ROLE: Creative Director – Copy

SETUP: Hybrid work environment, with some time each week in our DUMBO Brooklyn office

SALARY: $160k- $180k, commensurate with experience

WE ARE:

An agency of makers with deep expertise in solving creative, production, and technology challenges. Our focus is on making better work, to help brands work better. We partner directly with clients to think big, build from scratch, and design for reality. From branding & design, marketing, and e-commerce builds or anything in between, thelab mixes inspiration and hard work to produce results.

YOU ARE:

A storyteller who knows how to make brands connect with humans. You have an opinion. A reasoned one. And you communicate it with respectful candor. You consider the “why” behind every piece of work to ensure we tell genuine stories for our clients. You enjoy getting your hands dirty in the day-to-day as well as mentoring team members as they develop their skills. You have the gift of being able to “zoom in and out” – thinking big picture while paying attention to details.

You know grammar rules inside and out. You also know which rules you should break. All while thinking strategically, establishing trust with clients at every turn, and being the expert in the room for digital marketing, including DCO, creative testing, and measurement. It doesn’t hurt if you also like a good BBQ and have a cute dog.

YOU HAVE:

• 8+ years in marketing/advertising copywriting, preferably in an agency setting
• 2+ years in a senior creative role with creative management experience
• Strong presentation, communication, and story-telling skills with an ability to sell concepts and ideas
• Strong portfolio of work showcasing integrated campaigns (big ideas to execution), especially tied to social, digital and video content
• Conceptual thinking: All ideas welcome. We want you to dream it up and get it made. We’re talking about everything from social-focused campaigns to TV spots.
• A positive energy and a communication style that inspires others
• An entrepreneurial spirit and the drive to implement new and better ways of thinking and problem solving
• Grace after the 10th round: Some clients are easier than others. A big part of this job is being okay with client feedback and revisions.

YOU WILL:

Creative work

• Lead a team of art directors and copywriters in the development of creative ideas and conceptual platforms that are on strategy and brand and achieve client objectives.
• Provide strategic direction and insightful feedback to team to elevate the work and ensure agency standard of creative excellence.
• Personally work on creative assignments, within or outside of the group, and new business efforts.

• Notice the details. Like, ALL the details. You are insanely meticulous!
• Cultivate, understand, and consistently deliver on unique brand voice and tone for each client
• Juggle multiple projects and take responsibility for every piece of creative that your team touches
• Be intimately familiar with all things social. This is a huge part of what we do. You know the best-of-the-best practices of both the organic and paid offerings of all the major platforms.
• Stay current with, and ahead of, current cultural, creative, social media and industry trends.
• Troubleshoot when needed, developing unique and actionable solutions to creative challenges
• Act as gatekeeper to ensure that all final products released demonstrate only the highest quality creative and effectively communicate brand messages to targeted customers.
• Create outstanding concepts in a way that shows a deep understanding of the audience, products, and project strategy
• Collaborate with other Copywriters, Designers, Animators, and Front-End Developers to ensure creative vision is achieved and client expectations are met

Client relationships and presentations

• Be an energetic, organized, passionate presenter who can “read a room.”
• Know the presentation deck is just as important as the creative itself and you constantly work at figuring out how to make more concise and effective decks.
• Be able to respond to comments, suggestions and criticisms in a constructive manner while maintaining the integrity of the creative idea; able to influence and/or persuade key stakeholders when necessary
• Learn and understand clients’ audience insights, product benefits, offers, KPIs, customers, competitors, and brand standards to influence the work
• Adopt management posture in representing the agencies interest in interaction with clients, staff, outside vendors and other contacts.

Collaboration

• Demonstrate mature leadership and empathy in difficult team situations, leading by example, providing solutions, and giving/receiving constructive feedback with grace.
• Translate client briefs into creative briefs that give the internal team clear parameters while leaving room for unexpected solutions.
• Evaluate assignments and help to identify any issue or resources needed for the project
• Identify each team member’s skills to delegate and share tasks and responsibilities to improve project output.
• Lead project kick-off meetings with Senior Creative team members
• Negotiate with Account/Project Management to set priorities when scheduling/timetable conflicts develop among assignments and creative staff.
• Strategize with internal team members to anticipate problems, analyze solutions, identify alternatives, and suggest recommendations.
• Foster a culture of collaboration
• Proactively seek opportunities for improvements in the department and offer executable solutions
  

Supervision:

• People-wrangle—interviewing, coaching, training, planning, assigning, delegating, encouraging, problem-solving, high-fiving, reviewing, guiding, and managing —within in the context of thelab’s people-first culture, policies, procedures, and of course, applicable laws.

WE’LL BE:

Thrilled to have you on the team, and excited to nurture and grow your skills. We all love what we do at thelab—we pride ourselves on craftsmanship, thoughtfulness, and flexibility. We’re inherently curious. We’re scrappy problem solvers. We revel in unexpected solutions. Most of all, we’ll care about you, the work you do here, and the career we’ll help you grow.

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