Freelance Associate Creative Director, Art

Freelance Associate Creative Director, Art

Weber Shandwick is looking for a Freelance Associate Creative Director/AD with a strong background in creative direction and art direction who will manage several large-scale accounts, based in our Washington, DC office.

We’re seeking someone who is a highly conceptual problem solver, an articulate presenter of ideas, a builder of strong client relationships, and a storyteller who will help us convey our clients’ messaging in new and creative ways. You’ll have the chance to create award-winning work for national and global brands across social, traditional, and earned media including clients in the healthcare/social impact vertical.

You’ll be someone who enjoys mentoring and managing a team of junior creatives, leading by example, with a keen eye for organization and detail. You’ll keep our teams motivated and focused on the task at hand – but you’ll still love getting your hands dirty and creating the work alongside them. You will work closely with project management, production, and client experience teams to help keep the work running smoothly.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Generate fresh ideas across all existing and emerging experiential platforms including:, press events, social campaigns, PR stunts, online videos, TV, and a wide variety of brand touch-points
• Develop ideas for how brands and organizations can lead with “what they do” instead of “what they say”
• Make use of a variety of conceptual disciplines (writing, pitching, brainstorming) while displaying an understanding of executional ones (graphic design, digital, social, and video)
• Push forward brave ideas
• Manage the overall quality of the creative concept and its execution on assigned programs
• In partnership with the Executive Creative Director, continually innovate the process, the ideas, and the strategies to better support and grow accounts
• Create solutions that will have a business impact on clients as well as a cultural impact on consumers
• Communicate and justify conceptual and directional choices
• With the Creative Director/Executive Creative Director, drive the collaborative efforts of the project's creative team
• Continually develop practices and processes to inspire, innovate, and harness new ways of thinking
• Handling large and dangerous wild animals
• Reading to the very end of a document and recognizing when something doesn’t seem right

QUALIFICATIONS

• A strong portfolio of work
• 7 to 10 years’ experience in the media industry
• A love for art and design, and an eye for great writing
• A real understanding of what makes for compelling work – whether on social platforms, in video, or in big earned media activations and ideas that get talked about, reported on, and pointed to by other agencies with an “I wish we’d done that” envy
• The ability to concept across a broad range of media, in a variety of tones and voices
• A solid understanding of the marketing industry at large; an ability and a desire to adapt to the changing landscape of technology
• Proven leadership skills managing multiple projects/tasks/teams of varying complexities, meeting deadlines, and working well under pressure
• Video production experience – whether for online video, TV, etc. – and the ability to storyboard and art direct concise scripts accordingly
• Resilience, a cheerful and positive attitude, and respect for others
• Exceptional internal and external communication skills, someone who can present and defend their work clearly and confidently
• Experience with social media platforms and a working knowledge of their best practices
• An interest in staying on top of emerging platforms, mobile design, & development trends
• A willingness to push creative boundaries

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Prior healthcare experience a plus
• Education in advertising design and conceptual thinking is preferred.
• Ability to work quickly, efficiently, and accurately within all required aspects of the Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator) as well as presentation software (PowerPoint); any AfterEffects animation skills will be utilized.
• Bonus skills: illustration, photography, retouching, filmmaking, videography, editorial, HTML.

NOTE: If you are selected for a virtual interview, please come prepared to discuss and showcase your design skills, and walk through your conceptual/strategic creative approach to assignments (help us understand how your brain works). Use whatever work or case studies necessary to best represent these areas of expertise.

Employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and, if hired, present proof of vaccination prior to start date, unless eligible for a medical or religious accommodation or other accommodation required under applicable law.

Weber Shandwick is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Weber Shandwick recruits qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, ethnic or national origin, protected veteran status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or citizenship status.

#LI-KG1