Creative Director, Copy
San Diego, CA
Creative /
Full-time /
Hybrid
Creative Director, Copy
Reports To: Jess Lovell, ECD
ABOUT US
Grizzly is an independent creative agency. We guide brands onward™ to challenge convention and impact culture. We work at the convergence of branding and advertising — blending strategy, design, and storytelling to build deeper connections between brands and people.
We partner with brands pioneering new futures. The trailblazers. The visionaries. The courageous. The businesses of tomorrow who believe in a better world and are hell-bent on building it. Adventurous Brands™ create and lead categories, secure the world’s work, and change how we live. We put creativity to work for business because we believe the most innovative brands have the power to affect just about anything. They challenge convention, impact culture, and forge connections. We help them navigate an increasingly complex and challenging world. This is how we guide brands onward.
Position Summary:
Looking for your next challenge? We are searching for a Creative Director to oversee our entire roster of adventurous clients. This position is hybrid and expected to report to our downtown San Diego office at least one day a week. Creative Directors at Grizzly are dynamic agency leaders who drive the creative vision and process across multiple teams and projects. They champion creative problem-solving, lead and contribute to creative work on cross-disciplinary projects, and elevate agency work and experience. Creative Directors collaborate with clients and Grizzly team members to solve big business challenges with bold creative solutions. In this role, you’ll make strategic decisions on behalf of Grizzly’s project teams, provide key feedback to the delivery team and work closely with clients to ensure that every deliverable meets/ exceeds their needs and expectations. Responsibilities include effectively managing a diverse team while prioritizing work and resources across engagements based on short-term and long-term needs, including timelines, budgets, and staffing.
Candidates for this role should have extensive experience in creative copywriting, concept development, brand and campaign creative direction. Creative Directors (Copy) at Grizzly learn our clients’ business with tremendous depth, often working through complex product and business challenges, and translating the human/consumer benefit into simple, smart ideas. You will be a player/coach and work both as an individual contributor and as a manager of the creative team. The role requires the ability to confidently interact with and present their work to key clients and internal stakeholders. Must have strong experience with B2B or technology brands. Experience in Figma is a plus.
Essential Functions:
Lead, Coach and Develop Creative Team:
- Attract, develop, and retain top creative talent.
- Inspire and motivate the team creatively with high expectations, accountability, and support.
- Provide clear creative direction/guidance and timely and constructive feedback to optimize creative processes and deliver excellent work on time and on budget.
- Deliver ongoing coaching, feedback, and performance reviews—providing team members with opportunities to grow and thrive creatively.
- Determine staffing plans and overall reporting structure for the team.
- Manage allocation of talent for new business pitches and ensure staffing requirements are met.
- Identify and hire/train the next level of creative management.
Strategic thinkers, Creative catalysts and Trusted partners:
- Promote and facilitate a culture of collaboration between the agency and clients.
- Listen to and synthesize client feedback in a way that benefits the work.
- Ensure creative objectives and approaches align with both agency and client goals.
- Deliver forward-thinking solutions that meet our clients’ strategic needs.
- Lead creative for new business and help pitch new business.
- Develop relationships with key clients.
- Present and sell great creative work to clients.
Qualifications:
- 7+ years experience in client-facing, creative leadership role in an agency environment, 3+ years experience working directly with B2B clients
- 5+ years experience in growing, managing and inspiring internal teams.
- Highly motivated, with proven skills in advertising, collateral, identity, or interactive design.
- Strong working knowledge of fundamentals—design, copy, creative process, etc.
- Deep understanding of how brands work, from a business perspective, with proven ability to develop concepts providing client solutions and sell creative ideas to clients.
- Expert presentation skills that encompass clear, compelling communications to all-levels internally and externally.
- Confident salesperson, adept at supporting and selling their ideas, both internally to the team and externally to the client via thorough education on the strategy and creative.
- Plans and carries out job responsibilities with minimal direction.
- Handles stressful situations and deadlines with grace under pressure.
- Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.
- Able to manage and prioritize multiple business initiatives in an entrepreneurial environment.
- Expert knowledge of all functional agency departments, capabilities and service areas.
- Deep understanding of a wide range of industries, markets and brands, and what it takes to stand out and service them.
- Proven ability to work cross-functionally with all agency personnel in developing plans, recommendations, and deliverables.
Work Requirements:
- Must be located within one hours drive of San Diego, CA
- Flexibility with schedule to meet client commitments.
- Domestic and international travel may be required.
$165,000 - $170,000 a year
Disclaimer:
The above job description is meant to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. It is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required for the position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform other job-related duties requested by their supervisor in compliance with Federal and State Laws.
All job requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health and safety of themselves or other employees.
Requirements are representative of minimum levels of knowledge, skills and/or abilities. To perform this job successfully, the employee must possess the abilities or aptitudes to perform each duty proficiently. Continued employment remains on an “at-will” basis.
