Digital Creative Director

C2 Staffing

We always knew this city had great talent — that’s why we were the first dedicated creative staffing agency in town. C2 has been part of Milwaukee’s creative bedrock for almost 17 years. From city to suburb, we’re recruiting some of the best creative talent around to create a loyal and unstoppable tribe of talented and diverse professionals hungry to do their best work. Clients and talent entrust us to make great matches; local professional organizations and tech meetups/user groups rely on us to host meetings and provide sponsorship and expertise to their efforts.

Over the last 16+ years we’ve consistently supported AIGA-WI, ANA-Milwaukee, United Adworkers, 414digital, Milwaukee Adobe User Group, Brew City UX, the Milwaukee WordPress MeetUp and many others.

Bottom line: We’re proud of our local roots because we think this city matters. We want to see it grow and thrive just like you do, and we’re committed to representing the best talent and making it easy to hire them.

https://c2staffing.com/


Position Details

Digital Creative Director
Job
Full-time
Office/WFH
100% remote
3/23/2021
Southeast Wisconsin
Milwaukee, WI

C2's client, a well-established ad agency with a strong client base and a history of client satisfaction and success, seeks a digital-first creative director. This full-service agency provides a wide range of clients with print and broadcast to interactive and experiential. They help clients build engagement and their brands.

Start date: ASAP 

Duration: Full-time permanent

Location: Onsite preferred, minimum 2 days/week for regional candidates

This role leads the creative team, takes ownership, from strategy setting and ideation to leading meetings with C-suite-level clients, from management and mentorship of creative team members to hands-on execution. Ideal background is design and art direction as the role encompasses a broad array of digital and traditional media management. Ideal candidate has exposure to and experience with radio and TV storyboards and scripts to user experience, front-end design and web site updates. From logo and identity design to product packaging, from placement and design of digital ads and social media content to PR and communications, a well-rounded foundation will serve the individual and the organization well.

A focus and passion for what’s new and next in digital paired with consistent application of best practices, balanced with a track record of successful campaigns across channels and a commitment to cultivation of strong relationships with teams, clients and vendors are all critical to personal and agency success.

Very few full-service agencies can provide the strategic and marketing leadership, messaging capabilities, digital management and account management that this agency can, and do it with a superior level of agility and affordability. This key role in the agency diagnoses challenges, identifies the right approach needed to exceed client expectations, achieve desired outcomes/deliverables as determined by the strategy, lead the creative team collaboratively, decisively and efficiently.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

The right candidate takes ownership from start to finish: concepts, budgets, timelines as well as supporting the agency to build a book of business that can evolve to keep pace with the persistent growth of digital marketing, advertising and design - tools, trends and opportunities to elevate client results. The current agency CEO models and instills a true commitment to ownership and growth, and has resolved to bring in an aspiring, driven and enthusiastic creative director who understands and emulates that passion.

CRUCIAL TO SUCCESS:

The agency owner has built a team of committed professionals with complementary skills and styles. He insists that his staff approach their role with an entrepreneurial spirit (always looking for efficiencies, process-improvement, new opportunities), take ownership (constant concern for the agency's growth, profitability, business development) and GROWTH - of skills, professional acumen, personal development, management skills, team strength. The work demands passion. EVERY. DANG. DAY.

This role is best served by someone fueled by an internal drive to evolve the experience for the clients, the team and to run a profitable department. Participate in planning sessions and support the development of marketing strategy for clients and the internal agency brand. Instill and model a culture of quality assurance. Do it right the first time, build capacity and process for future success with less friction. Design and produce digital and traditional solutions. Provide hands-on design and production as well as management of team execution.

PRIORITIES:

Run The Department - Ensure the agency thrives by pushing the team to get uncomfortable, learn, iterate and elevate each other and the work. Serve the clients - anticipate and exceed their expectations - that's the minimum expectation.

Win More Business - From discovery and strategy to pitch-winning concepts, the creative director works collaboratively across departments to ensure the agency wins more.

Pursue Innovation - Bring superior technical and digital acumen to increase team communication, efficiency and client outcomes. The creative director pushes the team to explore new approaches to projects, campaigns and assignments. The ideal candidate leverages all resources available - the team's skills, technology, design of systems - to tangibly and measurably deliver value to clients. The creative director commits to efficiently produce results for clients while reducing friction for the team, explores novel approaches and emerging channels and exploits best practices for the win.

Show, Tell, Share and Model - Consistent execution demands excellent internal and external communication. The agency owner expects proactive written and verbal dissemination of expectations and directives for the internal team, vendors and clients. A gift for great briefs, commitment to relentless follow up with an authentic and professional style are crucial for success. The creative director models the values, priorities and is a standard bearer of the agency.

Hire Smart - Strategizing, winning the work, implementing new tools or processes may result in the need to add skills or expertise to the agency team. While hiring the right full-time people is definitely key, the agency believes outsourcing projects can effectively and economically solve problems too. The agency tackles a diverse number of smaller projects and often needs specialty skills. The creative director leverages their network and approved external resources to screen, select and manage the right professionals to serve clients.

Prepare for, art direct and manage:

  • Photo and video shoots including scripts and storyboards 
  • Product packaging 
  • Experiential, event and environmental design 
  • Photo compositing and retouching 
  • Front-end design, site updates, user experience and interface design 
  • Social media strategy, content development, measurement and analytics 
  • Digital conversion and application of best practices in every channel and platform Vendor and client relationship management 

In tandem with the account team and agency leadership, manage time and expense for projects, brining them to fruition on time, on budget and on brand. Represent the agency in the professional community. Network, prospect, recruit and position yourself as a though leader. This is essential for all leaders in the organization. Ambition matters! Agency ownership may be a future option, as the current owner is contemplating succession within the next 6-7 years.

Compensation: Competitive, negotiable based on qualifications and credentials. Full benefits package.



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