Associate Creative Director; ACD

Crafted Job Opportunity

Associate Creative Director (ACD) | Hybrid in Charlotte, NC

Ensure every creative asset is thoughtfully crafted and strategically positioned to unleash the powerful impact our customers expect and quietly make competitors wonder how we did it.

Partnering with the Creative Director, the ACD leads a team of direct reports comprised of writers, designers, art directors, editors, QA specialists, photographers, and videographers, cultivating cross disciplinary collaboration and routinely reviewing work to provide constructive feedback that raises the bar on quality and consistency — think cheerleader, coach, and ruthless editor in one.

In this role you will champion the creative vision—using strategic direction to translate client objectives into bold, on-brand solutions—while skillfully balancing creative excellence with efficient workflows and timelines. You will inspire, mentor, and retain top creative talent, help win new business, and elevate the agency’s reputation across the manufacturing sector and within the local creative community.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Report to the Creative Director and translate their vision into clear, executable creative strategy.
• Manage direct reports (Art Directors, Writers, Designers, QA Specialists) and lead a broader roster of photographers, videographers, and editors.
• Regularly review multidisciplinary work and provide constructive feedback to raise quality, consistency, and adherence to standards.
• Oversee the creative process from concept to completion, ensure deliverables are on brand, meet client objectives, and align with timelines and budgets.
• Contribute hands-on design or writing work as required by project needs (examples: photoshoots, concept/story themes, booth layouts/graphics, print ads, thought leadership posts, logos).
• Plan and supervise production with Producers and the Creative Director for studio, set, and on location shoots, ensuring technical standards and efficient workflows.
• Build and maintain client relationships; present creative concepts and articulate strategic value.
• Mentor and develop creative talent, and evolve standards, systems, and best practices for content creation.
• Ensure content consistency in style, tone, and quality across channels (digital, social, email, mobile, video, print, in person), optimized for target personas.
• Use market data and audience insights to shape creative themes and original content.
• Support integration of AI and emerging technologies into creative workflows to enhance effectiveness and innovation.
• Collaborate with accounts, strategy, demand generation, and development/tech teams to ensure cohesive execution.
• Contribute to new business pitches and proposals and stay current on industry trends and technologies to inform the creative process.

YOUR REQUIRED EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• 10+ years in digital design/marketing agencies with proven senior creative experience; 5+ years in creative leadership/director roles.
• Demonstrated experience leading teams in multichannel content creation and managing creative/direct reports to deliver on strategy.
• Strong portfolio or personal website showcasing diverse work across media and industries, ideally including B2B/manufacturing.
• Proven ability in concepting and art direction for photo/video, plus experience with digital marketing, UX, environmental design, and illustration.
• Deep understanding of branding, marketing, advertising principles, and content marketing for B2B audiences (manufacturing a plus).
• Proficiency with key creative and collaboration tools (Adobe Creative Suite, Figma), plus experience with Hub Spot, Office 365, Jira or similar.
• Experience applying AI technologies or AI generated content tools within creative workflows is a plus.
• Strong strategic and creative thinking, with excellent attention to detail, presentation, and client communication skills.
• Solid project management skills: ability to manage multiple projects, timelines, budgets, and maintain organized content libraries (SEO, translations, version control).
• Bachelor's degree in Design, Fine Arts, Marketing, Communications, or related field preferred.
• Passion…