Creative Director

Creative Director 

US: A big-thinking experiential marketing agency that imagines and produces remarkable programs for our clients and partners.

YOU: Born to create — and you know how to sell and build it. Whether aligning a client brand team or dreaming up an immersive brand world, your passion for creation, obsession to detail, and commitment to completion drive everything you do. You're bold, compulsive, and never accept "the norm" — yet you balance that fearlessness with pragmatism, business acumen, and the ability to translate big ideas into programs that work.

You have supernatural conceptual chops, a refined design sense, and the confidence to stand in front of a client and sell an idea with clarity and conviction. You thrive in collaboration, know how to inspire a team, and keep an eye on both craft and big picture. You understand aesthetics, storytelling, and emerging trends — and how to connect them to brand goals and business needs.

You'll lead creative teams, collaborate with producers and strategists, and bring campaigns to life from concept through execution — all while having fun doing it. Just like we do.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Creative Strategy & Direction

• Collaborate with Executive Leadership to define the agency’s creative strategy and goals. 
• Lead creative strategy, ideation, and development for experiential campaigns, conferences, and activations across multiple markets.
• Translate client briefs into smart, insight-driven creative concepts in collaboration with the Creative Strategist. 
• Partner with Accounts and Production to define creative approach, deliverables, and feasibility.
• Guide the creative team through all phases — concept, design, production, and onsite execution.
• Ensure creative excellence, consistency, and brand integrity across every touchpoint.
• Execution & Design Oversight
• Provide hands-on direction and critique across visual, spatial, and experiential design.
• Review and approve all creative deliverables for accuracy, brand alignment, and storytelling strength.
• Collaborate with production, fabrication, and technology partners to maintain creative integrity through execution.
• Troubleshoot creative and production challenges in real time, keeping programs on brand, on schedule, and on budget.

New Business & Pitch Leadership

• Serve as creative lead for new business — driving concept development, storytelling, and presentation for RFPs and pitches.
• Partner with Business Development and Account teams to craft pitch strategies, creative positioning, and visual narratives that win.
• Build compelling decks, mood boards, renderings, and storytelling tools that communicate creative vision and value.
• Participate in brainstorms, client presentations, and creative showcases as a brand ambassador for Manifold.
• Build long-term client relationships that generate organic growth and repeat business.
• Client Engagement
• Serve as a trusted creative advisor, articulating strategy and vision with clarity, enthusiasm, and diplomacy.
• Lead creative presentations, facilitating productive feedback and alignment with key stakeholders.
• Balance creative ambition with business reality, ensuring every solution supports client goals and measurable success.
• Team Leadership & Collaboration
• Build, manage, mentor, and inspire creative team and freelancers — fostering a culture of creativity, accountability, and excellence.
• Lead cross-functional brainstorms and creative reviews, encouraging fresh perspectives and interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Support staffing and resource planning across active and upcoming programs.
• Uphold and evolve Manifold's creative standards and processes for efficiency and innovation.

Innovation & Thought Leadership

• Stay current on design, cultural, and experiential trends, applying fresh thinking to work and proposals.
• Contribute to internal R&D, case studies, and award submissions that elevate Manifold's creative profile.
• Push creative boundaries while maintaining production reality.

REQUIREMENTS

• 7–10 years of creative leadership in an agency or experiential marketing environment.
• Proven track record concepting and leading winning new business pitches.
• Strong conceptual thinker with deep design sensibility and storytelling expertise.
• Expert-level proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, Keynote, and Google Slides.
• Natural leader able to inspire multidisciplinary teams and manage multiple programs simultaneously.
• Experienced collaborating across production, fabrication, and strategy to bring ideas to life.
• Excellent communicator and presenter — you know how to sell an idea internally and to clients.
• Highly organized and detail-driven, balancing creative ambition with real-world execution.
• Background in experiential marketing or large-scale event production — you understand how ideas live in physical space.
• Bonus: hands-on 2D or 3D design experience in the built environment.
• Bachelor's degree in Design, Communications, or related field preferred.
• Above all: you believe there is no try — only do.

This is a full-time position based on the West Coast (Portland, San Francisco, or Los Angeles). We offer a competitive salary, 401(k), and employee benefits. Manifold is a growth company with a strong commitment to teamwork, employee development, and high-quality client interaction.

Manifold is dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace where innovation thrives. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome candidates of all backgrounds, without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or veteran status. Accommodation requests can be submitted with your application.

WHO WE ARE

Headquartered in Portland, OR — with teams in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago — we're a mix of expert producers, marketers, and advertisers from the agency, independent, and client sides of the industry. Our experience spans experiential, event and brand marketing, advertising, PR, production, design, entertainment, and partnership development. True to our name, we are "of many kinds" — and we believe that's what makes us unique in our thinking, approach, and how we do business. wearemanifold.com