Creative Director

The Creative Director (CD) is responsible for creating and producing exceptional branding, design and creative solutions for the company and our clients. The CD is further responsible for building, inspiring, mentoring, coaching and leading (at an executive level) the creative and strategy teams.

Role Objectives
- Play a key role in thinking up, developing and articulating fresh concepts that achieve the difficult balance of being pioneering whilst also grounded in insights and our clients’ brief and objectives
- Set, maintain and develop branding, creative standards, design and media solutions for the company and clients
- Create client-facing presentations that are not formulaic, predictable or wordy; presentations that tell stories and grab the attention of busy people
- Work with the Business Unit Director (BUD) to ensure all conceptual work is delivering on client briefs, budget and the agency’s purpose & positioning in order to win the work
- Understand client strategies, business problems, briefs and the message the client is seeking to deliver and translate this into high quality artwork, creative solutions and executions
- Work with the BUD to ensure all conceptual presentations indicate how data was used to substantiate the creative thinking and how desirable results will be achieved for clients
- Provide the overall “look and feel” that meets the project objectives
- Prepare and present results and insights tied to objectives at the end of programs or campaigns for clients
- Assist in debriefing projects with the Client Services team, Project Management team and other Studio members to assess the performance of relevant projects, measure progress, and understand areas of improvement
- Build the profile of the company both internally and externally. Manage and own the company brand identity over various media channels (social, web, internal and external documentation)
- Track data to provide an accurate indication of the capacity of the Studio on a weekly basis
- Manage, together with the Managing Director and Finance Manager, annual budget for the Studio. Monitor and review/adjust as necessary
- Work with the CEO in the development of all marketing materials
- Be an active participant in business strategy planning with a focus on growing existing offerings including new products or services
- Develop, review and report on the Studio’s strategy, ensuring that the strategic objectives are well understood and executed by direct reports
- Manage mentor and provide leadership to more junior colleagues in a professional and caring way that ensures the team grows together
- Leverage existing relationships into new opportunities, as well as sell and close pitches to clients
- Stay abreast of industry developments and trends, and be up-to-date with news relevant to the company and our clients

Education/Qualification
- Relevant Qualification is a bonus but not a non-negotiable

Work Experience
- 10 Years' Agency experience (BTL experience preferred)
- Experience in managing a team

Expectation
- Strong conceptual ability and a passion for brand strategy
- Good understanding of consumer dynamics and the full racial spectrum of the SA marketplace
- Good communication skills: both written and verbal
- Positively contribute to upholding the values of the company
- Honor the standards of quality and excellence that the company delivers in all products
- Be a part of helping the Studio find integrated creative solutions to client briefs and business problems
- Lift the creative profile of the company
- Deal with internal issues within your team and bring closure if there is a conflict, escalating to the Managing Director only when necessary
- Develop and maintain key performance indicators for all direct reports and ensure effective cascading of key performance indicators into the team
- Meet at least once a month with direct reports to ensure that they are developing their skills and performing effectively in their role
- Be willing to have tough conversations - be open, honest and timely with feedback (provided always with respect)
- Promote other people’s learning and development to help them achieve their goals and fulfil their potential
- Recruit, develop, train and mentor members of the Studio to be the best in the industry
- Retain key talent within the Studio and build a track record of developing leaders
- Ensure that the Studio is continually developing their understanding and exposure to SA’s diversity
- Maintain an environment within the Studio where morale is high, and strong, relevant, award and business winning ideas can arise
- Work at a dynamic pace with enthusiasm to reach the highest quality and seamlessly deliver the day-to-day requirements of our clients and the company
- Be willing to work long hours where necessary to get the job done and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you are feeling overworked
- Appreciate, value, and seek input and ideas from all your colleagues
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