Overview

We have a simple belief — Unexpected Works. It means that the best idea is the one you never saw coming. The thing that catches you so off guard that you can‘t look away. And the only path to genuinely unexpected works is through creativity. Not just what passes for creativity because it answers a brief, looks the part and helps everyone sleep at night. But creativity that is foreign, surprising and interesting enough to cause jaws to drop and sales to soar. It’s having the fresh perspective and raw energy to bring something into the world that no one’s ever seen before. We’re talking about the courage to shake things up and maybe even tear a few things down. And knowing that what most would call the finish line is where the real work starts. We believe in people, product, and profit, in that order. For us, people always come first. They’re the soul of our agency. It takes amazing folks to make amazing work. That’s why we make sure everyone who comes through the door is as great as the people who are already here. It’s also why we constantly strive to build diverse teams where everyone brings something unique to the table. Because you can’t make the unexpected if you only work with the usual suspects. By bringing together diverse thinkers with different backgrounds and perspectives, we validate Bill Bernbach’s notion that an idea can turn to dust or magic, depending on the talent that rubs against it. So, come be part of the magic. 

The Creative Director sets the vision and strategy for the growth of the creative department and providing social-first creative leadership for the agency. They ensure an environment that motivates the department to deliver excellent, innovative, social-first creative work, with special emphasis on developing and selling integration solutions to our clients. The Creative Director works closely with Social Strategy and Business Leadership teams to ensure innovative solutions with seamless delivery. A key task is managing a portfolio of brands and being responsible for their social creative output, pro-activity, and business success. They recruit, manage, lead and inspire creative professionals including Art Directors, Copywriters and Designers.

The Creative Director will be part of our newly created Social Lab which services all DDB Chicago clients including Mars, MolsonCoors, Reynolds, Hefty, AdTalem, US Army, Orkin, Jiffy Lube, Bimbo Bakeries, Wyndham, and Emerson.

Responsibilities

Creativity

• Provides overall thought-leadership for clients in communications solutions, specifically current and upcoming social platforms
• Oversees all social-first creative development from concept to final delivery for agency clients
• Provides proactive contributions to the client’s business, demonstrating best-in-class product (innovation and quality)
• Drives collaboration with mainline and marketing objectives to ensure integrated, synergistic social-focused creative approach
• Fosters innovation and quality to ensure delivery of the best creative product in the industry

Productivity

• Creates optimum structure to provide effective, efficient development of creative product
• Allocates appropriate personnel for all creative assignments
• Monitors all project milestones, deliverables, and risks to account leaders and senior management, communicating progress, issues, and accomplishments
• Works with Account Directors to secure and drive new initiatives for clients
• Oversees flawless delivery of creative deliverables in progress and the final product
• Ensures that the effort of the creative team are aligned and focused
• Provides clear direction to teams on their creative work, ensuring that it meets client’s goals and strategies
• Monitors overall quality of agency creative output providing direction and leadership

Knowledge and Skills

• Prepares and delivers presentations representing the creative with in-depth knowledge of why choices are being made and certain platforms are being utilized
• Contributes to and fosters a growing library of knowledge around creative work, platform capabilities and options
• Provides insight and analysis of trends and projections in all communications channels, specifically digital
• Has developed and shares a high level of visual literacy / understanding of typography, illustration, color theory, and photo manipulation
• Exhibits exceptional verbal communication skills, including ability to speak effectively before to senior management internally and externally

Relationships / Communications

• Holds and develops relationships with platform partners/vendors
• Constantly works to improve communications and processes necessary for optimum creative output
• Supervises, supports, and inspires creative leadership throughout the agency
• Accurately communicates team’s efforts internally / externally and reward success within team
• Has primary responsibility for creating, building and maintaining company creative reputation
• Fosters strong collaborative relationship with account management and other departments to ensure innovative and seamless delivery
• Is responsible for awareness and communication of creative successes both internally and externally

Leadership

• Is responsible for attracting, recruiting, developing, and retaining top creative talent
• Builds positive environment for the development of the highest quality creative product
• Provides evaluation, mentorship, and counsel to direct reports
• Demonstrates ability to lead cross-disciplinary team members
• Stewards career management and mentorship
• Ensures strong morale through open and constant communication and team leadership
• Has developed a reputation that commands respect among all stakeholders

Qualifications

• Must have 8 years in creative role in an advertising agency including 4 years in a management position
• Personal interest in social networks, obsession with pop culture & whatever cool, new app pops up next
• Strong management experience including major and multiple client relationship and social-first campaigns
• Experience across all communications channels and business categories, specifically digital and social production
• Independent and forward thinker who can manage a high volume of work while maintaining a high level of craft & creativity

DDB is committed to diversity in its workforce and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and to review all of our job postings to minimize biased language. DDB Chicago does not make hiring or employment decisions on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sex, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, citizenship, or any other basis protected by applicable local, state or federal law.