Associate Creative Director, Art

VML; Kansas City (MO); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental

Vision

401k match

Paid time off

Job summary

VML in Kansas City, MO is seeking an Associate Creative Director to join our world-class creative team. This role demands a next-level conceptual thinker and artist who can own multiple client projects, lead teams, and present with confidence across digital and social platforms.

You’ll collaborate with the ACD Copy and design team, mentor junior staff, push creative boundaries, and build strong client relationships while navigating fast-paced campaigns with bold, award-worthy work.

Qualifications

• Minimum 7 years of experience in a creative advertising agency.
• Portfolio featuring award-winning work that displays mastery of your craft.
• Strong working knowledge of visual design, art direction and the creative process.
• Proven conceptual and campaign experience; integrated campaigns including broadcast, digital, social.
• Solid understanding of creative development—from briefs to final deliverables.
• Ability to direct and mentor junior team members.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks in a high-volume, fast-turnaround environment.

Responsibilities

• Create and ideate innovative ideas for briefs, tactics, execution and conversations.
• Collaborate with the ACD Copy and design team for campaigns and final deliverables.
• Set the trends with next-level creative thinking across multiple channels.
• Build client relationships and present work in internal and client meetings.

Skills

Creative advertising

Portfolio development

Visual design

Art direction

Campaign experience

Time management

Leadership

Job description

Who We Are

VML is a leading creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce, creating connected brandsto drive growth. VML is celebrated for its innovative and award-winning human-first work for clients including AstraZeneca, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Microsoft, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, and Wendy’s. In 2026, VML was namedCampaign’s Global Network of the Year and ranked #2 Creative Network of the Year at Cannes Lions. VML’s global network spans 55+ markets with principal offices in Buenos Aires, Kansas City, London, New York, São Paulo, Shanghai and Singapore.

VML is part of [WPP](https://urldefense.com/v3/ http:/wpp.com/ ;!!IfJP2Nwhk5Z0yJ43lA!L_cfT4E3gsmmDY1lVQTB6ihlfPeBl9X4sMM2KI6iWZYexC2nCeZ9oxgP9qvgbrqxIBpx82rGb_mWqh5F0zKxq5_dP7Y$), the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. Powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform WPP Open, WPP unites cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, creativity, production, enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel.

For more information, please visit www.vml.com and follow along on LinkedIn#WeAreVML.

Who we are looking for:

VML is seeking an Associate Creative Director to join our world class creative team: A next-level conceptual thinker and artist who knows all when it comes to creating work that demands attention across all digital and social platforms. You should be able to work and lead, owning an array of client projects. Excellent client relationship and presentation skills are expected.

As ACD, you are an expert collaborator and are able to develop strong working relationships with other discipline leads on the team. You inspire team members to exceed expectations and you yourself strive to continually evolve and grow the brand’s connection and personality. You are constantly curious and seek innovative ways to apply your knowledge, pushing against the norms of traditional messaging and marketing.

What you’ll do:

• Create | Ideate constantly and be passionate about bringing innovative ideas to every brief, tactic, execution, and conversation. Capture brand voice in interactive marketing materials from conception to execution of final deliverables. Be the voice for your team.
• Collaborate | Partner with the ACD Copy and design team for the timely development and execution of campaigns and projects, including the concepting and execution of final deliverables.
• Set the Trends | Be an expert in doing it before it’s been done, know current trends and what’s next. Performs strategic and next-level creative thinking to create innovative solutions across multiple channels.
• Build Client Relationships | Partner and work with team to achieve results. Present creative material in both internal and client meetings. Participate in client presentations and manage client contact as necessary.

Who you are:

• A Builder | Forms relationships as a trustworthy and essential team lead across relevant markets, regions, and businesses. Easily recognized and trusted within the agency. Able to spin up creative input in brainstorming sessions.
• Creatively Brave | Passionate about the power of creativity with the knowledge to identify and nurture the best ideas. Adapts to solve clients’ challenges. Creates visuals for multichannel initiatives, presentations and other projects.
• Ambitious | Continuously re-imagines how to partner with clients to build better futures for their business; pro-actively seeks out new opportunities and lateral ideas to solve clients’ biggest business issues. You know what you like, what you’re after, and how to navigate any scenario that comes your way.
• Ego-less | We all wear the hats that need wearing- it’s a mentality that makes the team successful.

What you’ll need:

• Minimum 7 years of experience in a creative advertising agency.
• Portfolio featuring a wide range of award- worthy creative work that displays mastery of your craft.
• A strong working knowledge of visual design, art direction and the creative process.
• Proven conceptual and campaign experience; demonstrated success working on integrated campaigns that include broadcast, digital, social and everything in between.
• Solid understanding of creative development—from drafting briefs to executing deliverables.
• Strong ability to prioritize work and resources across engagements based on short and long-term need. Timelines, budgets, and availabilities change—we need someone who can roll with it.
• Ability to direct and mentor junior team members.
• Ability to handle a high-volume environment with rapid turnaround times and manage multiple tasks and project details.
• Practiced time management skills and a strong work ethic.

What we offer:

• Passionate, driven people |We champion a culture of people that do extraordinary work.
• Consciously cultivated culture |We aim to embody the behaviors to build an inclusivecommunity that is in it together, bringing both positivity and active listening into the workplace as we simultaneously strive to empower creative bravery.
• Competitive benefits | What we offer full time hires ranges from the full spectrum of group health coverage options (medical, dental, vision) to a generous 401k match (100% dollar-for-dollar match, up to 5% of salary contribution), and a variety of paid time off offerings that reflect our investment in all aspects of your overall life balance and wellness.
• Growth-minded opportunities | We aim to nurture a culture of real-time feedback, growth-oriented mindset, and plenty of training opportunities through VML and WPP, so you can continue to grow personally and professionally.

The base salary range for this position at the time of this posting is indicated below. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including location, business needs, level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package.

$75,000—$180,000 USD

We believe the best work happens when we’re together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That’s why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

WPP (VML) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.