Creative Director, Design

DesignX Community; Toronto; On-site; CAD 150,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

McCann Canada in Toronto is seeking a Creative Director, Design to lead brand storytelling and design systems across channels. You will translate strategy into visually compelling work, guide multidisciplinary teams, and set craft standards.

You will partner with Strategy and Account teams, present to senior clients, mentor designers, and ensure work is on strategy, on brief, and on budget while staying ahead of culture and tech trends.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in design, art direction, or integrated creative roles within a leading agency environment.
• Portfolio demonstrating exceptional design craft and brand systems across channels.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams with a strong focus on design excellence.
• Deep understanding of branding, typography, layout, and visual storytelling across digital, social, print, film, and case studies.
• Strong strategic instincts and ability to connect creative work to business outcomes.
• Excellent presentation and storytelling skills with senior clients and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of insight-driven, channel-agnostic creative ideas with emphasis on design excellence and visual storytelling.
• Define, evolve, and steward brand visual systems for consistency across touchpoints.
• Partner with Strategy and Account teams to translate human truths into creative solutions.
• Drive integration across disciplines to deliver cohesive brand experiences.
• Set high standards of craft and ensure work is fit-for-purpose across platforms.
• Mentor and inspire a team of designers and creatives, fostering collaboration and growth.

Skills

Design leadership

Brand systems

Visual storytelling

Team leadership

Client presentations

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

AI tools

Strategic thinking

Attention to detail

Culture awareness

Tools

AI tools

Job description

The Role:

As a Creative Director, Design, you are a design-led creative leader responsible for shaping how brands show up in the world, translating strategy into compelling, effective, and beautifully executed creative.

You will lead multidisciplinary teams to deliver integrated ideas across all channels, with a strong point of view on visual expression, design systems, and brand storytelling. You set the bar for craft, championing design excellence while ensuring the work is strategically sound, culturally relevant, and delivers measurable impact for our clients.

What you will do:

• Lead the development of insight-driven, channel-agnostic creative ideas, with a strong emphasis on design excellence and visual storytelling
• Define, evolve, and steward brand visual systems to ensure consistency and distinctiveness across all touchpoints
• Partner closely with Strategy and Account teams to translate human truths into powerful, effective creative solutions
• Drive integration across disciplines (design, copy, production, media, and digital) to deliver cohesive brand experiences
• Set and uphold the highest standards of craft, ensuring all work is beautifully executed and fit-for-purpose across platforms
• Provide clear, actionable feedback that elevates the work and develops creative talent
• Lead, mentor, and inspire a team of designers and creatives, fostering a culture of collaboration, curiosity, and continuous improvement
• Own the creative output on assigned accounts, with accountability for both quality and effectiveness
• Confidently present and sell work to senior clients, articulating the strategic and creative rationale behind ideas
• Build trusted relationships with clients and senior stakeholders, acting as a partner in their business
• Manage multiple workstreams with a focus on delivering high-quality output on time and on budget
• Collaborate with production partners to bring ideas to life with excellence, including oversight of photographers, illustrators, directors, and makers
• Stay connected to culture, design trends, and emerging technologies to keep the work fresh, relevant, and forward-looking
• Contribute to a positive, inclusive team environment aligned with McCann and Omnicom values and ways of working
• Support talent development, resourcing, and performance management in partnership with leadership

You have:

• 12+ years of experience in design, art direction, or integrated creative roles within a leading agency environment
• The skill sets to seamlessly transition from day-to-day, business-focused projects to fame-driving, award-winning creative work for real clients.
• A portfolio that demonstrates exceptional design craft, strong conceptual thinking, and experience building brand systems across channels
• Proven ability to lead and inspire multidisciplinary teams, with a strong focus on design excellence
• Deep understanding of branding, typography, layout, and visual storytelling across digital, social, print, film, and case studies
• Familiarity with AI tools and the ability to naturally integrate them into daily design workflows alongside traditional design suites.
• Strong strategic instincts and the ability to connect creative work to business outcomes
• Excellent presentation and storytelling skills, with experience engaging senior clients and stakeholders
• Experience delivering integrated campaigns in a fast-paced, collaborative environment
• High level of creative judgment, attention to detail, and commitment to craft
• A collaborative mindset with the ability to influence across disciplines and levels

The salary range for this position is $150,000 - $170,000 per year. Compensation will be determined based on qualifications, relevant experience, and internal equity.

McCann Canada uses artificial intelligence in our recruitment process to enhance job postings and streamline the screening and selection of prospective candidates. Our team will then review top applicants, ensuring that human judgement guides our hiring decision.

This posting represents an active vacancy that we are currently hiring for.

The Company

McCann Canada is committed to a diverse workforce as an Employment Equity employer (Women, People with Disabilities, Aboriginal Peoples, and Visible Minorities) and aims to maintain an inclusive and equitable workplace where employees feel valued, respected, and supported. If you require an accommodation, we would be happy to work with you to meet your needs.