Creative Director, Design

Kettle•Los Angeles, CA

19h•$200,000 - $240,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Kettle is seeking a Creative Director, Design, to lead a significant number of interactive projects for a major client, a creative tech company based in the Bay Area. This role is crucial for establishing the design perspective and bringing the client's brand and product narratives to life across digital platforms. As a leader and hands-on contributor, you will collaborate with Copy, Strategy, Production, Design, and Executive teams to produce relevant, effective, and innovative creative work. A key focus will be on enhancing the quality of our design teams' work and the strategic insight of our agency. Depending on project needs, you will both lead and execute tasks. You will be responsible for championing design excellence, mentoring and developing the creative team, and fostering conceptual innovation to drive excellence across the account. Additionally, you will build strong relationships with senior clients, unify teams around a central creative vision, and ensure the work is consistently impactful and impressive. This opportunity is ideal for individuals who excel at the intersection of strategic thinking, creative ideation, digital design, and compelling storytelling.

Requirements

At least 8+ years of experience in digital design, art direction, or creative direction, with a strong track record of craft-oriented, brand-focused interactive work.
Proven ability to lead from concept through execution across digital experiences, with a natural ability to provide clear, actionable creative direction and ensure consistency across workstreams.
Exceptional visual and conceptual design skills, with the ability to set a clear creative vision while understanding the realities of detailed digital execution.
Experience working closely with Copy and other creative disciplines to develop integrated digital ideas and experiences.
Excellent client collaboration and presentation skills, with the confidence and executive presence to influence senior stakeholders.
Proven experience mentoring designers across levels and creating opportunities for teams to do their best work.
Active use of AI and emerging technology in your creative workflow, and an ability to help teams understand how new tools can change the way they work.

Responsibilities

Oversee a huge amount of interactive projects for one of our largest clients.
Shape the design point of view and bring our client’s brand and product stories to life across digital experiences.
Collaborate closely with Copy, Strategy, Production, Design, and Executive stakeholders to deliver relevant, effective, and innovative creative.
Elevate the craft of our design teams and the strategic point of view of our agency.
Lead and also execute work at least some of the time.
Champion the craft of design.
Mentor and grow the creative team.
Push conceptual thinking forward to drive innovation and excellence across the account.
Build trust with senior clients.
Align teams around a clear creative North Star.
Ensure the work is consistently moving, focused, and impressing our client.
Design a Vision: Setting the creative and visual direction for digital experiences, ensuring the work is distinctive, relevant, own-able, and aligned to the client’s broader brand and business goals.
Integrate Creative: Partnering with Copy, Strategy, UX, and other disciplines to develop simple, relevant concepts and digital experiences where the idea is stronger because the disciplines work together.
Team Leadership: Setting the design bar across the account, mentoring Designers and Art Directors at every level, helping them chart their career path, and creating opportunities for them to do their best work.
Client Rapport: Building trust with senior clients, presenting work with confidence, challenging needs where appropriate, and aligning stakeholders around a clear creative North Star.
Creative Quality: Knowing when to lead from the front and when to get into the work, ensuring ideas are thoughtfully designed and beautifully crafted from first exploration through final build.
Future Thinking: Staying ahead of design culture, emerging technologies, and new ways of working, bringing relevant opportunities into the work and helping the team evolve with them.