Associate Creative Director, Copy

Who we are:
As a 100% independent and 100% employee-owned agency, we are driven by an independent spirit and believe in the power of the collective. We foster a culture that enables and expects all departments to make our brands impossible to ignore.

The creative department:
On our mission to make brands impossible to ignore, “good” is the enemy of “great.” We think big, and we are not satisfied until we find the right expression of the idea, one that evokes emotion and ignites conversation. We don’t accept a big idea without a great execution. And we don’t accept executions without a big idea. That’s how we solve business problems.

The role:
Part of what makes an ACD Copywriter a 22Squared ACD Copywriter is an insatiable curiosity that always has them asking ‘why?’ and ‘what if?’. It’s this desire to always push for better that makes our writers so successful. Applying your craft here means partnering with an Art Director so you can combine your superpowers to tackle exciting and challenging projects together. Your approach to creative problem-solving and your insights on culture at large will be an inspiration to those around you, in and out of the Creative department. If you’re on the hunt for a place where you’re given the support and freedom to fail, to be inspired, to grow, to take risks. If you’re looking for a creative agency on a mission to create work that’s authentically human and impossible to ignore, well, you've come to the right place. We’re hiring talent now. Acquiring perspective always.

Responsibilities:

• Active in the brief kick-off and has a POV on strategy and client business needs.
• Collaborates and builds relationships with colleagues across disciplines.
• Strong understanding of a brand’s strategic positioning and ability to provide verbal and written rationales to support their creative work.
• Taps into other depts early and often to strengthen the work.
• Always offers creative and innovative ideas and solutions that incorporate strategic insights to meet goals.
• Can conceive, develop, and direct original concepts and big ideas across all media touch points on any platform.
• Ability to structure & develop client presentations that carry a strategic thread from concept to activation.
• Delivers Impossible to Ignore work from concept to execution.
• Has strong client interfacing skills with the ability to present and command attention, persuade, and sell work.

Management:

• Effectively mentors direct reports with clear, constructive feedback to get the highest quality creative output while ensuring direct reports are on the path toward growth development.
• Effectively manages multiple teams and projects at once, also able to focus on day-to-day responsibilities.
• In both instances of management, use your discretion when you are pulling in your CD to provide progress updates and seek guidance where appropriate.
• Responsible for bringing in other peer disciplines such as production, media, biz affairs, and DEI as they look to make the work stronger.
• Understands the power of the collective; collaborates and communicates seamlessly with cross- discipline peers.
• Strong organizational and time management skills, never misses a deadline.
• Works with PM to schedule reviews with CD; ACD should be coming with recommendations as to what work should move forward.
• Proactively communicates any amount of time spent offline for personal appointments as needed with enough lead time.
• Capable of working independently in a WFH environment and being held accountable to agency business hours.
• Completes timesheets in a timely manner.

Expectations:

• Always maintains high quality of craft and attention to detail.
• Creates, develops, and leads conceptual direction as work goes to Production.
• Ability to roll up sleeves when needing to deliver a final product
• Brings forward provocative proactive ideas based on current trends and pop culture.
• Has advanced knowledge of technology and how copy works effectively across mediums.
• Stays current on latest industry trends as well as emerging tech.
• Maturity to understand that with great work comes day-to-day work.
• Have an entrepreneurial spirit and coachable attitude with an eagerness to improve craft.
• A detail-oriented and pragmatic problem solver.
• Participation in new business pitches, if necessary.

Culture:

• Embraces and contributes to diverse and inclusive perspectives and participates in agency DEI programming and initiatives.
• Helps plan culture-building events through Town Halls or Creative Ops.

Qualifications:

• 6-10 years agency experience, minimum 1 year managing/leading creative teams
• Bachelor’s Degree or higher in English, Creative Writing, Journalism, Communications, or Advertising/Portfolio school
• An outstanding track record and portfolio that shows off creative strategic thinking
• Detailed multidisciplinary design knowledge with ability to steward a brand across all touchpoints
• Solid knowledge of all steps required in the creative development and production process and the ability to lead both.