Associate Creative Director - Warrenville, IL, United States

Company Description

• RRD is a leading global provider of marketing, packaging, print, and supply chain solutions that elevate engagement across the complete customer journey. The company offers the industry’s most trusted portfolio of creative execution and world-wide business process consulting, with services designed to lower environmental impact. With 22,000 clients, including 93% of the Fortune 100, and 32,000 employees across 28 countries, RRD brings the expertise, execution, and scale designed to transform customer touchpoints into meaningful moments of impact.

Job Description

Location: This position is fully remote. The schedule is based on EST hours which is Mon-Fri; 9am - 5pm. 

The Associate Creative Director will lead the graphic design / creative team, which is responsible for conceptualization, design and execution of creative projects. This role will provide strategic and critical thought leadership and excel in incorporating a connected consumer experience across multiple channels. He/she must have experience in communications design including business strategy, design, typography, production and prepress skills. He/she must have the ability to work creatively in a fast-paced environment. They will manage all creative and copywriting resources to provide quality products and services, on schedule, within budgeted cost parameters. The Associate Creative Director will coordinate with the client to manage a high volume of creative projects per year. They will develop conceptual designs within the framework of strong brand guidelines that deliver on merchant, marketing and retail objectives. Direct management responsibilities for a team comprised of highly-skilled creative professionals. Individual adept at driving/growing relationships with key clientele, across all levels of the organization.  

• Collaborates with the Creative Director, design team, proofreading and project management to identify project needs and design finished product to support the businesses and marketing objectives of client’s brand strategy and maintain the creative concept of the work, keeping it on strategy, meaningful and visually impactful

• Works to mentor and coach graphic design team members

• Develops creative and graphic concepts in collaboration with assigned team

• Provides art direction and production support to produce technically correct, print ready mechanicals for release

• Solves business challenges through smart creative design
• Aligns with creative director and senior marketing executives to develop top-line marketing campaigns pushing existing boundaries.

• Takes ownership, leads initiatives and successfully executes through all stages of creative development on target, on time and on budget.

• Expert understanding of the client brand, design needs and methodology.
• Maintain and enhance the clients identity by working creatively within the corporate Brand.

• Understands the client’s design needs and methodology

• Effective communication with peers, senior management and clients across all topics from business to creative.
• Effective communication with peers, senior management and client across all topics from team/people management, business to creative.
• Manages the talent recruitment and development for the creative team.
• Ability to lead by example and cultivate the creative atmosphere that will motivate and drive the team to be successful for RRD and the client.
• Excellent presentation skills with ability to lead client discovery sessions, present and communicate how the concept meet objectives and expectations.
• Provides senior leadership with current project updates, challenges and opportunities.
• Promotes collaboration, support and inclusion to create a positive work environment.
• Sharp attention to detail.
• Effectively communicates with client and RRD leadership regarding situations that require decisions, actions and may include problems.
• Self-motivated individual with a positive attitude

• Leads creative teams and will have direct reports.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in discipline related field with 12+ yrs. of experience
• Possesses a strong developing and current portfolio of imaginative and compelling work.
• Retail, agency or in-house corporate retail design experience preferred.
• Ability to lead creative teams & collaborate with varying internal and external clients

• Possesses a strong developing portfolio of imaginative work

• Retail, agency or in-house corporate design experience preferred

• Well versed on Macintosh platform (OSX) and industry standard applications:

• Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop and MS Office. SketchUp or similar

• 3D rendering programs a plus. Must be highly proficient in CS3 Design software and other applicable programs

• Experience presenting/pitching concepts to internal clients and external customers and sourcing vendors

• New ideas, great design sense, copywriting skills (a plus) and the ability to prepare projects for print are essential

• Organizational skills, adaptability and composure under fire are equally important
• Ability to see the big picture while focusing on small details
• Strengths include: strategic and critical thinking, ideation, detail-oriented and a strong problem-solving ability
• Agile thinker.
• Positive, proactive attitude.

• Understanding of print production, basic web development and good user interface concepts

• Excellent interpersonal skills and the proven ability to build and maintain strong and effective customer and internal relationships
• Understanding of CX and environmental design preferred.
• Thirst for curiosity, retail innovation, and emerging technologies.
• Ability to express an idea in different forms and media types.

Additional Information

The national pay range for this role is $88,200 - $156,800. The pay range may be slightly lower or higher based on the geographic location of the hired employee. The actual pay offered may vary based upon, but not limited to: education, skills, experience, proficiency, performance, shift and location. In addition to base salary, depending on the role, the total compensation package may also include participation in a bonus, commission or incentive program. RRD offers benefits including medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, disability insurance, 401(k) with match, life insurance and other voluntary supplemental insurance coverages, plus tuition assistance, maternity leave, adoption assistance, and employer/partner discounts.

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RRD is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans