Overview

Must be located in Chicago and able to go into the office in accordance with our hybrid office model.

DDB Chicago is a communications agency dedicated to making creative work that works.

We believe in the power of creativity to create the change we want to happen in the world and develop audacious and famous ideas for our clients that help to grow their businesses and shape culture by driving behavior change at scale.

We are a global network of agencies who believe firmly in respect, kindness, openness, self-expression, and creativity, making spaces for the lived and learned experiences of all our people, and helping them to be the best they can be. We are intellectually curious about difference, embracing change for the better, and are committed to opposing injustice and constantly challenging the status quo. We are a place packed with the energy and passion to make things happen.

The Executive Creative Director provides overall creative leadership for the agency. Builds positive environment for the development of the highest quality creative product. Responsible for attraction, recruitment and retention of top creative talent. Represents the agency as senior creative officer to clients, management and industry. 

Responsibilities

• Creates optimum structure to provide effective, efficient development of creative product 
• Provides evaluation, mentorship, and counsel to direct reports 
• Determines assignments, promotions, incentives applicable to creative managers 
• Manages key administrative and financial aspects of the creative department, working with agency President, CEO and HR departments 
• Supervises, supports, and inspires creative management leaders. Allocates appropriate personnel for all creative assignments 
• Monitors overall quality of agency creative output and provides direction and leadership
• Foster positive relationship between creative department and other agency functional areas 
• Encourages strong collaborative relationship with account management and other departments 
• Constantly works to improve communications and processes necessary for optimum creative output 
• Responsible for awareness and communication of creative successes both internally and externally. Primary responsibility for creating, building and maintaining company creative reputation 
• Provide clear direction on to teams on creative work, ensuring that it meets clients’ goals and strategies 
• Expertly articulate/track project milestones, deliverables, and risks to acct leads and senior management, internal and /or external vendors, while communicating progress, issues, and accomplishments 
• Prepare/deliver presentation representing the creative with in-depth knowledge of why choices are being made 
• Demonstrate ability to lead cross-disciplinary team members (DM & DIG) 
• Know what each team is working on and make certain the teams know you’re engaged 
• Contribute to and foster growing library of knowledge around creative work, RT’s and others 
• Accurately communicate team’s efforts internally/externally and reward success within team 
• Responsible for team finance/approvals/trainings budgets 
• Work with HR including mining for talent, hiring, approval of performance reviews 
• Identify the strong and work to promote, identify the weak and work to mentor 

Qualifications

• Expert facilitation/collaboration skills with exceptional people skills 
• Expert visual literacy/understanding of typography, illustration, color theory, wire framing, and photo manipulation 
• Expert verbal communication skills, including ability to speak effectively before fellow VPs or other internal groups 
• Passion/desire to innovate/push boundaries 

Please let us know should you require any additional support or assistance through the recruitment process.

DDB is an equal opportunities employer and will never favor or discriminate against anyone based on their age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief, marriage or civil partnership, gender identity, expression, or realignment.

This role requires regular in-office presence with a minimum of three days per week, to engage and collaborate in in-person team interactions and meetings as required.