Creative Advertising Lead

Northern Trust • Chicago, IL

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

Northern Trust, a Fortune 500 company, is a globally recognized, award-winning financial institution that has been in continuous operation since 1889. Northern Trust is proud to provide innovative financial services and guidance to the world’s most successful individuals, families, and institutions by remaining true to our enduring principles of service, expertise, and integrity. With more than 130 years of financial experience and over 22,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service. Role/ Department: Creative Advertising Lead/Digital Marketing The Advertising Creative Lead is a new supervisory role responsible for guiding the creative development and execution of all advertising deliverables across digital, social, broadcast, and emerging channels. Reporting to Creative leadership, you will lead a team of designers and motion creatives while partnering closely with Marketing, Media, and external production teams to bring campaigns to life. This leader must be fluent in digital advertising best practices — especially HTML5 and display creative — while also understanding how to translate concepts into effective TV/video executions. You’ll ensure our advertising is consistent, compliant, and creatively distinctive across every channel where we show up. This is a chance to define how the advertising function operates, collaborates, and delivers measurable creative impact.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Graphic Design, Bachelor of Design or equivalent
• 7–10+ years of experience in creative development across digital and video advertising
• Prior supervisory or team lead experience lead experience
• Proficient in Figma and Adobe Creative Cloud software, experience using Adobe Gen Studio a plus
• Expertise designing and producing HTML5 and display advertising
• Strong understanding of video and TV production workflows
• Experience leading concepting, storyboarding, design, and final execution
• Ability to manage internal teams and external creative or production partners
• Strong presentation and communication skills
• A portfolio demonstrating digital, motion, and advertising creative craft
• Collaborative and adaptable: able to navigate team dynamics, timelines, and client contexts while delivering exceptional design.
• Growth oriented and resilient: open to feedback, eager to iterate, and comfortable learning through experimentation and critique.
• Curious and proactive: able to generate ideas, take initiative, and contribute wherever needed, from early exploration to final delivery.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in large organizations or regulated industries is a plus

Responsibilities

• Lead the Advertising Creative Function
• Build and guide the delivery for all advertising creative deliverables.
• Define workflows, standards, and quality benchmarks for multi-channel advertising execution.
• Establish creative guardrails and actionable best practices that support campaign effectiveness.
• Oversee Development of All Advertising Assets
• Lead the creation of digital display, HTML5, social ads, OLV, and broadcast quality video assets. quality video assets.
• Ensure creative output aligns with campaign strategy, brand standards, and channel requirements.
• oversee motion design, animation, and interactive ad execution.
• Drive Digital Advertising Excellence
• Serve as an expert in display advertising, HTML5 creative, and digital storytelling.
• Translate conceptual ideas into channel optimized executions with strong performance potential.
• Stay current on platform specifications, trends, and ad technologies.
• Guide Video & Broadcast Production
• Support creative direction for TV, online video, and short form or long form content.
• Partner with internal teams and external vendors/production houses to bring scripts, storyboards, and concepts to life.
• Oversee production from pre-production through post-production, ensuring brand alignment and quality.
• Collaborate Across Creative & Marketing Teams
• Work closely with Marketing, Digital and Compliance teams to deliver high quality advertising that is effective and compliant.
• Present concepts, articulate creative decisions, and educate partners on best practices.
• Ensure campaigns are delivered on time, on budget, and aligned to performance goals.
• Ensure Quality, Efficiency & Operational Rigor
• Manage resources and set priorities for the delivery of advertising.
• Troubleshoot production or trafficking challenges using sound judgment.
• Support continuous improvement of processes and delivery methodologies.

Benefits

• Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including retirement benefits (401k and pension), health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability), paid time off, parental and caregiver leave, life & accident insurance, and other voluntary and well-being benefits.
• Northern Trust also provides a discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees