Creative Director, Brand & Content

Chicago, IL (On-site)

$120K/yr – $150K/yrSenior LevelFull time

Posted 3 weeks ago

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Job Summary

Own the creative leadership that translates business goals into brand campaigns and scalable design systems across marketing and product. Drive team growth, process discipline, and cross-functional collaboration to raise visual quality and consistency.

  • Team leadership: coach designers, build capability, and scale impact
  • Creative execution: turn strategy into campaigns and visual storytelling across Brand, Content, and Product Marketing
  • Quality and process: establish workflows, brand standards, and feedback loops that improve output and speed

Job Description

Responsibilities

  • Lead, coach, and develop a team of designers, creating an environment where people can do their best work and grow their careers
  • Develop creative concepts and campaigns that strengthen Smartly's brand and connect with target audiences
  • Provide clear creative direction and feedback throughout the creative process, from brief through final execution
  • Partner with Brand, Content, Product Marketing, Communications, and other stakeholders to translate business objectives into compelling creative solutions
  • Elevate the quality, consistency, and effectiveness of Smartly's visual identity across all channels and touchpoints
  • Review and approve creative work, ensuring it meets strategic objectives, brand standards, and quality expectations
  • Help establish and refine creative processes, workflows, and ways of working that enable the team to scale its impact
  • Stay current on design, advertising, and cultural trends, bringing fresh thinking and new approaches to the team's work

Requirements

  • Experience leading and developing creative teams, including direct people management responsibilities
  • Strong background in graphic design, brand design, visual communication, or a related creative discipline
  • Experience as a conceptual Art Director, with a portfolio that demonstrates strong campaign thinking and creative problem-solving
  • Ability to translate strategy, messaging, and business goals into engaging creative concepts and visual storytelling
  • Strong design craft and a deep understanding of typography, layout, visual systems, and brand identity
  • Experience partnering with cross-functional stakeholders and navigating feedback from multiple audiences
  • Excellent communication, presentation, and collaboration skills
  • Ability to balance creative excellence with practical business outcomes
  • Experience working with consumer-facing brands or B2C marketing is preferred, but not required
  • Experience working in technology, SaaS, or high-growth environments is a plus

Preferred

  • Experience working with consumer-facing brands or B2C marketing is preferred, but not required
  • Experience working in technology, SaaS, or high-growth environments is a plus

Benefits

  • Five weeks paid time off (PTO), 11 company paid holidays, unlimited sick days
  • Generous healthcare packages & mental health benefits
  • 401K plus matching & equity grants for all new Smartlies
  • Wellness benefit & learning reimbursement opportunities
  • Volunteer time off days & company donation matching opportunities
  • And so much more…
Smartly logo

Smartly

3.3 Glassdoor

Smartly is the AI-powered advertising technology company transforming ad experiences for brands and their consumers. Our comprehensive advertising platform seamlessly integrates the capabilities of media, creative, and intelligence to power more than 800 billion impressions and generate more than 300 billion creatives annually, delivering tangible business outcomes for brands and advertisers. We are the only company managing creative and media for 700+ brands worldwide and $5B in ad spend across the largest media platforms, including Facebook, Google, Instagram, Pinterest, Snap, and TikTok. Our end-to-end technology, unmatched access to media platforms and exceptional customer service help Fortune 500 brands to reach and engage consumers and learn what performs best. Join our global team to transform ad experiences for brands and their consumers.

Founded in 2013
Helsinki, Southwest Finland, FIN
954 employees (121 in marketing)
51% recommend to a friend
44% CEO approval

Traffic Signals

Monthly Visitors
149.9K
Monthly Google Ads Budget
$33K
Traffic Source Mix
Search
45.9%
Direct
42.3%
Referral
8%
Social
2.5%
Paid
1.1%

Headcount Trend

Current headcount: ~954

Marketing Team

Marketing Team Size
64 (7% of company)
Marketing Roles Posted (Last 30 Days)
2

Funding

Total Funding
$22.8M
Last Raise
$20M
Series Unknown, 6 years ago

Funding History

  • Nov 2019
    Series Unknown
  • Sep 2017
    Secondary Market • $20M
  • Apr 2015
    Series A • $2.8M

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