Temp Associate Creative Director (Art)

Firewood Marketing, Inc.; Michigan; On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Firewood Marketing, Inc. seeks a Temporary Associate Creative Director to lead art direction and design for a world-class automotive client. You’ll partner with copywriters, account managers, and strategies to deliver innovative campaigns while actively shaping creative development and production.

This role blends leadership with hands-on design across digital, video, and experiential formats. You will collaborate across brand, product, and content teams, guiding junior creatives, presenting

Qualifications

• 5-7+ years of design and art direction experience in advertising and marketing.
• Exceptional skill as a graphic designer with proficiency in Figma and Adobe Suite.
• Thrives under pressure, adapts to changing priorities and meets deadlines.
• Strong portfolio across digital, video, and social formats.

Responsibilities

• Elevate Creative Vision: Lead the conceptualization and design of integrated digital advertising campaigns.
• Present ideas, build client relationships, and confidently lead art and design conversations.
• Guide the conceptual and aesthetic direction of campaigns and asset creation.
• Mentor junior creatives and provide guidance on design best practices.
• Drive innovation and ensure work is award-worthy and scalable.

Skills

Art direction

Graphic design

Figma

Adobe Suite

Leadership

Collaboration

Branding

Portfolio

Auto industry interest

Advertising experience

Tools

Figma

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Illustrator

InDesign

Job description

About the Role

As an Temporary Associate Creative Director for one of the largest automotive companies in the world, you'll partner with copywriters, account managers, creative directors, strategists, and other creatives to deliver a variety of compelling materials. Focusing on both art direction and design, the ACD will collaborate with cross-functional teams to create innovative and visually compelling solutions that resonate with target audiences. This position requires a blend of artistic talent, strategic thinking, and leadership skills to elevate our agency's creative output. In practice, this means steering the team towards excellence while also actively participating in hands‑on design, creative development and production. This pivotal position requires you to navigate multiple responsibilities, serving as both creator and supervisor simultaneously. You bring a progressive creative instinct and positivity, working effectively in teams with a low‑ego approach.

You will work closely with account leadership on how we continue to grow and support our strong relationship with one of the largest automotive companies in the world. Also pivotal to your success in this role is having a strong partnership with the other discipline leads and contributing to an environment of teamwork and mutual understanding. You will need to work collaboratively and inclusively across brand, strategy, product, content and integrated marketing teams through a variety of opportunities while also supporting your ever-growing creative team. Of equal importance is your influencing prowess with clients while ever being humble and adaptable.

Responsibilities:

Elevate Creative Vision:

• Partner with Creative Directors and leadership to elevate client brand expression and achieve creative excellence.
• Lead the conceptualization and design of integrated digital advertising campaigns.
• Present ideas, build client relationships, and confidently lead art and design conversations. Proactively respond to feedback (both written and verbal), and follow up with creative and account teams throughout each project.
• Guide the conceptual and aesthetic direction of campaigns, asset creation, experiential activations, and design projects.
• Work closely with clients to understand their vision, objectives, and feedback.
• Confidently present work alongside Creative Directors during client reviews.

Foster Collaboration and Execution:

• Collaborate with copywriters, designers, and strategists to develop cohesive creative concepts.
• Creation of high‑quality, impactful work across all deliverables - from campaigns and design assets to experiential work.
• Provide clear, focused feedback to creative teams regarding work, department, and agency improvements.
• Mentor junior creatives by providing guidance on design best practices and professional development.
• Contribute to the creative process from concept ideation to production, ensuring high‑quality, consistent, and innovative work.
• Critique major deliverables, upholding the highest standards of creative excellence and ensuring alignment with client objectives.
• Drive innovation and creativity, setting new industry standards and ensuring work is consistently smart, impactful, and scalable.
• Ensure work is best‑in‑class and award‑worthy.

Thrive in a Fast‑Paced Environment:

• Stay updated on industry trends, tools, and techniques to inspire innovation.
• Embrace a hands‑on approach, seamlessly collaborating with cross‑functional teams to drive projects forward and proactively identify areas for improvement.
• Thrive in a dynamic, deadline‑driven environment, effectively prioritizing tasks and maintaining a poised and professional demeanor.
• Collaborate seamlessly across time zones with a global team, supporting both local and international initiatives.

About You

The essentials:

• 5-7+ years of design and art direction experience in advertising and marketing.
• Exceptional skill as a graphic designer and the ability to create high‑quality work in both Figma and the Adobe Suite
• Thrive under pressure, adapting to changing priorities and consistently meeting tight deadlines.
• Possess an exceptional creative background, inherently understanding digital and thinking beyond traditional ad formats and budgets.
• Collaborate effectively with creative leads and copywriters, developing on‑brand, strategically sound designs that meet brief requirements.
• Contribute constructively to strategic and creative discussions throughout the entire project lifecycle, from conception to production.
• Leverage data and research to identify unique brand opportunities, effectively presenting creative vision and philosophy.
• Experience crafting brand style guides to ensure consistency across all touchpoints.
• Interest in automotive culture is required, and any previous auto experience is a plus.
• A versatile, contemporary, digital‑centric portfolio showcasing a proven track record of excellence across multiple formats (digital, video, social, etc.) is required.

Your Working Style:

• Highly creative and imaginative with a strong visual and design aesthetic.
• Exceptionally detail‑oriented and organized, with an unwavering commitment to pixel‑perfect precision.
• Self‑motivated, resilient, and adaptable, thriving in fast‑paced, dynamic environments.
• Adept at handling quick turnarounds as part of a dedicated, collaborative team.
• Constructive, solution‑oriented, and client‑centric, balancing a strong work ethic with a positive, humble approach, eager to learn from clients and teammates.
• Manage projects efficiently, minimizing friction and maximizing productivity.
• Open to feedback, providing clear rationale and readily offering alternative solutions, seamlessly transitioning between projects and brands.
• Comfortable working both independently and collaboratively.
• Driven to become a subject matter expert with a strong understanding of related creative disciplines.
• Possess excellent problem‑solving skills and a proactive approach to delivering high‑quality work.
• Stay ahead of the curve, informed about emerging creative trends, cultures, and technologies.
• Committed to upholding equity, inclusion, and accessibility in all aspects of the role.

At Monks, we believe in fostering an environment where a diversity of perspectives can thrive. We proactively work to design hiring processes that promote equity and inclusion while mitigating bias. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building a team that reflects the communities we serve. We welcome and encourage qualified applicants, from all backgrounds, who are excited to contribute to our mission.

Monks is committed to ensuring equal access and participation for people with disabilities. We are committed to treating people with disabilities in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence. We believe in integration, and we are committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner. We will do so by removing and preventing barriers to accessibility and by meeting our accessibility requirements under local accessibility laws.

About Monks

Monks is the global, digital-first, data-driven, unitary operating brand of S4 Capital plc. With a legacy of innovation and specialized expertise, Monks combines an extraordinary range of global Marketing and Technology Services to redefine how brands interact with the world. Through Monks.Flow, its flagship AI ecosystem for marketing orchestration, Monks transforms marketing into a growth engine, collapsing timelines and connecting brands to culture in real time. By deploying bespoke intelligent agents across disciplines and delivering culturally relevant, high‑impact creative and digital solutions, Monks solves key critical business challenges across the entire brand enterprise to help brands sustain long‑term impact.

Monks was named a Contender in The Forrester Wave™: Global Marketing Services, ranks among Cannes Lions' Top 10 Creative Companies (2022-25) and remains the only partner featured in AdExchanger’s Programmatic Power Players list every year (2020-24). Named Adweek’s first AI Agency of the Year (2023) and The One Show’s inaugural AI Pioneer Organization, Monks was also awarded Business Intelligence Group’s 2025 Excellence in Artificial Intelligence Award in both the Organizational and AI Product categories. As a trusted partner to cutting‑edge innovators in tech, Monks earned titles such as Optimizely Experimentation Partner of the Year (2025), runner‑up for the Adobe Firefly Partner Award (2024), and Workato’s AI Visionary Customer Impact Award (2024). Additionally, Monks achieved a record‑breaking number of FWAs and continues to hold the most of any partner.

We are an equal‑opportunity employer committed to building a respectful and empowering work environment for all people to freely express themselves amongst colleagues who embrace diversity in all respects. Including fresh voices and unique points of view in all aspects of our business not only creates an environment where we can all grow and thrive but also increases our potential to produce work that better represents—and resonates with the world around us.

At Monks, we are committed to protecting your personal information. As part of our recruitment process, we collect and process personal data to evaluate your application and communicate with you. To understand how we handle your information, including the types of data we collect, how we use it, and your rights, please read our Monks Candidate Privacy Notice . We encourage you to review this notice to ensure you are fully informed about how your data will be managed during your application process.

Monks does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other reason prohibited by law in provision of employment opportunities and benefits.