Associate Creative Director

Location: Local candidates to San Ramon, CA or Houston, TXJob Type: Salaried, ContractCompensation: $160,000+Cella is seeking a talented Associate Creative Director to join our in-house creative studio team at our client, a giant in the oil & gas industry.Under the leadership of the Studio's Creative Director (CD) the Associate Creative Director, Team Lead (ACD) provides creative leadership including copy and design direction to the studio within the in-house agency. This position is responsible for ensuring the creative approach to the business strategy is executed flawlessly. The ACD guides the concept development and execution. This person must exhibit outstanding creative judgment and guide their team in achieving the highest possible standards appropriate for all materials regardless of medium. The Associate Creative Director maintains a working knowledge of clients' business challenges and leads innovative and conceptual solutions to address those challenges. In addition, the ACD is responsible for brand quality control of the team's deliverables. The ACD will directly supervise 5-7 direct report and influence a larger cross-functional team.This position is a working manager with creative leadership and staff management.Responsibilities:60% creative leadership.25% staff management including coaching and mentoring staff, and administrative tasks.15% supporting department initiatives as directed by immediate supervisor. Team LeadershipDirect the daily functions of assigned cross-functional creative team, ensuring high performance through the implementation of operational, staffing, organizational and professional development best practices.Promote our culture, one that values talent, collaboration, autonomy and accountability where every contributor strives to elevate these standards over time, driving the performance of the entire team.Develop, coach and mentor direct reports through formal and informal feedback, including annual performance reviews.Conduct performance reviews and regular, formal one-on-one touch points with direct reports.Provide strategic business advice and insights on best practices within area of responsibility.Ensure team is compliant with all Client branding, operational, legal and regulatory mandates, policies and guidelines.Work harmoniously with others to get a job done and lead the team in a collaborative fashion.Share critical information with everyone involved in a project to produce more effective creative solutions.Help to set a tone of cooperation within the In-House agency and across the organization.Promote a solution-oriented mentality across the creative team.Encourage individuals to take on specific roles to deepen existing skills or develop new ones.Give the team proper recognition and credit for their contributions.Build a collective team vision and define goals and objectives for studio members.Lead with passion that energizes the team to over-deliver against expectations and results in high employee engagement and overall job satisfaction.Creative Direction, Leadership and ExecutionTranslate strategy into meaningful creative across various mediums including print, video, photography, web, motion graphic and animation productions.Provide creative direction and coaching while partnering with staff to accomplish creative objectives.Provide creative quality control over concepts and execution.Lead Tier 1 and Tier 2 creative work from ideation thru creative execution this may include development of sketches/prototypes and imagery selection or headlines and copy.Provide brand guidance and direction to ensure consistent alignment with brand standards.Motivate the team to deliver a consistently high level of quality as evaluated by clients.Understand data used to track market trends and customer actions and use it to inform the creative work.Lead and mentor team in the creative process leveraging research, analytics and brand insights.Direct team as brand advocates, and in partnership with the CD encourage and develop new interpretations of the brand standards and out-of-the-box approaches to grow the verbal and visual identity of the brand to meet ever expanding company needs.Develop creative strategies as requested to address marketing and business objectives.Articulate the creative rationale that drives the concept's execution and tactics.Expect team to push new thinking and challenge cliché or rerun ideas.Confidently and diplomatically steward new ideas through the organization on behalf of the team Staff Development.Work to improve the team's performance by pursuing opportunities for continuous learning/feedback.Constructively help and coach team in their professional development through informal and formal feedback sessions (i.e., performance reviews) as appropriate.Guide the workload, development, and growth of direct reports.Demonstrate a real sense of caring for the team's professional and personal well being.Plan regularly scheduled one-on-one time for personal coaching and mentoring of direct reports.Implement and refine conceptual development/ideation process and define.Coach team on presentation expectations.Exhibit a "can-do" approach and inspire and motivate associates to excel.Foster a team spirit that is reflective of their collective personalities.Nurture a culture that is fun to work in and helps build an open creative community.Proactively address staff performance issues.Celebrate team and individual successes and create a safe environment for constructive feedback Client Service.Build strong relationships with clients and be perceived as a credible, trusted advisor.Partner with clients to achieve effective outcomes in an efficient manner.Work with clients to articulate creative needs concisely yet completely.Appropriately balance client desires, business requirements and marketing strategies.Find common ground with clients when debating creative or strategic opinions. Qualifications:Experience level: Director.Minimum 6 years of experience.Education: Bachelors degree required; MFA preferred, preferably in design, advertising, English, journalism or related field.5+ years experience as as an art director or copywriter; minimum of 3 years of management experience leading teams of creatives required.Portfolio required.In-house agency experience required.External agency experience desired.Demonstrated creative conceptualization skills.Skills:Big picture thinkerStrong interpersonal skills with the ability to manage differing viewpoints so the final product remains true to the objective.Proven leadership skills to maximize team talents.Hands-on experience in at least one creative discipline: design, copywriting, video production.Effective communication and presentation skills.Working knowledge in industry-standard software and tools such as the Adobe Creative Cloud, MS Office, Adobe Acrobat, project management software, and online market research.Experience in brand development as well as traditional and emerging multichannel marketing.Ability to anticipate problems and see how a problem and its solution will affect other projects, people or processes.Understanding that all projects require attention to detail so that work is on time, on budget and on strategy.Knows how to delegate properly and does not get caught up in being a production or process manager.Ability to influence and/or negotiate when selling in ideas.JOBID: Opportunity Employer: Race, Color, Religion, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, National Origin, Age, Genetic Information, Disability, Protected Veteran Status, or any other legally protected group status.At Cella, a randstad digital company, we welcome people of all abilities and want to ensure that our hiring and interview process meets the needs of all applicants. If you require a reasonable accommodation to make your application or interview experience a great one, please contact offered to a successful candidate will be based on several factors including the candidate's education, work experience, work location, specific job duties, certifications, etc. In addition, Cella by randstad digital offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health, an incentive and recognition program, and 401K contribution (all benefits are based on eligibility). This posting is open for thirty (30) days.PandoLogic. Category:Marketing & Biz Dev, Location:San Ramon, CA-94583