Senior Creative Director - Contract

Ethara; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 420,000 - 660,000; Full time

Job summary

Ethara seeks an experienced Senior Creative Director to steer the creative vision across major integrated campaigns, brand platforms, and global events. You will translate complex narratives into powerful, contemporary work and oversee multidisciplinary development from brand identity to video content.

You’ll mentor teams, collaborate with Strategy, and ensure all outputs meet top-tier creative standards across Arabic and English contexts, delivering high-impact presentations and experiences.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in leading creative, branding, advertising, or integrated agencies.
• Experience at Creative Director or Senior/Associate Creative Director level.
• Strong portfolio across campaign concepts, brand development, film/video, experiential and high-level presentation design.
• Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, Advertising, Creative Arts, or related discipline preferred; exceptional portfolio may substitute.

Responsibilities

• Own and lead the overall creative vision across integrated campaigns, brands, programmes, and events.
• Translate strategy and briefs into strong creative concepts and visual narratives.
• Develop and oversee key visuals, campaign identities, and creative systems.
• Lead creative development for major campaigns, activations, branded experiences and strategic initiatives.
• Direct hero films, campaign films, documentary content, launch films, social content, and videos with treatments and storyboards.
• Provide direction to production partners and external creatives.
• Mentor Art Directors and Designers to maintain high standards.
• Review and approve outputs for senior management or clients.
• Collaborate with Strategy and Communications to ground execution in narrative.

Skills

Creative leadership

Brand development

Campaign concepts

Visual storytelling

Presentations

Mentoring

Strategic thinking

Project management

Attention to detail

Film/video direction

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design or related

Job description

We are looking for an experienced and highly conceptual Senior Creative Director to lead the creative vision and output across major integrated campaigns, brand platforms, strategic initiatives, and high-profile events.

The Senior Creative Director will translate complex strategic and institutional narratives into powerful, contemporary, and internationally relevant creative work. The role will lead multidisciplinary creative development across brand, film, digital, social, experiential, events, and presentations, while maintaining consistently high creative standards across all outputs.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Own and lead the overall creative vision and direction across integrated campaigns, brands, programmes, and events.
• Translate strategic positioning, messaging, and client briefs into strong creative concepts, campaign platforms, and visual narratives.
• Develop and oversee key visuals, campaign identities, sub-brand identities, and creative systems.
• Lead creative development for major campaigns, activations, branded experiences, and strategic initiatives.
• Conceptualise and oversee hero films, campaign films, documentary content, launch films, social content, and other video assets, including treatments and storyboards.
• Provide creative direction to production companies, directors, photographers, designers, and other external creative partners.
• Lead and mentor Art Directors and Designers, ensuring consistently high standards.
• Review and approve creative output before presentation to senior management or clients.
• Work closely with Strategy and Communications teams to ensure creative execution is rooted in the strategic narrative.
• Oversee creative development of high-level leadership and stakeholder presentations, ensuring they are visually sophisticated, clear, and compelling.
• Create strong visual storytelling and information hierarchy for complex strategic presentations, proposals, and executive-level materials.
• Ensure consistency across Arabic and English creative, working with specialist teams where required.
• Develop creative solutions across digital, social, OOH/DOOH, print, experiential, events, stage content, environmental branding, and presentations.
• Work with Event and Production teams to ensure brand and creative narratives translate effectively into physical experiences.
• Manage multiple creative workstreams simultaneously within fast-moving and compressed timelines.
• Present and confidently articulate creative concepts and rationale to senior internal stakeholders and clients.
• Maintain rigorous quality control across all creative deliverables and ensure consistency with approved brand guidelines and strategic positioning.

Job Specifications:

• Minimum 10+ years’ experience within leading creative, branding, advertising, communications, or integrated agencies.
• Significant experience at Creative Director or Senior/Associate Creative Director level.
• Strong portfolio across campaign concepts, brand development, film/video, experiential/event creative, digital/social, and high-level presentation design.
• Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, Advertising, Creative Arts, or a related discipline preferred; equivalent senior-level professional experience and an exceptional portfolio will also be considered.
• Strong strategic and conceptual thinking.
• Proven creative leadership and mentoring capabilities.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills.
• Strong judgement and attention to detail.Ability to perform under pressure and manage multiple priorities.
• Strong experience in integrated campaign concept development, brand identity and creative systems, art direction, and design craft.
• Experience with film/video treatments and storyboarding.
• Experience across digital, social, OOH/DOOH, print, and experiential creative.
• Strong executive presentation and visual storytelling capabilities.
• Experience directing production partners and multidisciplinary teams.
• UAE/GCC and government or high-profile institutional experience is highly desirable.