Associate Creative Director, North America

KAYAK Software Corporation•Cambridge, MA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

KAYAK, part of Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG), is the world's leading travel search engine. With billions of queries across our platforms, we help people find their perfect flight, stay, rental car and vacation package. We're also transforming business travel with a new corporate travel solution, KAYAK for Business. As an employee of KAYAK, you will be part of a travel company that operates a portfolio of global metasearch brands including momondo, Cheapflights and HotelsCombined, among others. From start-up to industry leader, innovation is at our core and every employee has an opportunity to make their mark. Our focus is on building the best travel search engine to make it easier for everyone to experience the world. As a member of the KAYAK Creative Team, you help bring the brand to life for millions of travelers and attract new audiences. We’re looking for an Associate Creative Director who can elevate our brand with clear, compelling visual storytelling and excellent craft across channels. You’ll report to the Senior Creative Director to build campaign platforms and lead design across OOH, digital, social, film/video and emerging channels. This role is based in our Cambridge, MA office and supports our North America presence. Please note, this role is required to work from our Cambridge, MA office at least 3 days per week.

Requirements

8+ years of art or creative direction experience at a creative agency or fast-paced in-house brand studio, with a proven track record of developing integrated, multi-channel campaigns.
A portfolio demonstrating integrated campaign experience, alongside strong concepts, craft, and results
Fluency in Adobe Creative Suite and Figma; comfort with AI-driven creative capabilities.
Solid understanding of typography, composition, color, motion and digital design fundamentals.
Strong experience partnering with production teams, directors, editors, photographers and content creators.
Comfortable presenting creative ideas to senior audiences and cross-functional partners
Experience with systems management - both from the perspective of building or adapting brand guidelines and organizing assets.
Experience mentoring or leading designers and copywriters, with a collaborative and inclusive approach.
Proven organization, prioritization and project-management skills within fast-paced environments.
A proactive, solutions-oriented mindset and enthusiasm for travel, technology and creative innovation.

Responsibilities

Concept and direct multi-channel campaigns across OOH, digital, social, film/video, experiential, CRM, and web.
Produce polished, high-impact design work that reinforces KAYAK’s visual identity and elevates the consumer experience
Apply strong storytelling and brand-building instincts to every stage of creative development
Partner with the Senior Creative Director to shape creative direction, refine brand expression and develop campaign platforms.
Ensure visual coherence and craft across all touch-points, from big ideas to detailed execution.
Evolve and maintain brand design systems, templates and guidelines
Provide day-to-day guidance, inspiration and support to your direct reports, fostering growth and ensuring high standards.
Collaborate with writers, producers, strategists and marketing partners to bring integrated ideas to life
Translate strategic briefs into creative ideas that meet business objectives and differentiate KAYAK.
Present concepts and rationale confidently to senior cross-functional partners.
Manage multiple projects simultaneously, balancing hands-on work with team leadership
Use performance data and user insights to refine creative approaches
Support experimentation across digital formats, AI tools and new storytelling methods.

Benefits

Work from (almost) anywhere for up to 20 days per year
Focus on mental health and well-being:
Company-paid therapy sessions through SpringHealth
Company-paid subscription to HeadSpace
Company-wide week off a year - the whole team fully recharges (and returns without a pile-up of work!)
No meeting Fridays
Paid parental leave
Generous paid vacation + time off for your birthday
Paid volunteer time
Focus on your career growth:
Development Dollars
Leadership development
Access to thousands of on-demand e-learnings
Travel Discounts
Employee Resource Groups
Competitive retirement and health plans
Free lunch 2 days per week
Fun quarterly events such as boat trips, arcades, ski trips, Thursday happy hours, and more