Secret Creative is seeking an Associate Creative Director to join our team. This role will contribute to shaping creative work from concept through execution, ensuring projects are strategically aligned, innovative, and visually compelling. Reporting to the Chief Creative Officer (CCO), this position will assist in guiding the creative process, support workflow planning, and collaborate across teams to ensure smooth execution. The ACD will work closely with Art Directors, Designers, and freelancers, helping to connect the creative vision with executional excellence.
Creative Leadership
- Help lead the creative development of projects, ensuring work is conceptually strong, strategically sound, and visually compelling.
- Oversee and contribute to the creative execution of key projects, maintaining quality and consistency.
- Provide guidance and feedback to designers, helping elevate their work while maintaining a collaborative team environment.
- Support in making creative decisions that align with client goals and studio standards.
- Serve as a bridge between strategy and execution, translating creative strategy into compelling design and storytelling solutions that align with brand objectives and audience insights from concept through execution.
Cross-Team Collaboration
- Work closely with project managers to determine key milestones, creative workflows, and executional timelines.
- Assist in structuring how work should start, progress, and conclude, ensuring a clear and efficient process from concept through delivery.
- Help facilitate communication between disciplines, ensuring alignment across design, strategy, copywriting, and production teams.
- Collaborate with internal teams and external partners, including freelancers and vendors, to ensure seamless integration of creative contributions.
Creative Representation
- Present creative work confidently in both internal and external meetings, helping articulate the rationale behind decisions.
- Assist in being a representative of the creative team, advocating for strong design thinking and strategic execution.
- Contribute to building client relationships by participating in discussions and helping align creative vision with client expectations.
Team Growth and Development
- Mentor and support Art Directors and Designers, helping them grow their skillset and approach to design thinking and career development.
- Foster a culture of collaboration, creativity, and continuous learning within the team.
- Help support an environment where designers feel encouraged to take risks, push boundaries, and refine their craft.
Requirements
- 7+ years of experience in design, branding, or a related creative field, with a minimum of 2+ years in a creative leadership or management role.
- A strong portfolio showcasing conceptual thinking and design execution across a variety of mediums.
- Experience leading projects and collaborating with cross-functional teams, including freelancers and external collaborators, to ensure smooth execution.
- Comfortable presenting work and advocating for creative ideas.
- Strong organizational and workflow planning skills, with experience helping to establish milestones and project structure.
- Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and Figma; motion, illustration, copywriting, or photography skills are a plus.
- Hybrid role with proximity to our studio in Northeast Ohio.
Secret Creative Org. is an equal-opportunity employer. We strongly support diversity in the workforce and are committed to an inclusive, barrier-free recruitment and selection process and work environment.