Creative Director — Hands-On, Strategy-Driven Lead

Idea Peddler; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401k matching

Paid time off

Job summary

Idea Peddler in Austin, TX is seeking a Creative Director to lead integrated campaigns for hospitality and tourism brands. The role blends strategic thinking with hands-on design, keeping projects on brief, on budget, and on schedule.

You will mentor teams, present with impact during pitches, and maintain a culture of curiosity, accountability, and no B.S. This is a boutique agency where big agency thinking meets nimble execution.

Qualifications

• At least 10 years of creative agency experience.
• Portfolio showing ideas across digital, social, print, outdoor, presentations and experiential work.
• Background in design or art direction with cross-disciplinary writing/editing ability.
• Experience leading staff and freelance creatives from concept to delivery.
• Confidence presenting ideas and handling feedback with senior clients.
• Strong knowledge of Figma and Adobe Creative Cloud.
• Ability to manage scope, timelines, budgets and resources without losing sight of the work.

Responsibilities

• Set the creative direction across client accounts, from the first brief through final delivery.
• Turn strategy into clear concepts and integrated campaigns across digital, social, print, outdoor, presentations and experiences.
• Invest real time in developing creative talent. Mentorship here means more than just leading by example. It means getting into the work, sharpening their craft and helping them reach the next level.
• Inspire the team and dazzle prospective clients during the RFP process with presentations that are sincere, seriously smart and, of course, memorably creative.
• Stay close to the work. Write, design, edit and/or art direct. Your involvement will make it stronger.
• Give team members clear direction and practical feedback that helps them move forward.
• Set the standard for concept, craft and execution, and hold that standard when timelines or feedback put pressure on the work.
• Manage multiple projects, deadlines and shifting priorities without losing momentum or lowering the quality of the work.
• Work closely with account and project management to balance creative ambition with timelines, budgets and team capacity.
• Help improve how work moves through the agency, from briefing and concept development through review and delivery.
• Make clear decisions, raise issues early and keep the team focused when projects get tight.
• Advocate for your ideas, your team and the resources needed to deliver the work.
• Step up during the natural peaks of agency life, including pitches, launches, production trips and tight deadlines.

Skills

Creative leadership

Integrated campaigns

Presentation skills

Staff mentorship

Time management

Tools

Figma

Adobe Creative Cloud

Job description

Idea Peddler in Austin, TX is seeking a Creative Director to lead integrated campaigns for hospitality and tourism brands. The role blends strategic thinking with hands-on design, keeping projects on brief, on budget, and on schedule.

You will mentor teams, present with impact during pitches, and maintain a culture of curiosity, accountability, and no B.S. This is a boutique agency where big agency thinking meets nimble execution.