Associate Creative Director

Active Theory

3d•Remote

About The Position

The Associate Creative Director (ACD) role marks transition from senior individual contribution into holistic creative leadership. It reflects a high level of trust, ownership, and influence—both within our internal teams and across our global client accounts. As an ACD, you remain a practitioner at heart, staying deeply involved in the craft while taking command of creative direction, high-stakes client stewardship, and team mentorship. Beyond project execution, this role requires a shift in mindset toward representing Active Theory as a future leader. You are expected to champion the studio’s vision and values, acting as an ambassador for our both internally to the team and externally to the broader industry.

Requirements

High level of trust, ownership, and influence
Deeply involved in the craft
Command of creative direction
High-stakes client stewardship
Team mentorship
Representing Active Theory as a future leader
Champion the studio’s vision and values
Ambassador internally and externally
Creative ownership of client accounts
Consistency, quality, and clarity across engagements
Setting and maintaining creative direction
Accountability for overall creative health
Practiced in core creative competency
Intimate familiarity with creative execution at the highest level
Hands-on with conceptual and delivery phases
Understanding of 2D/3D motion design possibilities, limitations, and potential
Creative point of continuity for assigned client accounts
Building trust through taste, follow-through, and thoughtful decision-making
Collaboration with Production and Tech
Shaping approaches that balance ambition, feasibility, and craft
Leading pitches and new client opportunities
Articulating unique perspective
Shaping concepts, narratives, and presentations
Positioning creative capabilities externally
Building a public-facing leadership profile
Leading by example through craft, communication, and collaboration
Demonstrating AI native and generally interested in AI
Providing direction and feedback to elevate designers
Contributing to creative standards, systems, and ways of working
Fostering a design culture
Supporting department process and initiatives

Nice To Haves

Growth Path (ACD → CD)
Continued demonstration of high craft and quality
Build taste and sense of innovation within the department and cross functionally
Expanding ownership across multiple partnerships
Increasing influence on studio-wide creative direction
Leading larger pitches and long-term strategic narratives
Developing others into leaders, not just strong contributors
Demonstrating moving from 'leading the work' to 'shaping the future of the studio' through strategic public representation and studio-wide influence.

Responsibilities

Take creative ownership of one or more core client accounts, ensuring consistency, quality, and clarity across engagements.
Set and maintain creative direction across projects — from early concept through execution.
Be accountable for the overall creative health of the work, not just individual deliverables.
Be practiced in core creative competency – you should be intimately familiar with creative execution at the highest level
As needed, be hands-on with conceptual and delivery phases of the creative process
Understand the possibilities, limitations and potential within 2D/3D motion design
Act as a creative point of continuity for assigned client accounts.
Build trust through taste, follow-through, and thoughtful decision-making.
Collaborate closely with Production and Tech to shape approaches that balance ambition, feasibility, and craft.
Step into a creative lead role on pitches and new client opportunities articulating our unique perspective. Help shape concepts, narratives, and presentations that reflect Active Theory’s point of view.
Contribute to how we position our creative capabilities externally.
Act as a primary ambassador for Active Theory starting to build a public-facing leadership profile (e.g., through industry events or thought leadership).
Lead by example through craft, communication, and collaboration.
Demonstrate being AI native and generally interested in AI
Provide direction and feedback that helps elevate designers and strengthen the work.
Contribute to creative standards, systems, and ways of working that scale across the studio.
Foster a design culture and support in department process and initiatives