) is a Leap Group company. When joining Leap Group, you're joining a team that is passionate, innovative, and connected. Some words we've heard our teammates use to describe our culture are welcoming, collaborative, flexible, and dog-friendly (warning: your interview may be accompanied by a wagging tail).

We give our team the ability to make an impact with clients, while expanding their experience and depth of knowledge in the process. We like to show our appreciation for everything our teammates do by offering supportive and inclusive benefits that allow them to thrive. This includes things like:

• Remote work options
• Autonomy and flexibility
• Unlimited PTO and Summer Fridays
• Paid maternity and paternity leave
• Company-paid access to coaching and therapy
• 401k plan with 1:1 access to investment advisor
• Health, dental, vision, and ancillary benefits
• Paid professional development opportunities

Diverse and Inclusive Marketing Comes from Diverse and Inclusive Teams

We recognize our teammates are our greatest assets in helping our clients market less and matter more. Diverse backgrounds, opinions and perspectives on our team allow us to expand our own perspectives and, in the process, create solutions that are innovative, creative, and strategic.

We're constantly working to transform our agencies and industry into spaces that are more diverse, equitable, and inclusive, and we welcome the addition of YOUR unique voice and perspective. Don't forget to ask us about our focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion during your interview.

Who is the Associate Creative Director?

In addition to solving creative briefs and meeting with clients on a regular basis, the ACD is becoming an expert in their craft and leading the efforts of more junior creatives. This role is one of a storyteller and creative problem solver, finding new and unexpected ways to drive results for our clients. We will encourage you to use every tool in your creative arsenal, not just your computer, to create meaningful work that you can be proud of. We build, we draw, we take pictures, we write, we geek out on tech, and we get our hands dirty to bring our ideas to life.

A key creative mind on (spark)'s nimble production team, you have a keen understanding of the specific demands of both traditional and digital media. You get excited by not just making great work, but by making great work that actually works. You will create the innovative and memorable cross-channel work that continues to make our agency, and our clients stand out and talked about in the industry and around the proverbial water cooler.

In this role, you can expect to:

• Play a hands-on role in the delivery of outstanding creative and results, working collaboratively within a cross-disciplinary team and environment to ensure creative work is on-brand, works hard and stands out amongst the rest.
• Ensure consistency and efficacy of creative.
• Concept creative from brief to end product with the ability to self-manage multiple projects and tight timelines.
• Work within the client's established brand guidelines.
• Leverage concepting and strategic talent to contribute to entire campaigns that solve for consumer needs and business goals.
• Successfully advocate your creative ideas by confidently presenting to leadership, stakeholders and clients.
• Articulate and rationalize creative decisions with strategic insights.
• Collaborate with internal teams such as media, strategists, and creative leads to test a multitude of creative iterations and apply learnings to evolving best practices.
• Stay consistently relevant and up to date on all marketing trends and culture in effort to bring fresh ideas, sharing with peers and the broader team.
• Appraise and edit your own work.
• Work closely with project managers and account teams across the life span of a project.
• Bring to life ideas for new business pitches and existing clients across presentations and production.
• Drive overall creative aesthetic and concept creation, bringing innovative ideas to life both visually and verbally.

What do You Need?

• Relevant cross functional design and conceptual experience. Video and animation experience is a plus.
• Expert level proficiency in InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Adobe Creative Suite, Slack and Google Slides
• Digital portfolio of drool-worthy advertising, campaign concepts and relevant creative endeavors (please attach with application to be considered!)
• A natural curiosity for the unique, the buzz-worthy and the culturally relevant with a willingness to push forward brave, new ideas.
• Excellent interpersonal communications and presentation skills, with the ability to inspire client confidence.
• The optimism to think bigger, the curiosity to dig deeper, and the passion to do better.
• The ability to adapt to new ideas, processes, and business problems with ease and enthusiasm.
• A professional attitude and an openness to feedback that commands the respect of supervisors and colleagues.
• An appreciation for the relationship between copy and visual elements (and great design in general). We expect our ACDs to understand that a product isn't truly great unless the copy and the design support each other.
• Eagle eye attention to detail.
• Strong work ethic and high level of accountability.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams.
• Ability to think strategically, conceptualize and see ideas through to polished execution.
• Thought leadership: A strong point of view; ability to contribute to the creative and strategic development of a brand campaign, and the ability to promote conceptual thinking among the team/ability to communicate ideas clearly
• Compassion, empathy, and investment in your team, the organization and the work.

Where is This Role?

Leap Group has a footprint in the Midwest, with offices in Louisville, KY, Cincinnati, OH, and Indianapolis, IN. While we are open to remote applicants, the ideal ACD will be located within a few hours of Cincinnati or Louisville and able to travel to accommodate regular onsite shoots, meetings, and work.

Check Us Out

To learn more about our agencies and work, visit www.leapgroupnetwork.com

Accommodation Requests

Leap Group complies with the ADA and ADAAA. If you need reasonable accommodation to apply, interview, or do the job, please send an email to our Human Resources Manager, Chelsea, at cellwanger@leapgroupnetwork.com so that we can evaluate your accommodation request.