Associate Creative Director

Hoot Design Company; Columbia Township (MO); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Hoot Design Company in Columbia, Missouri is seeking an Associate Creative Director to lead and oversee creative projects from concept through execution, ensuring alignment with brand strategy and quality standards.

You will mentor writers and designers, guide art direction, present work to clients, and help cultivate a culture-led, collaborative agency environment.

Qualifications

• 8-10 years agency experience
• Strong creative direction and strategy with team leadership
• Brand identity development and brand systems experience
• Copywriting/editing experience
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Experience in agency or in-house leadership roles in marketing, design, or related fields
• Familiarity with design software and digital platforms

Responsibilities

• Lead multidisciplinary creative teams from concept to execution
• Guide art direction and graphic design across campaigns
• Review and refine visual and verbal brand assets
• Collaborate with account and strategy teams to translate insights into campaigns
• Mentor writers and designers
• Contribute to branding workshops and client presentations
• Help maintain a culture-led creative environment

Skills

Creative direction

Branding & identity

Copywriting

Project management

Client communication

Leadership

Adobe Creative Cloud

Tools

Adobe Creative Cloud

Job description

Company Description

Hoot Design Company is a culture-driven branding agency that helps disruptive leaders scale.

We built the Brand Being Method™ because brand is the being and marketing is the doing.

Role Description

The Associate Creative Director is a full-time, hybrid role based in Columbia, MO, with flexibility for some work from home. This role leads and oversees creative projects from concept through execution, ensuring all deliverables align with client brand strategy and Hoot Design Company's quality standards. Day-to-day responsibilities include developing creative concepts, guiding art direction and graphic design, reviewing and refining visual and verbal brand assets, and collaborating with account and strategy teams to translate brand insights into compelling campaigns. The Associate Creative Director will mentor writers and designers, contribute to branding workshops, present creative work to clients, and help maintain a strong, culture-led creative environment within the agency.

Qualifications

8-10 years agency experience

• Strong creative direction and creative strategy skills, with experience leading multidisciplinary creative teams.
• Proficiency in branding, including brand identity development, brand systems, and brand-led storytelling.
• Copywriting/editing experience
• Ability to manage multiple projects, prioritize deadlines, and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with confidence in leading client-facing discussions.
• Experience in agency or in-house creative leadership roles; background in marketing, design, or related fields.
• Working knowledge of industry-standard design tools (e.g., Adobe Creative Cloud) and familiarity with digital and social media platforms.