Creative Director
Full Time, LA
ABOUT MKG
Founded in 2003, MKG is a women-led creative agency specializing in brand action. Brand actions — including live experiences, virtual events, employee engagements, and social impact actions — connect brands to audiences through creative storytelling and thoughtful, purpose-driven engagement. We’re proud to be long-standing partners to brands like Google, Target, Netflix, Meta, HBO, Delta Air Lines, and Dos Equis.
MKG has offices in NYC and LA. Candidates are expected to live within commuting distance of either office and be present for collaborative, in-person work on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
GENERAL PURPOSE: We are looking for a Creative Director to join our Creative Strategy team, providing support and reporting into the ECD, helping to manage elements of the creative department and leading key client work. We seek a culturally savvy, multi-faceted Creative Director—someone who is a mix of strategist, writer, and has an eye for great design. We are a small team and the Creative Director will be hands on with the work and with the team.
FLSA: $120K-$160K
***This is the minimum + maximum base salary that we, in good faith, are willing to pay at the time of the posting. Salary commensurate with experience.
WHAT YOU’LL DO IN THIS ROLE:
- Assume ownership of key client relationships from a creative standpoint, working with internal and external teams to grow MKG’s business and reputation
- Think big picture about the agency and the work, clients, and pitches that will drive us forward while keeping ECD informed about projects
- Develop and deliver creative concepts for new and existing business, with an experiential focus and omnichannel integration. Use left brain/right brain thinkingconcepts rooted in strategy, but driven by original and ownable creativity.Dissect and interpret client briefs and challenge the status quo, steering clients to new territories that drive Brand Action
- Sell your creative with crystal clear rationale and passionate energy both internally to our project teams and externally to clients
- Creatively lead projects from start to finish, actively developing and authoring decks, guiding the project team, giving constructive feedback, ensuring the vision is being met, and always pushing the creative thinking
- Work closely with the ECD + CCO on team and agency cultural and marketing initiatives as neededProvide support to ECD + CCO on departmental needs like case study creation, agency marketing, etc
- Maintain best in class freelance pool and interviews candidates on a quarterly basis
- Manages on-boarding and training for new hires and freelancers onto Creative team as needed
- Mentor and manage direct reports on the team:
- Review report’s proposal work, providing guidance and feedback and recommending next steps, ensuring best practices maintained
- Attend briefing meetings and brainstorms and helps guide thinking and next steps
- Push reports to strive for strategic, results-driven quality work; find ways to continually improve output
- Coaching and mentoring team to develop leadership skills
REQUIREMENTS:
Education/Certification:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience commensurate with this position
Work Experience:
- 10+ years relevant experience at advertising, experiential, marketing agencies or brands
- A proven track record of executing successful campaigns for top-tier brands
WHAT YOU’LL BRING TO THE TABLE:
- Strong writing and verbal communication, ability to develop decks with efficiency and impact
- You are a culture seeker and operator, active within the creative communities that fuels your ideation prowess
- Ability to provide an authoritative voice to make decisions and drive projects forward
- Ability to foster the careers of direct reports, helping to carve a path to their success and growth
- Ability to own a room and sell an idea – demonstrates a thoughtful POV, supported by data and well researched arguments; defends work in a tactful and persuasive manner
- Ability to lead agency capabilities meetings; the ability to present agency offering and creative work with confidence, charisma, preparation, and persuasion
- Ability to manage a large volume of projects at one time while also championing and mentoring direct reports
- Ability to build relationships interdepartmentally and with clients, ensuring the work and satisfaction is sustained project to project
- Bring energy, your own sense of humor and a curious mind to the work, while being respectful and earnest to your peers and the work