Summary
The PD Instore Creative Director will work to plan, direct, and deliver project-winning creative for clients and prospective clients across a broad range of initiatives. As a thought leader — and the definitive start and end point for groundbreaking, game-changing, and project-winning creative — this person defines and directs the process, the people, and the work…from creative brief to sell-in. This position reports to the CEO.
Essential Duties/Responsibilities
- Develop, package, and present original creative solutions, leveraging full range of storytelling abilities to effectively sell-in ideas and solutions to our clients and prospective clients.
- Identify trends, insights, and revenue-generating opportunities that benefit our clients and keep us ahead of the game.
- Develop strategic, thoughtful, and creative-led proposals and pitch-based presentations, on-brand case studies, and the PD and client stories worth telling.
- Collaborate with account/sales and management teams to transform client briefs into strong creative to powerfully operate from; define project objectives, set key win/performance metrics, and establish project approach.
- Spearhead ideation sessions and creative consultations with account teams to assure appropriate creative strategies, adequacy/accuracy of input, schedules, budgets, necessary reviews, and client presentations.
- Regularly review creative work as it is developed to ensure it is on brief and on track.
- Write concept statements, brand positioning, and copy for designs to explain POV and sell work in the simplest and most compelling way possible.
- Maintain a standard of “creativity in reality,” working collaboratively with Proto, Drafting/Engineering, and Production to ensure we can build those ideas into reality.
- Provide leadership and convey the vision and values of the company to the creative team while holding them accountable.
- Work closely with leadership to identify/research new markets and generate strategic work to feed into new business strategy, generating regular insight and trend-based opportunities to elevate and connect brands w/consumers.
- Find unique, unexpected insights and results (as a direct result of our creative responses, solutions, and innovations) worth sharing and develop as well-crafted stories.
- Foster a culture that values family, innovation, collaboration, and empowerment.
- Follow all safety and workplace policies.
Competencies and Skills
- Outstanding leadership capabilities with the ability to inspire and motivate
- Highly collaborative individual to work cohesively across departments
- Experience developing strategically grounded, brilliant creative
- A consummate storyteller who can effectively develop and communicate a vision through design-driven proposals, pitch decks, and client-facing presentations
- Expertise in managing the creative development and production process across a variety of communication vehicles
- Ability to support, understand, and enhance the strategy development process; able to fuse creativity with strong business acumen
- Ability to synthesize and effectively communicate insights, ideas, and recommendations and to clearly explain, sell-in, and defend your work and your ideas with impeccable written, verbal, facilitation, and presentation skills
- Comfortable with ambiguity and working in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines, handling multiple projects with competing priorities
- Experience with a variety of software including InDesign, 3D Max, Illustrator, and Photoshop and (near-wizardry level) Keynote, PowerPoint, etc.
- A strong understanding of brand development, multichannel marketing concepts, and the world of retail
- Resourceful, adaptable, creative, results-oriented, with high energy and passion for great retail design
- Flexibility to travel between multiple PD locations (all in Minneapolis)
- Demonstrated commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working environment
Education/Certification
- Bachelor’s degree in a design field, preferably three-dimensional designer or a Bachelor’s degree in an advertising/marketing field
Experience
- 10-15 years of experience in a creative leadership position, preferably in project-based agency or world-class retail brand
How to Apply
Send a pdf including your letter of interest* and your resume with portfolio link to our search manager heather@soladayolson.com. Please label the subject of your email “Your Name > Creative Director, PD Instore” and provide your salary requirement in the body of your email message.
*Respond to 2-3 of these questions…
- Tell us what excites you about opportunities in retail, and PD Instore in particular.
- Describe your leadership style.
- Briefly discuss how you’ve successfully developed or elevated a brand.
- Share what motivates you as a human.
We look forward to getting to know you!