Auckland – Tāmaki Makaurau, New Zealand

Creative Director

At AKQA we believe in the imaginative application of art and science to create beautiful ideas, products, and services. With an entrepreneurial and collaborative approach, we design adaptive digital services and applications that capture the imagination, delivering impressive returns for our clients.

As a Creative Director at AKQA, you will lead a multidisciplinary team across a client engagement to create exceptional work on various projects including design, branding, user experience, video production, and immersive digital experiences. 

The Creative Director will approach every brief with fresh eyes and a strategic mind avoiding familiar solutions to create and inspire work that is distinctive, effective, and truly remarkable. 

At AKQA New Zealand, you will work in a meritocratic culture, surrounded by some of the brightest minds in their fields. You will have the opportunity to learn and grow within a creative and technically advanced team, and have access to ongoing personal and professional development. At AKQA, we are committed to your career growth, as well as to your work/life balance.

 

ROLE REQUIREMENTS

• Strong design eye - Hands on leader. Directs the work to ensure it complies with brand standards while also pushing its boundaries and evolving the system. A meticulous eye for detail. 
• Storytelling - Makes complex concepts simple and easy to understand utilizing data, art, and technology. Works with other departments to establish strategic and creative approaches for a given assignment. Partners with strategists, design directors, product designers, motion designers, technologists, data analysts, live shoot production teams and vendors to ensure flawless execution of the creative vision
• Organised - Manages the team resources and projects with an unmeasured proactiveness to ensure the highest caliber of work is delivered to the client on time.
• Creative craft skills - Sets creative direction and strategic guidance throughout the duration of client team projects. Displays a cohesive understanding, and can execute the principles that make innovative and effective experience design.
• Idea generation - Leads by example to consistently inspire creative colleagues to create pioneering ideas that conceptualize world-class solutions. Generates useful, usable ideas across existing and emerging digital platforms. Continually develops practices and processes to inspire, innovate, and harness new ways of thinking. Creates platform solutions that have a business impact for clients, cultural impact for consumers and supports the growth of client relationships.
• Client relationship - Works in conjunction with the Client Services team to actively build a strong relationship with a given client. Has a strong POV and leads discussions that position us as a thought leader. Contributes significantly in growing our business with the client.
• Leadership - Acts as a strategic and conceptual leader on projects. Sets overall creative direction. Inspires and leads by example, setting professional standards for the team and the department. Evangelizes and represents AKQA externally through various leadership opportunities, conferences, speaking, and writing engagements. A Creative Director is expected to lead and manage 8-10+ creatives on an on-going basis.
• Mentoring - Actively trains, mentors, and manages junior and mid-level creatives. Proactively identifies and resolves issues. Responsible for managing and guiding creatives of all levels within AKQA, including regular one-on-one check-ins and taking responsibility for onboarding new employees and guiding them through a successful tenure at AKQA.
• New business development - Creatively leads new business pitches. Is responsible for the ideas and the creative work, and articulating a compelling story.

 

QUALITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS

• An excellent portfolio that spans engaging and immersive digital experiences online and/or within a space, product design, film and motion, and storytelling.
• A minimum of 12 years’ experience in the creative industry, with a focus on design, user experience, and storytelling.
• Experience collaborating with motion designers, technologists, live production teams, product designers and vendors to seamlessly execute projects.
• Bachelor of Arts degree in Design or Art Direction from a four-year university, two-year portfolio school or equivalent experience; focus on digital, experiential and retail, advanced degrees, a plus.
• Exceptional design aesthetic, variations on styles, and awareness of design trends and innovation.
• Exceptional communication skills: verbal, written, interpersonal and inter-departmental.
• Thought leadership; a strong point of view; ability to contribute to the strategic development of an assignment; creative ideas and the ability to promote conceptual thinking among the team.
• The ability to lead, coach, inspire and motivate a team to create and deliver truly remarkable, influential and impactful work.
• A solid understanding of digital media as well as the marketing industry at large; an ability and a desire to adapt to the changing landscape of technology.
• Ability to provide creative directions as well as overall leadership for strategic and account direction.
• Ability to establish client relationship and act as a creative leader for the client.

 

AKQA is an Equal Opportunities Employer, we believe that diversity is vital to AKQA’s ability to provide our clients with the best recommendations and are committed to fostering a varied and inclusive work environment. Your race, colour, ancestry, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability or veteran status have no bearing on our hiring decisions. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.

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