Executive/Creative Director

Active Theory; United States; Remote; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Active Theory is seeking an Executive Creative Director to drive growth, win high-level US accounts, and elevate the studio's creative vision. You will lead with strategic storytelling, mentor teams, and partner with production to balance budget and timelines.

You will act as the primary outward-facing Creative Lead for clients, shaping brand standards and long-term vision while delivering visually striking, technically sound work across projects.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in digital design/creative production, agency experience preferred.
• Proven leadership of large-scale, interactive projects from concept to launch.
• Strong conceptual thinking with high craft in design and visuals.
• Deep understanding of IRL brand experiences within marketing ecosystems.
• Excellent presentation, communication, and storytelling with client-facing success.
• Ability to lead teams with clarity, empathy, and confidence.
• Balance creative ambition with practical project constraints.

Responsibilities

• Lead as Executive Creative Director on assigned client work from concept to launch.
• Own overarching creative vision, narrative, and strategic direction across projects.
• Lead creative discovery, ideation, design direction, and reviews.
• Be hands-on when needed in design, motion, or visual systems during pitches.
• Present work and rationale to senior client stakeholders to win business.
• Partner with production and account leads to balance scope, timelines, and budget.
• Mentor the Creative team through feedback and career development.
• Represent Active Theory externally via talks, events, and industry presence.

Skills

Executive leadership

Pitching & storytelling

Client relationship building

Creative direction

Brand strategy

Public speaking

Team mentorship

Cross-functional collaboration

Figma

Presentation skills

Tools

Figma

Job description

Location: The Americas (Remote)

Availability: West Coast preferred; East Coast acceptable if West Coast hours can be observed when needed and travel is feasible

Timezone: Must be able to work full PST hours

Type: Full-time
Reports to: CEO

The Role

Active Theory is seeking an outward-facing, growth-minded Executive Creative Director (ECD) to help drive the business into its next chapter. We are looking for an entrepreneurial storyteller, a natural pitcher, and a relationship-builder who is driven to win high-level US clients.

In this role, you will lean confidently on a world-class internal engine of craft and execution led by established peer leadership and our highly talented production team. We want a growth partner, not a status-quo manager. You have a burning ambition to elevate Active Theory’s presence in the US and want a true stake in that future. You excel at finding and inspiring bold brands that want to take risks, leveraging our world-class internal capabilities to deliver experiences that redefine what we can produce.

Core Responsibilities

Company-Level Responsibilities

• Partner with peer leadership to shape and evolve Active Theory’s creative vision and market positioning.

• Maintain a high bar for creative quality across all projects you pitch and win

• Provide creative oversight and feedback to designers across multiple teams

• Participate in internal reviews, critiques, and creative forums

• Ensure pitch visions are translated smoothly to production.

• Contribute to studio-wide creative initiatives, experimentation, and thought leadership

Project-Level Responsibilities

• Serve as Executive Creative Director and project lead on assigned client work, setting the vision from concept through pitch, and guiding key milestones through to launch

• Own the overarching creative vision, narrative, and strategic direction across projects, ensuring work is visually striking, conceptually rigorous, and technically sound.

• Lead creative discovery, ideation, initial design direction, and reviews

• Be hands-on when needed, contributing directly to design, motion, or visual systems during critical pitch phases to maintain momentum

• Present work and creative rationale clearly charismatically and confidently to senior client stakeholders inspiring them to take creative risks

• Partner closely with internal production and development leads to balance creative ambition with scope, timelines, and budget

Client & Account Leadership

• Act as the primary outward-facing Creative Lead for Clients, developing deep understanding of the brand, creative standards, and long–term vision

• Establish trusted client relationships through strong creative leadership, business acumen, and relationship–building

• Lead pitches, concept presentations, and creative strategy discussions to actively win and secure high–level US accounts.

• Provide creative leadership and client management in partnership with production and account leads

Leadership, Mentorship & Growth

• Mentor Creative department members through consistent project feedback, constructive craft–oriented guidance, and development of career–relevant skills and qualities

• Participate in hiring by reviewing portfolios, interviewing candidates, and helping define role expectations

• Inspire and align the North American Creative Team around growth and bold creative standards.

• Represent Active Theory externally through public speaking, events, talks, and industry presence

Required Experience & Skills

• 15+ years of experience in digital design/creative production, ideally within a creative or digital agency or as an independent studio founder/consultant.

• Proven experience leading large–scale, highly interactive projects from concept to launch

• Strong conceptual thinking paired with excellent visual and design craft

• Strong design sensibility to direct the work; familiarity with modern design tools (like Figma) is expected for tactical agility, but deep hands–on execution in animation/3D tools is not required.

• Strong understanding of IRL brand experiences, their value to clients and how they live within marketing ecosystems

• Excellent presentation, communication, and storytelling skills, with a proven track record of commanding a room and winning new business.

• Ability to lead teams with clarity, empathy, and confidence

• Comfortable balancing creative ambition with practical constraints

What Success Looks Like

• New business efforts are elevated through clear, compelling creative vision, resulting in a scaled pipeline of high–level US accounts.

• Clients trust your leadership and see you as a long–term creative partner, and willingly embrace ambitious digital risks.

• Projects consistently launch at a high creative bar, leveraging our internal production expertise.

• The internal production team feels inspired by the caliber and ambition of the work you bring in.

• Active Theory’s design culture continues to mature, evolve, and strengthen

• Senior creatives, especially emerging leaders, grow alongside you by stepping up to own project delivery.