Associate Creative Director

EXL Service; New Jersey; On-site; USD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

EXL Service seeks an Associate Creative Director to drive performance-driven creative for direct mail, digital, and integrated programs. You will lead concept development from insight through execution, blending copywriting with design and hands-on use of AI-enabled tools to generate and refine ideas while upholding brand alignment and compliance.

You will collaborate with copywriters, strategists, and production teams, guide design execution, and ensure messaging is persuasive,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Advertising, Graphic Design, Journalism, or a related field.
• 5+ years of creative experience in an agency, direct marketing, financial services, fintech, banking, insurance, or related environment.
• Strong portfolio showing concept development, campaign thinking, copywriting, and creative execution.
• Hands-on experience using generative AI and other AI-enabled creative tools across the creative lifecycle, including ideation, copy and visual exploration, rapid prototyping, iteration, and development of execution-ready concepts.
• Proven ability to create compelling direct response messaging.
• Experience collaborating with designers, writers, strategists, and production teams.
• Strong presentation and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of innovative campaign concepts for direct mail, digital, email, and multi-channel marketing programs.
• Translate client objectives, audience insights, and performance goals into compelling creative executions.
• Contribute to creative brief development and brainstorming sessions.
• Create campaign themes, messaging frameworks, and creative approaches aligned to brand and business objectives.
• Use AI-enabled creative tools as part of concepting and development to generate, evaluate, iterate, and refine ideas, messaging, visual directions, and content variations, while ensuring originality, brand alignment, accuracy, compliance, and production feasibility.
• Develop headlines, value propositions, offer positioning, direct response copy, and overall campaign messaging.
• Ensure messaging is clear, persuasive, audience-focused, and aligned with brand standards.
• Collaborate with copywriters and subject matter experts to refine content and improve performance.
• Review and edit creative assets to maintain voice, tone, and consistency across channels.
• Partner with designers and production teams to bring concepts to life, including visual ideation, layout direction, and creative development.
• Provide guidance on design execution, user experience, and customer engagement.
• Review creative materials throughout development to maintain quality and strategic alignment.
• Serve as a subject matter expert in direct mail creative strategy and best practices.
• Develop acquisition, cross-sell, retention, and customer engagement direct mail concepts.
• Apply knowledge of direct mail production processes, formats, postal requirements, personalization techniques, and testing methodologies.
• Create solutions that balance creative innovation with operational feasibility and production requirements.
• Work closely with account, strategy, analytics, production, and project management teams.
• Present concepts and creative recommendations to internal stakeholders and clients, incorporating feedback while maintaining creative integrity and campaign objectives.
• Support the Creative Director in managing priorities across multiple projects and clients.
• Ensure creative work remains strategically sound, error-free, and aligned with client expectations, maintaining consistency across campaigns, channels, and touchpoints.
• Participate in creative reviews and provide constructive feedback to team members.

Job description

The Associate Creative Director at EXL Service partners with clients and internal creative leaders to develop and deliver performance-driven creative for direct mail, digital, and integrated marketing programs. This role leads concept development from insight through execution, combining copywriting and design collaboration with hands‑on use of AI-enabled creative tools.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead development of innovative campaign concepts for direct mail, digital, email, and multi‑channel marketing programs.
• Translate client objectives, audience insights, and performance goals into compelling creative executions.
• Contribute to creative brief development and brainstorming sessions.
• Create campaign themes, messaging frameworks, and creative approaches aligned to brand and business objectives.
• Use AI-enabled creative tools as part of concepting and development to generate, evaluate, iterate, and refine ideas, messaging, visual directions, and content variations, while ensuring originality, brand alignment, accuracy, compliance, and production feasibility.
• Develop headlines, value propositions, offer positioning, direct response copy, and overall campaign messaging.
• Ensure messaging is clear, persuasive, audience‑focused, and aligned with brand standards.
• Collaborate with copywriters and subject matter experts to refine content and improve performance.
• Review and edit creative assets to maintain voice, tone, and consistency across channels.
• Partner with designers and production teams to bring concepts to life, including visual ideation, layout direction, and creative development.
• Provide guidance on design execution, user experience, and customer engagement.
• Review creative materials throughout development to maintain quality and strategic alignment.
• Serve as a subject matter expert in direct mail creative strategy and best practices.
• Develop acquisition, cross‑sell, retention, and customer engagement direct mail concepts.
• Apply knowledge of direct mail production processes, formats, postal requirements, personalization techniques, and testing methodologies.
• Create solutions that balance creative innovation with operational feasibility and production requirements.
• Work closely with account, strategy, analytics, production, and project management teams.
• Present concepts and creative recommendations to internal stakeholders and clients, incorporating feedback while maintaining creative integrity and campaign objectives.
• Support the Creative Director in managing priorities across multiple projects and clients.
• Ensure creative work remains strategically sound, error‑free, and aligned with client expectations, maintaining consistency across campaigns, channels, and touchpoints.
• Participate in creative reviews and provide constructive feedback to team members.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Advertising, Graphic Design, Journalism, or a related field.
• 5+ years of creative experience in an agency, direct marketing, financial services, fintech, banking, insurance, or related environment.
• Demonstrated experience developing integrated marketing campaigns with strong emphasis on direct mail.
• Strong portfolio showing concept development, campaign thinking, copywriting, and creative execution.
• Hands‑on experience using generative AI and other AI‑enabled creative tools across the creative lifecycle, including ideation, copy and visual exploration, rapid prototyping, iteration, and development of execution‑ready concepts.
• Proven ability to create compelling direct response messaging.
• Experience collaborating with designers, writers, strategists, and production teams.
• Strong presentation and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast‑paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct mail expertise, including acquisition, retention, loyalty, and cross‑sell campaigns.
• Experience in financial services, banking, fintech, insurance, or other regulated industries.
• Design experience using Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator).
• Understanding of testing methodologies, audience segmentation, personalization, and performance marketing.
• Experience presenting creative concepts to executive‑level stakeholders and clients.

Technologies

• Generative AI
• AI‑enabled creative tools
• Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator)

Location and Compensation

Location: New Jersey (onsite)

Salary: USD 95,000 - 130,000 per yearly

Success Measures

• Development of breakthrough creative concepts that drive measurable campaign performance.
• Strong partnership with the Creative Director and cross‑functional teams.
• Consistent delivery of high‑quality, on‑strategy creative work.
• Effective integration of copy, design, and direct response principles.
• Effective and responsible use of AI to increase the speed, range, and quality of creative exploration while maintaining human oversight, brand standards, compliance, and production readiness.
• Ability to translate complex business objectives into customer‑centric marketing campaigns.
• Support for client growth, campaign innovation, and creative excellence.