Associate Creative Director, Art (Commerce/Shopper)

wundermanthompson; New York (NY); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

VML in New York City is seeking an Associate Creative Director (Art) to lead design-directed creative commerce for major CPG clients. You will work within the creative commerce team on a global WPP Unite model, collaborating across brand, strategy, social, and media to deliver end-to-end campaigns.

The role requires a strong design eye, leadership, and the ability to mentor colleagues while presenting compelling concepts to executives.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of design experience in an agency or design environment.
• Online portfolio showcasing unmissable, strategic creative work.
• Solid understanding of CPС shopper marketing and retail environment.
• Demonstrated team leadership and mentoring experience.
• Strategic or creative strategy experience preferred.
• Strong presentation skills to sell complex creative concepts.
• Problem-solving: ability to navigate ambiguity and leverage AI effectively.

Responsibilities

• Concept and collaborate on creative commerce activation and campaigns across markets in North America.
• Provide a strong POV on design elements including hierarchy, typography, layout, and color.
• Guide explorations and concept boards with diverse insights for pitches.
• Adapt brand platform ideas into commerce tactics and toolkits for retailers.
• Champion a social-first approach to campaigns and stay ahead of platform trends.
• Mentor and inspire the creative team to deliver award-worthy work.
• Present big ideas in client-facing decks and refine under tight deadlines.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to ensure timely deliverables.
• Anticipate client needs and risks, driving timely resolutions.
• Inspire clients and co-workers through collaborative, high-quality work.

Skills

Design

Leadership

Presentation

Strategic thinking

Collaboration

Mentoring

Job description

Who We Are

VML is a global creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce to create connected brands that drive growth. Guided by a Human First philosophy, VML is known for its innovative work for brands and consistently ranks among the world's leading creative companies, including the WARC Creative 100. 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, 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 a dynamic and experienced Associate Creative Director (Art) with a killer attitude and infectious energy to join our creative team. If this sounds like you and you're a next-level designer, conceptual thinker and collaborator with some retail/shopper expertise and experience with large global clients, please read on and reach out.

In this role, you'll be in our New York City office on the creative commerce team for one of our largest and most important CPG clients. This role is part of a multi-agency model called WPP Unite, working hand in hand with sister agencies at WPP.

You’ll work collaboratively with end-to-end commerce, brand, social, strategy and media teams as a creative commerce leader, translating full-funnel ambitions into unmissable commerce campaigns. You’ll oversee and execute visual and strategic concepts, tactics, toolkits and breakthrough activations across multiple markets for multiple brands.

You should be able to lead and own an array of client projects with minimal oversight, bringing executional excellence, conceptual savvy and dynamic presentation skills together to make award-worthy work.

What you'll do:

• Concept and collaborate on creative commerce activation and campaign ideas that can be executed in markets across North America
• Provide a strong, expert POV on design elements including messaging hierarchy, typography, layout and color
• Guide the development of exploratory concept boards, leveraging diverse insights and references to inspire fresh ideas on proactive pitches
• Adapt brand platform ideas into commerce tactics and toolkits seamlessly, with application to retailer needs and strategies
• Champion a social-first approach to creative, staying ahead of cultural trends and platform innovations to ensure campaigns resonate with modern audiences
• Serve as a visionary mentor and creative powerhouse to inspire and guide creative team members
• Clearly articulate big ideas in client-facing pitch decks and finesse revisions under tight deadlines with an eye for detail
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams across the agency to ensure timely deliverables
• Anticipate team and client needs, project risks and participate in driving resolution
• Inspire clients and co-workers through strong work, a collaborative spirit and excellent communication

Who you are:

• A Designer | An innovator with a design-eye and taste that can communicate an idea simply, yet with the subtleties and nuance that elevates good to great.
• Open and collaborative | Our team is close-knit and supportive and we're working with a lot of unknowns - you must be a champion of team environments that are comfortable and encouraging, especially working across disciplines.
• Optimistic and resilient | Dig in and figure out how to work around problems. Provide a balance needed to maintain stamina and positivity.
• Ego-less | We all wear the hats that need wearing, it's a mentality that makes the team successful.

What you'll need:

• Experience: A minimum of 7 years of design experience in an agency and/or design environment, with a preference for background in brand, trade or shopper marketing.
• Portfolio: A compelling online portfolio showcasing professional work that demonstrates proven experience in creating unmissable, strategic creative work, with a strong emphasis on design, not just direction.
• Industry Knowledge: Solid understanding of CPG shopper marketing and an elevated understanding of the retail trade environment, including omnichannel and physical/digital retail integrations.
• Leadership: Demonstrated team leadership experience preferred, with a proven ability to mentor and inspire creative talent.
• Strategic Acumen: Creative strategy experience preferred.
• Presentation Skills: Proven experience presenting work to decision-makers to successfully sell complex creative concepts and design.
• Problem-Solving: Solutions-oriented mindset, with an ability to lead and deliver results effectively through ambiguity and utilizing AI effectively.

What we offer:

Passionate, driven people | We champion a culture of people that