Associate Creative Director, Copy

DJE Holdings; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 86,000 - 138,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental insurance

401K

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Paid time off

Travel assistance

Wellness programing

Job summary

Edelman in Chicago seeks an Associate Creative Director who can concept, craft and produce earned-first ideas across social, digital, video, and integrated campaigns. You will be client-facing and lead a cross-capability team to sell in work that solves real business problems.

This role requires at least 6 years of experience in creative leadership, a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts/Advertising/Graphic Design, and mastery of the Adobe Creative Cloud.

Qualifications

• Social-first thinker with fluency in TikTok, Instagram and niche subcultures.
• Strategic and collaborative, proven track record of big ideas and wins.
• Experienced in 360 campaigns with an earned-first mindset.
• Production experience in art direction and design for video, digital and social platforms.

Responsibilities

• Work with Associate Creative Director, Art and creative leadership to concept and plan integrated campaigns across media and platforms.
• Create and design campaign ideas for client projects and new business pitches that are earned-first and social by design.
• Collaborate with account, strategy, project management, and influencer teams.
• Develop tactics to bring concepts to life and achieve program objectives.
• Manage multiple jobs and provide direction to team members as needed.
• Coordinate production with project managers and production partners.
• Prepare and present client creative presentations; drive client approval process.
• Work with vendors and internal teams to meet timeframes and budgets.

Skills

Social-first thinker

Strategic & collaborative

Earned-first campaigns

Team-oriented

Education

Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts/Advertising/Graphic Design

Tools

Adobe Creative Cloud

Job description

We are in relentless pursuit of an equitable and inspiring workplace that is respectful of all, reflects and represents the world in which we live, and fosters trust, collaboration and belonging. Consistent with this approach, we hire the best qualified candidates for all positions. At Edelman, we believe brands have the responsibility to reflect and move culture. We advocate for ideas based on real insights and sound strategic opportunities. We then challenge ourselves to bring them to life with creative that speaks to people, not at them.

Founded 68 years ago as public relations firm, crafting messages was and is part of what Edelman is, but we’ve evolved into a perennial award-winning creative agency.

Our number one goal is building ideas that earn attention of their own merits and inspire sharing. To do that, we lean into what people care about and want to talk about and show our brands how we can serve those communities. We create work that captures journalists’ attention and generates coverage because the ideas are timely, relevant, push on cultural tensions, and have social purpose at the core.

Specifically, we are looking for an Associate Creative Director, who can concept, craft and produce creative ideas across multiple accounts and projects. You must be self-motivated, detailed, and dedicated to bringing in ideas that are earned centric and social by design. You will be client-facing and collaborate with a cross-capability team to sell in work that solves real business problems.

This is not a plug-and-play role. As an earned-first agency, we shape our ideas around the story we want to tell—not the media plan. What we sell in shifts with every brief – one day it's a reactive TikTok idea, the next it's a 360 campaign with PR, influencer, digital, and brand film components. We’re looking for sharp thinkers and culture junkies who thrive in creative chaos.

You should be:

• A social-first thinker fluent in TikTok, Instagram, apps we’ve never heard of, and niche internet subcultures
• Strategic and collaborative, with a proven track record of big ideas and big wins
• Experienced in 360 campaigns with an earned-first mindset
• Obsessed with making smart, standout, award-winning work
• Ego-free, self-starting, and deeply team-oriented

This is a chance to work with a best-in-class creative crew that’s picked up wins all the way to Cannes. If you’re ready to do the best work of your life—we’d love to meet you.

Responsibilities:

• Work in partnership with an Associate Creative Director, Art and at the direction of creative leadership to concept and plan execution of integrated campaigns and programs across a wide range of media and platforms, especially social, digital, video, experiences and content
• Create and design campaign ideas for client projects and new business pitches that are earned-first and social by design
• Work in concert with a wide range of specialties including account, strategy, project management, and influencer
• Develop tactics which bring creative concepts to life and achieve program objectives
• Manage multiple jobs simultaneously; managing and providing direction to other team members as needed
• Work closely with a project manager and production partners to schedule projects and coordinate production
• Prepare and present client creative presentations; Drive client approval process
• Work effectively with external vendors and internal colleagues to complete projects within timeframe and budget

Basic Qualifications:

• At least 6 years' experience managing day-to-day changes at every level of detail and handling them with a team oriented, entrepreneurial spirit A bachelor’s degree, preferably in Fine Arts, Advertising or Graphic Design or equivalent experience

Additional qualifications include:

• Experience managing day-to-day changes at every level of detail and handling them with a team oriented, entrepreneurial spirit
• Experience maintaining client contact as needed and assist with budget and schedule development
• Ability to prioritize and manage work, adhering to critical project timelines in a fast-paced environment
• A professional-level mastery of industry standard design software and tools including the full suite of Adobe Creative Cloud
• Production experience in art direction and design for video, digital and social platforms
• Experience in influencer and or community management a plus
• Pride in your previous work and the ability to speak to it clearly and concisely during the interview process

Applications submitted without a portfolio will not be considered.

$86,000-$138,000 a year.

An employee’s pay position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, travel requirements, revenue-based metrics, any contractual agreements, and business or organizational needs. The range listed is just one component of DJEH’s total compensation package for employees.

Other rewards may include annual bonuses, a Paid Time Off policy, and region-specific benefits.

DJEH offers a wide range of benefits:

• medical and dental insurance
• vision
• 401K
• life insurance
• disability insurance
• paid time off
• travel assistance
• wellness programing

DJEH is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and believes in diversity, equity, and inclusion.

We seek applications from all qualified candidates without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, military and veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law.

If you require a reasonable accommodation in any part of the employment process, please let us know.

It started with one man’s passion to make an impact through stories… 70 years later, we are the world’s largest communications firm, which fosters an environment where people feel empowered to take the kind of bold action that makes careers, reshapes industries, and creates the unexpected. We are one global team, over 6,000 strong across 60 offices, grounded by our shared values. We promise an experience where our employees see that boldness is possibility, empathy is progress, and curiosity is momentum. Since Dan Edelman founded the firm in 1952, we have remained an independent, family-run business, and our culture is one that brings understanding, collaboration, and respect to our work and to each other. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) transform our colleagues, our clients, and our communities, and propel us forward as a company.

At Edelman, we are in relentless pursuit of a fair and inspiring workplace that is respectful to all, reflects and represents the world in which we live, and fosters trust and collaboration. Each day and on each project, we strive to ensure that our colleagues feel a sense of true inclusion and belonging and can bring their best to their work— taking action and shaping impactful moments and movements within our company, on behalf of our clients, and within communities around the globe. The relentless pursuit of excellence The freedom to be constantly curious The courage to do the right thing The commitment to positively impact society.

We grow our people We invite and celebrate differences Our reputation is our brand We’re global, yet local We offer more than just a career – we offer a place to grow, make a meaningful impact, and help drive change alongside some of the brightest minds in the industry.

At Edelman, your ambitions are supported, your voice matters and your work contributes to shaping the future of communications and clients’ business.