Associate Creative Director

Job Summary

We're looking for an experienced Associate Creative Director (ACD) to build the most human brand and craft compelling concepts across various Walgreens campaigns, initiatives, and brands. The candidate will be responsible for directing an in-house team and external agencies to develop fresh, powerful concepts through unique aesthetics and messaging communication. To bring ideas to life, the candidate will lead copywriters, art directors, animators, and designers and work cross-functionally with insights, strategy, products, business, formats, marketing, merchandising, media, and agency partners. They will lead bravely with enthusiasm, optimism, empathy, and innovative thinking. They will unify people and connects the dots. They will ensure that the integrity of the brand is present through several vehicles and maintains continuity in all facets of the brand experience. They will be accountable for creating campaigns in all channels, traditional, digital, and emerging media.

Job Responsibilities

• Develops and mentors staff through on-boarding, open communication, training and development opportunities and performance management processes; builds and maintains employee morale and motivation; ensures the team is appropriately staffed with required competencies; fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace. Ensures team is collaborating, partnering and capable of meeting the needs of internal and external customers through excellent leadership. Conducts status reviews with staff regularly to monitor workloads and process.
• Maintains knowledge of current layout design, standards, formats and tone of voice to consistently and effectively convey the company’s image and positioning within the marketplace, and regularly shares/emphasizes among team members. Maintains an awareness of developments in the graphic arts, advertising/ marketing, sales/retail fields that relate to team responsibilities, and shares and integrates them into own practices.
• Oversees project development across teams to ensure all materials are on strategy, on brand, on budget, and on time.
• Collaborates with manager, designers, writers, other marketing team members, and external stakeholders to ensure the appropriate concepts, themes and messages are represented effectively and consistently for the business objective(s) and audience. Collaborates with peers and managers to identify cross promoting and message integration opportunities. Partners with managers within Creative Services to balance workload as needed.
• Ensures designs adhere to the approved brand and messaging guidelines to maintain our corporate identity.
• Maintains, communicates/distributes, and provides training as needed to others across the organization.
• Communicates regularly with production partners and project management team to ensure assignments are designed on time and within budget.
• Acts as team liaison with assigned business area partners for marketing, purchasing, e-commerce, legal, and store operations.
• Presents designs to business area and company leaders and peers as needed.
• Anticipates future needs and problems relating to the team in order to minimize potential service issues and to ensure the overall success of the team.
• Assists and/or leads the search, selection process, and management of outside creative services contracted to work on select projects.
• Supports the Creative Director to establish and execute creative vision for projects.

• Bachelor’s Degree and at least 2 years of experience with creative direction, development, and execution for multiple marketing vehicles for varied audiences OR a High School Diploma and at least 5 years of experience with creative direction, development, and execution for multiple marketing vehicles for varied audiences.
• Experience with graphic design, copywriting, and photography.
• Experience collaborating with (internal resources, external resources, both) to develop strategies that meet department goals within budget and established timelines and presenting
  strategic project plans to various stakeholders..
• Knowledge of developments in the creative marketing field.
• Experience with Microsoft Suite including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
• Advanced level skill with Adobe Software Suite and InDesign(for example: Illustrator working with the paintbrush tool, advanced transparency, managing symbols, creating 3-d effects, working with live effects, working with graphic styles, adding effects, saving and printing options, creating outlines, and creating flash animations).
• At least 1 year of direct leadership, indirect leadership
  and/or cross functional team leadership.
• Willing to travel up to 10% of the time for business purposes (within state and out of state).