Director, Creative Strategy

Creative & Visionary Leadership Leadership

• Entrepreneurial and ready to roll up one’s sleeves and help us scale and build a dynamic creative team!
• Leads, collaborates and inspires a group of talented specialists including copywriters, designers, strategists and integrated project managers that make up the creative services division within the public relations agency of SSM&L.
• Builds, leads, and mentors a team of strategists and partner leads to be the first point of contact for all work coming through the creative team.
• Provides strategic leadership and creative insight to seamlessly integrate marketing strategies for a diverse portfolio of clients including brand development, social media marketing, digital production, web development and content development.
• Spearheads creative ideation for multi-faceted client campaigns; working with high-level executives and creative stakeholders, leads the development of extensive, nationally integrated marketing campaigns, with measured impact across multiple channels.
• Translates client goals and performance needs into big ideas that garner results; using creative tools, vendors, contacts and expertise

Business Acumen

• Responsible for the overall fiscal vitality and business practices of the creative services division; builds, manages and improves upon all staffing, a detailed P&L and departmental budget.
• Responsible for new business development; cultivating and leading opportunities both within the company eco system and outside. Ability to speak to and sell in effective social and digital strategies as an extension of creative work is a plus.
• Responsible for ideation and creation of new business proposals and campaigns for the client. These will include the big idea, the tactical execution and the overall look and feel.

Resource Management

• Manage project timelines and budgets effectively, ensuring the highest quality of work within specific constraints.
• Optimize resource allocation to ensure efficient project delivery and client satisfaction
• Build and cultivate relationships with freelance creatives – from designers, programmers, illustrators, video teams and many other creatives to support our efforts where needed. This person is responsible for identifying talent and managing the creative team to ensure that the work is up to high standards and the projects are delivered on time. 

What We Are looking For

• An entrepreneurial spirit who is excited to build a strong, dynamic creative team
• A creative leader with 8-10 years of experience with a portfolio that showcases strategic direction and creative output for clients and demonstrated versatility across all media
• An experienced presenter who is as comfortable directing their team as they are presenting to clients or senior level executives. A persuasive and effective communicator who can lead the selling and execution of the work.
• An integrated problem solver who can sync up brand strategy, communications, content, product, channels, and user experience.
• A natural storyteller who inspires others to join and participate in your vision.
• A confident people manager who can inspire and nurture talent and push a team to think above client expectations.
• A natural collaborator, comfortable working iteratively within different subject areas
• A strong relationship builder who can forge effective internal partnerships, leading collaboration across integrated teams
• An effective multi-tasker who can lead a team while executing their own project workstreams and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• A naturally curious student of the world who is fluent in new technologies and trends, including social platforms, mobile, tech, and social change.
• A strong writer – persuasive, concise, creative, and quick.
• Someone who enjoys overdelivering rather than meeting expectations and takes genuine pride in being part of something good.
• Someone who can be comfortable being uncomfortable – pushing themselves and others out of comfort zones to think differently and be innovative in what we deliver and how we deliver it

Other:

• Ability to travel as needed
• Hybrid work; minimum of two days in the office