Associate Creative Director, HOKA NA

Deckers Brands•Washington, DC

6d•$150,000 - $165,000•Remote

About The Position

As Associate Creative Director, HOKA North America, you’ll be a hybrid creative leader who fuses bold art direction, compelling storytelling, and refined design expertise to shape and elevate HOKA’s brand expression. You’ll play a pivotal role in the North America Marketing organization, partnering with leadership to develop modern, culturally resonant work across lifestyle and performance (Trail and Road). You’ll lead projects from initial brief to final delivery—driving concept development, design execution, and production across campaigns, experiential, social, and paid media. You’ll champion ideas from concept to execution, blending innovative design systems with impactful storytelling. You’ll manage the creative process end-to-end, balancing timelines, resources, and quality to ensure excellence at scale, and adapt global toolkits for regional markets in ways that feel authentic and culturally relevant. Collaboration is key, as you’ll work with copywriters, designers, producers, and marketing partners, while managing internal creative teams and external agency partners. You’ll mentor and inspire creative team members, driving craft excellence and ensuring brand consistency across North America. We celebrate diversity--of your background, your experiences and your unique identity. We are committed to ensuring an inclusive and equitable workplace where all of our employees can Come as They Are. We believe that when we bring our different perspectives to work, we are truly Better Together.

Requirements

BA in Graphic Design or relevant related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience
10+ years of experience in an agency or in-house team, with at least 5 years in a senior creative leadership position leading, coaching, and developing multidisciplinary creatives
5+ years’ experience directing photography and demonstrated creative expertise in a broad range of design disciplines including photography, print, digital, retail, events, and experiential design
Strong passion and connection to cultural trends, particularly within lifestyle, running, and fashion spaces, with an authentic understanding of the lifestyle consumer
Diverse portfolio reflecting sophistication in graphic design, strong typography, and photo & video art direction
Expertise in Figma and Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat) and Microsoft Suite
Strategic thinker and creative conceptualizer, with excellent communication and presentation skills adaptable for audiences across regions and levels
Inspirational leader who enjoys mentoring and developing teams of in-house and freelance designers and copywriters
Highly motivated self-starter and team player, culturally relevant, and always searching for inspiration and new influences
Proven ability to lead and execute integrated campaigns that resonate with Gen Z and Millennials, balancing trend-driven relevance and meaningful narratives
Experienced art director on location and in studio, directing models and product photography
Experience managing, vetting, and sourcing creative and production agencies and talent
Ability to succeed in a matrix organization through influence, partnership, and respect for shared and differing objectives
Instills and reinforces the highest standards for collaboration and teamwork within HOKA brand marketing and across the Deckers’ brand portfolio
Fosters an environment of inclusion and belonging, championing best practices to improve representation and diversity
Develops, motivates, recruits, and retains high potential talent via clear goals, coaching, and identifying stretch opportunities
Extremely detail oriented, process-friendly, and capable of working within tight timelines on multiple projects simultaneously
Exhibits a high level of personal integrity, empathy, and respect for others

Responsibilities

Lead projects from brief to final delivery across campaigns, collaborations, social, and experiential, together with Sr. Manager Creative Operations, North America
Oversee and manage North America in-house and freelance creative resources, ensuring high-volume asset production and complex projects are delivered on time and with exceptional quality
Provide strong art direction, design and storytelling expertise across all creative outputs, including campaign development and creative ideation
Adapt global toolkits into culturally relevant regional assets, ensuring consistency and impact
Create locally relevant ideas from concept through to delivery, rooted in cultural insight
Manage and inspire internal creative teams, while overseeing external agency partners
Balance creative vision with operational rigor, ensuring alignment and consistency across all touchpoints
Collaborate with cross-functional partners to bring consumer-first ideas to life
Understand business needs and help shape the long-term creative vision for the brand
Stay ahead of cultural and design trends to keep the brand modern and relevant
Mentor creative talent and foster an environment of inclusion and belonging
BA in Graphic Design or relevant related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience
10+ years of experience in an agency or in-house team, with at least 5 years in a senior creative leadership position leading, coaching, and developing multidisciplinary creatives
5+ years’ experience directing photography and demonstrated creative expertise in a broad range of design disciplines including photography, print, digital, retail, events, and experiential design
Strong passion and connection to cultural trends, particularly within lifestyle, running, and fashion spaces, with an authentic understanding of the lifestyle consumer
Diverse portfolio reflecting sophistication in graphic design, strong typography, and photo & video art direction
Expertise in Figma and Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat) and Microsoft Suite
Strategic thinker and creative conceptualizer, with excellent communication and presentation skills adaptable for audiences across regions and levels
Inspirational leader who enjoys mentoring and developing teams of in-house and freelance designers and copywriters
Highly motivated self-starter and team player, culturally relevant, and always searching for inspiration and new influences
Proven ability to lead and execute integrated campaigns that resonate with Gen Z and Millennials, balancing trend-driven relevance and meaningful narratives
Experienced art director on location and in studio, directing models and product photography
Experience managing, vetting, and sourcing creative and production agencies and talent
Ability to succeed in a matrix organization through influence, partnership, and respect for shared and differing objectives
Instills and reinforces the highest standards for collaboration and teamwork within HOKA brand marketing and across the Deckers’ brand portfolio
Fosters an environment of inclusion and belonging, championing best practices to improve representation and diversity
Develops, motivates, recruits, and retains high potential talent via clear goals, coaching, and identifying stretch opportunities
Extremely detail oriented, process-friendly, and capable of working within tight timelines on multiple projects simultaneously
Exhibits a high level of personal integrity, empathy, and respect for others