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.

DDB Chicago is seeking a full-time Group Creative Director to oversee one of our accounts. This individual will manage a creative team of ten and report directly to the North America CCO. Interested candidates should have a portfolio that showcases brand platform ideas with an emphasis on digital channels.

Responsibilities

Creativity

• Looks beyond the commonly accepted approach and seeks opportunities and innovative approaches to create ideas which are on brief
• Challenges clients / internal teams when appropriate in order to raise the agency’s creative offering
• Works with planning and business management developing business and creative solutions and providing insight and challenging the brief as appropriate.
• Generates and develops concepts and ideas which meet the requirements of the brief, meet client branding standards and are of a consistently high standard
• Identifies opportunities to produce breakthrough work that has the potential to win creative awards
• Is responsible for the total creative output of the group – its quality of ideas, strategic thinking, production, writing, art direction, timelinessand effectiveness

Knowledge and Skills

• Customer Experience (CX) – Working with multiple touch points (with comms planners) to understand the entirety of campaigns/platforms and goals of specific channels/platforms. This results in a creative and data-informed content strategy of which the creative team is a key stakeholder.
• User Experience (UX) – Experience in designing work that focuses on valuable, usable, and accessible ways. Working with UX strategists, the creative team will place the proverbial meat on the bones (and shuffle bones around, as needed).
  • Interface Design – Beyond creative, beautiful work, a keen understanding within specific touch points (creative/designing for social feed, mobile-first email, responsive design, voice interfaces, etc.). The creative team will own the craft of usable and distinguished/own-able creative that lives and breathes with purpose. This could also include elements of longer-form/web copy and video as appropriate based on the medium (think: beyond paid media ad formats).
  • Conversion Expertise – A geek about the creative psychological levers that can make people take actionwithin dynamic and complex A/B/multivariate testing scenarios
• Familiarity with data-informed (not data-led!) strategy and placing bets with good evidence, creatively
• Experience across multiple touch points (web, dynamic media/DCO, email, social)

Relationships / Communication

• Works across all agency departments and harnesses skills and energy to deliver effective and creative solutions
• Provide proactive contribution to clients’ businesses
• Communicates effectively by listening, understanding and responding appropriately
• Generates respect and builds effective relationships at all levels internally and develops solid and trusting relationships with senior clients
• Creates a positive relationship with clients and be a creative leader to agency partners

Leadership

• Ability to inspire and reignite team
• Spreads expertise, passion and innovation throughout the team and creative department
• Strong client partnership experience and willingness to spend significant face-time with client
• Willingness to collaborate with partner agencies throughout the process; “We” not “I” mentality based on no lead agency model
• Develops and retains top creative talent through careful career management and mentorship, giving them opportunities and room to grow and provide regular feedback
• Provides a senior level of support and advice to more junior Art Directors / Copywriters on creative work and offers guidance and technical expertise

Qualifications

• 12 years in progressive creative roles in an advertising agency including extensive experience managing diverse teams
• Strong management experience with a track record with major and multiple client relationships and campaigns
• Proven competencies in managing complex teams, projects, campaigns and client relationships
• A solid reputation within the advertising community for both managerial and creative leadership
• Reputation for being able to deal with others with tact and good judgment

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.