Creative Director, Design Lead

GREY; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Competitive benefits package

Job summary

GREY is seeking a Creative Director of Design to shape the creative direction, lead innovative design initiatives, and deliver standout solutions for large-scale advertising campaigns. The ideal candidate will have exceptional design leadership, strategic thinking, and a proven ability to guide teams to successful outcomes.

You will collaborate with clients and account teams, oversee multi-channel design projects, and mentor junior designers to maintain high creative standards.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in a creative leadership role with a track record of delivering design leadership.
• Strong leadership and communication to guide cross-functional teams.
• Experience presenting to clients and managing stakeholder relationships.
• Ability to drive brand consistency across campaigns and platforms.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and creative vision for client campaigns.
• Collaborate with clients and account teams to translate goals into design strategy.
• Oversee design projects across platforms ensuring high-quality, on-brand outcomes.
• Mentor junior designers and foster a collaborative environment.
• Set creative direction and oversee development from concept to execution.
• Present design concepts to clients and incorporate feedback to refine work.
• Build strong client relationships and offer strategic branding insights.
• Lead brainstorming with copywriters and art directors to integrate design and messaging.
• Ensure adherence to brand guidelines and campaign standards.
• Manage resources, timelines, and budgets to deliver quality work.
• Stay updated on design trends and digital tools.
• Incorporate cultural trends to keep briefs relevant.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Leadership

Communication

Presentation skills

Team leadership

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Keynote

PowerPoint

Google Slides

AI Tools

CSS

HTML

CMS

Job description

Grey’s mission is to create Famously Effective ideas that move people, businesses, and the world forward, harnessing the power of creativity to solve business challenges and drive growth for some of the world’s most influential brands and companies, including Procter & Gamble, Volvo, Haleon, Circle K, and The Coca-Cola Company. That commitment to effectiveness has earned Grey a Grand Effie in every market where it operates. Grey was recognized as a 2025 Fast Company World Changing Ideas winner and earned 26 Lions at the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, contributing to Ogilvy’s Network of the Year honors. Newsweek also named Grey a Top 100 Global Most Loved Workplace in 2024 and one of America's Greatest Workplaces for Women and Professional Services in 2025. Grey 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.

About WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unitecutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counselin a single company –powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open,to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com.

POSITION OVERVIEW

As Creative Director of Design you will be responsible for setting the creative direction, driving innovation, and delivering exceptional design solutions for our clients' advertising campaigns. The ideal candidate possesses exceptional design skills, strategic thinking, and a proven track record of successful creative leadership in the advertising industry.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide strategic leadership and creative vision, guiding the creative team to develop innovative and impactful design solutions that meet client objectives and resonate with the target audience.
• Collaborate closely with clients and account managers to understand their business goals, target audience, and communication objectives, translating them into compelling design strategies and concepts.
• Oversee the development and execution of design projects across various platforms, ensuring the delivery of high-quality and on-brand creative work that exceeds client expectations.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to junior designers, nurturing their skills and fostering a collaborative and creative work environment. that encourages creativity, exploration, and the generation of fresh ideas.
• Set the creative direction for advertising campaigns, overseeing the conceptualization, design development, and execution of visual elements
• Present and effectively communicate design concepts to clients, articulating the creative rationale, and incorporating client feedback to refine and enhance designs
• Foster strong relationships with clients, becoming a trusted creative partner and offering strategic guidance and insights to enhance their brand's visual identity and communication efforts.
• Lead and participate in brainstorming sessions, collaborating with copywriters, art directors, and other team members to develop integrated campaign concepts that seamlessly merge design and messaging.
• Ensure brand consistency and adherence to design standards across all advertising materials and campaigns, maintaining the integrity of clients' brand guidelines.
• Manage and allocate resources effectively, overseeing project timelines and budgets to ensure timely delivery of high-quality creative work within allocated resources.
• Remain current on the latest trends, consumer preferences, and best practices in the industry
• Stay on top of the latest technological advancements, including design software, digital tools, and platforms, to enhance creative processes and deliver innovative solutions
• Remain informed about current pop culture and social media trends in order to infuse culturally relevant elements into briefs and campaigns

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• At least 8+ years of industry experience in a well-established, creative role with a proven track record
• Strategic mindset and the ability to think creatively, generating innovative design concepts and solutions that align with client objectives and resonate with the target audience.
• Excellent leadership and managerial skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate a creative team, foster collaboration, and drive the execution of exceptional design work.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate design concepts, influence stakeholders, and build strong client relationships.
• Solid verbal communication skills, with experience presenting
• Experience working with large teams in client facing role
• Excellent written and presentation skills
• Excellent grasp of design and layout fundamentals
• Able to gracefully handle multiple projects in a fast-paced environment
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, Keynote, PowerPoint, Google Slides, AI Tools
• Knowledge of digital media and experience designing for various digital platforms is highly desirable.
• Proficiency in front-end development work (CSS and HTML) and working within a CMS is a plus

WHO YOU ARE:

• Creative: Putting together two things to create a third thing no one’s ever seen before
• Productive: Acting on ideas to make things happen and get stuff done
• Collaborative: Focused on the greater good versus personal gain
• Adaptable: Ready and able to embrace change

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, click here for more details.

Pay Range

$75,000 - $180,000 USD

We believe great work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach including required in-office days. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

GREY is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular 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.

If you need any assistance seeking a job opportunity, or if you need reasonable accommodation with the application process, please contact us at [e-mail]. Please note that this contact is only for candidates who are requesting accommodation. Emails for other purposes, including application status requests, will not receive a response.

Please be aware of the possibility of recruiting fraud. GREY does not conduct interviews via instant messaging platforms and will never request personal financial information such as bank account numbers, credit card information, or payment of any kind during the hiring process. All legitimate communication will come from an official @ GREY.com email address. If you suspect fraudulent activity, please report it to us immediately. Stay vigilant and protect your personal information.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in GREY ’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.