VP, Associate Creative Director-Art

AREA 23; New York (NY); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

AREA 23 is seeking a VP, Associate Creative Director – ART to inspire and lead workstreams across brands, ensuring top-tier content and visual style aligned with client strategy. The role partners with Copy and cross-functional teams to shape brand direction and mentor both art and copy staff.

As an agency leader, you will drive career development, client relationships, and innovative ideation while upholding inclusive culture and operational excellence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Advertising, Visual Communications, Graphic Design or related field.
• Proven leadership of art direction teams and client-facing work.
• Strong understanding of brand strategy and creative direction.

Responsibilities

• Lead ideation and craft across multiple brands, ensuring high-quality output.
• Directly supervise art teams and mentor copy team to maintain brand voice.
• Collaborate with accounts, strategy and production to meet timelines and budgets.
• Develop and advocate for overall marketing strategies and client goals.
• Grow new business opportunities and participate in agency initiatives.

Skills

Creative ideation

Executional craft

Cross-functional collaboration

Client management

Strategic thinking

Team management

Business & resource management

New business development

Agency culture & leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

Job Description

Area23

Job Function

Creative

Job Subfunction

Art Direction

Job Description

The VP, Associate Creative Director – ART (VP ACD - ART) fosters creative inspiration and leads workstreams across multiple account(s) and brands; ensuring high quality of content and style to meet the client’s marketing strategies and objectives. With their Copy & cross-functional partners, they share responsibility for brand strategy, team development & cohesion, client management, and creative ideation & execution. They are responsible for the career development & management of direct & indirect reports, under the direction of the lead Creative Director. As an officer of the company, they are ambassadors of the agency internally and externally.

Essential Functions

• Creative Ideation - Works collaboratively with creative & strategy partners to develop smart, single-minded ideas that are unique and deliver on the strategy.
• Executional Craft - Skillful visual translation of creative ideas and concepts. Intellectual/technical ability to bring creative ideas to life with high level of attention to detail and the overall aesthetic of a project; ensuring that the final output is compelling, unique, visually stunning and award worthy.
• This is something you should be able to do for yourself, as well developing your creative team to push for that high level of craft in all creative opportunities.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration - Collaborate and communicate with team members in a productive manner to ensure goals are being met and to attain and maintain creative vision outlined for the agency
• Client Management - Develop and maintain strong client relationships through demonstrated creative leadership, ability, and successful output.
• Strategic Thinking - Maintain high-level understanding of client's products, their marketing objectives, and the promotional activities of similar or competitive products to contribute innovative ideas and tactics.
• Team Management & Development - Directly supervises Art teams on brand(s), providing mentorship/guidance to copy team as needed. Demonstrated ability to hire and retain highly capable people while fostering inclusive and positive culture.
• Business & Resource Management - Maintains timely & detail oriented approach to administrative duties, ensuring creative team is billable and fully utilized to increase productivity and efficiency.
• New Business - Grow existing brands and participate in new business to generate additional revenue.
• Agency & Culture - Begin to participate in internal & external initiatives to elevate agency operations, community & brand.

Job Duties / Responsibilities

• For Specialty functions, see additional information (if applicable) in the box below.

Creative Ideation

• Partners with Account, Senior Creative Management, & Clients in development/presentation of brand personality, positioning, and creative briefs across multiple brands.
• Possesses the ability to take abstract concepts and empower project teams to create cutting-edge concepts or designs that are user-friendly, representative of the client's goals, and within brand guidelines.
• Helps set priorities, approve visual materials, and manages workloads within Art/Copy team so that assignments are completed within agreed upon time frames.
• Participates in client reviews, presenting & defending creative direction in collaborative manner, while responding and incorporating feedback.

Executional Craft

• Collaborates with production, ensuring quality work that is completed as designed, on time, without error and on budget.
• Manages and carries out photo shoots, CGI, illustrators, video and film production, with assistance from reports.
• Clearly communicate with vendors/artists to make sure the art is produced at a high standard.

Cross Functional Collaboration

• Maintains positive and solutions-oriented approach with various agency departments including Editorial, Account, Strategy and Project Management.
• Communicates effectively various departments to ensure alignment in creative vision, deadlines, revisions, and quality control.
• Partners closely with Copy partner and team to contribute and execute creative approaches to communicate brand personality and messages for both the overall campaign and individual materials
• Suggests and implements new ideas/operational efficiencies to improve cross-team ways of working.

Client Management

• Maintains strong relationship with client partners through demonstrated creative ability and active communication.
• Partners with clients to understand brand, messaging, & creative vision.
• Professionally and tactfully manages client expectations, timelines, and requests.

Strategic Thinking

• Possesses an in-depth understanding of the assigned account, treatment category, and understanding of competitive landscape.
• Work with account and creative senior management to develop and advocate for overall marketing strategies.
• Participate & co-lead strategic and tactical meetings.
• Ability to communicate ideas thoughtfully & succinctly.

Talent Management & Development

• Directly supervises art directors, senior art directors, and art supervisors on brand(s), and provides mentorship/guidance to copy team as needed.
• Responsible for hiring, staffing, career development, and full life-cycle talent management for direct team (e.g. delivering feedback, annual reviews, general and performance management).
• Demonstrates leadership, empathy and professionalism in communications.

Business & Resource Management

• Ensure Art/Copy team members are billable & fully utilized to increase productivity and efficiency.
• Partner with Creative Resourcing to determine scopes, billability, and acquire freelance support as needed.

New Business

• Participates in creative pitch concepting & executional efforts to successfully grow new business.
• Evaluates opportunities and participates in the growth efforts of existing brands.

Agency & Culture

• Begin to participate in network-wide initiatives related to operational & cultural improvements.
• Champion organizational efforts around Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion.
• Represent the agency & network in internal/external events (panels, conferences).

Education

• DEGREE/DIPLOMA
• AREA OF STUDY
• REQUIRED/PREFERRED

Bachelor’s degree

Marketing, Advertising, Visual Communications, Graphic Design, Art and Design or related field

Preferred