Associate Creative Director, Copy

Associate Creative Director, Copy

Reports To: Jess Lovell, ECD

Position Summary: Associate Creative Directors at Grizzly are responsible for championing creative problem-solving, leading and contributing to creative work on cross-disciplinary projects, and elevating agency output and experience. They don’t just take assignments or fill in blanks, instead they  ask questions and generate fresh ideas, while overseeing the creation and production of bold, adventurous work for our clients. They are project and client experts – ensuring that the creative output solves our clients’ business challenges while also challenging the team and leading them into new creative territories. They make strategic decisions on behalf of Grizzly’s project teams, providing key feedback to the delivery team, and working closely with clients to ensure that every deliverable meets/exceeds their needs and expectations. ACDs seek out a diversity of ideas, welcome feedback, and are comfortable managing-up to Creative Directors and Executive Leadership.

Essential Functions:

Champion Creative Excellence

• Work both independently and collaboratively with Creative Directors to uncover insights, generate unique ideas, and clearly articulate creative concepts to team members and clients.
• Work closely with the strategy team to build creative briefs that will guide our team’s work and ensure each project meets expectations and solves the right challenges. Maximize our team’s impact by delegating work to appropriate people/teams and providing smart, useful, constructive feedback.
• Proactively identify opportunities for process improvement, and actively support efforts to increase productivity and strengthen the creative process at Grizzly.
• Mentor and coach team members by providing new perspectives, developing each individual’s strengths and scaling the team’s abilities. Actively promote and reinforce cross-functional collaboration by seeking insight from non-design team members and contributors.
• Foster progressive thinking and contribute to Grizzly thought leadership.
• Partner with recruiters and participate in screening and interviewing of potential Grizzly team members.
• Keep a positive outlook and optimistic attitude. 

Conceptualize and Produce Creative Solutions

• Lead concept development across several client relationships, working across brand identity, digital experience, campaign and film projects. Contribute to a strong visual aesthetic on projects, helping elevate Grizzly’s creative output.
• Contribute creative writing on client and agency projects, creating meaningful narrative work and strategic brand/digital/campaign copy with linguistic savvy.
• Deliver consistently exceptional work on time and within budget, leading with optimism and providing creative oversight on projects from start to finish. Maintain flexibility in your approach to creative problem solving while staying focused on the client’s business outcomes at all times.
• Demonstrate ability to quickly learn from and leverage user research and client feedback to maximize effectiveness of all project types.
• Champion the direct connection between brand and business outcomes through strategy, copy, design, technology, and visual storytelling.
• Learn and leverage new tools, techniques, and methodologies to achieve bold, unique visual experiences across all mediums.
• Prioritize work on multiple projects while staying organized, meticulous, and motivated. Participate in and lead client presentations, sessions and follow-up meetings.
• Multi-task among several workstreams and/or projects, including taking part in pitching and winning new work

Always be Learning

• Stay plugged into industry and cultural trends, and be aware of new technologies and opportunities that will bring a fresh perspective to the agency and our clients. Contribute to Grizzly’s growth by supporting projects, initiatives, and fellow teammates.
• Take initiative in learning and growing as a leader and as a team member.

Qualifications:

• 4-6 years of creative experience 
• 3-5 years of agency experience
• Experience leading and managing creative teams
• Expert with industry-standard creative tools (Adobe CS / Sketch/Figma)
• Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Creatively brave and relentlessly attentive to detail
• Proven experience building brandsystems
• Strong interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent presentation skills that encompass clear, compelling communications
• Proven ability to work cross-functionally with all agency personnel in developing plans, recommendations, and deliverables
• Strong conceptual and brainstorming skills
• Excellent listening skills, with the ability to understand the needs of the client and the intended audience.

Work Requirements:

• Within one hours drive of San Diego, CA.
• Flexibility with schedule to meet client commitments.
• Domestic and international travel may be required.

Disclaimer:The above job description is meant to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. It is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required for the position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform other job-related duties requested by their supervisor in compliance with Federal and State Laws. 

All job requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health and safety of themselves or other employees. Requirements are representative of minimum levels of knowledge, skills and/or abilities. To perform this job successfully, the employee must possess the abilities or aptitudes to perform each duty proficiently. Continued employment remains on an “at-will” basis.