Associate Creative Director - Design

The Associate Creative Director - Design leads the Creative Team, under the direction of the Creative Director, in the conceptualization, planning, execution, and launch of exceptional design, artwork, branding and imagery for the family of Dunlop Sports brands. With extensive experience in all visual mediums, and the technical skills to operate various 2D and 3D design software, they will operate as visionary, team leader, and collaborator, to produce, manage, and deliver branding, campaign ideation, visual tone and language, and all high-level graphic development. They are the main source for new design and branding ideas, trend spotting, industry research, and campaign ideation. They will lead, manage, teach, and mentor in-house and third-party designers in the planning and production of print advertising, print catalogs, in-store signage, event signage, OOH signage, web and digital advertising, and more, keeping projects on-time while enforcing high quality standards. They will also work hands-on, developing assets themselves as needed.

The Associate Creative Director - Design will also play an instrumental role in the research, presentation, and defense of all brand and campaign visuals. They will present and defend design and branding proposals to the Executive Board, fielding feedback and incorporating changes until all stakeholders are satisfied.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS
The Associate Creative Director - Design reports directly to the Creative Director.

The Associate Creative Director - Design manages all Jr. Graphic Designers, Graphic Designers, and Sr. Graphic Designers

RESPONSIBILITIES

• While leading the Design Team, owning the end-to-end development of all global design projects, use various tools, artforms, and mediums to conceptualize, plan, execute, revise, and launch high-quality graphics, layouts, text treatments, photo edits, color palettes, visual hierarchies, info graphics, logos, 3D renders, art styles, style guides, and more for print advertising, print catalogs, in-store signage, event signage, OOH signage, web and digital advertising, and other projects as needed.
•  Be a project management expert and inspirational team leader with a proven ability to motivate, delegate, and oversee creatives of all disciplines.
•  Seamlessly switch between projects of different mediums, for various brands, with high levels of ambiguity, while meetings deadlines and quality expectations.
•  Direct and guide the team’s design process as the writer and director of all design briefs. Be a constant source of fresh ideas and consistent improvement.
•  Skillfully derive insights from your own research, independent research, and competitor analysis, that informs and empowers design decisions, branding approaches, and campaign ideation
•  Present design proposals, brand visuals, and overall campaign planning to the Creative Director along with senior executive teams. Defend high-level brand strategy choices, along with specific design decisions. Field, absorb, and implement all stakeholder feedback. Manage timely and accurate revisions that satisfy stakeholders while maintaining design best-practice.
•  Stay informed on cutting-edge design trends and research how, when, and why to employ fresh ideas into new projects. Balance the competing needs of relevance, brand consistency, creativity and inventiveness, especially for high-visibility projects.
•  Read, comprehend, and take ownership of product details. Hold the design team accountable for making design choices informed by product knowledge.
•  Meet agreed-upon deadlines or communicate timeline adjustments quickly and clearly. Lead design project management by writing briefs, checking timelines, and working hands-on when necessary.
•  Mentor Creative Team members with guidance, training, suggestions, and constructive feedback that fosters easy, collaborative relationships with safe space to experiment, ask questions, and discover solutions.

TRAVEL
A small amount of travel should be expected.
 

EXPECTATIONS AND MEASUREMENTS OF PERFORMANCE
The Associate Creative Director - Design at Dunlop Sports Americas must lead the Creative Team in the execution and delivery of exceptional visual assets, on reasonable timelines, that align with our brand and business goals. They will work in all visual mediums, including print, web, and digital, and employ a wide variety of tools and software. They are the company’s ultimate owner and guarantor of high-quality, modern,
effective graphic design.

Success Metrics:
• Quality, Detail, and Expertise: Lead the execution of design best practice while fostering the team’s ability to produce and execute novel, captivating, and effective creative ideas. Be a thought-leader and brand visionary. Ensure all design work is free of errors by demanding attention to detail and reviewing projects prior to other stakeholders.
• Ownership of Design Production: Work alongside the Creative Director to plan high-level branding and campaign initiatives. Plan, set, monitor, and refine design processes, workflows, and training for all in-house and third-party teams. Ensure all designers consistently deliver error-free work.
• Deadlines: Project manage all Design Team assignments. Monitor, meet, and adjust deadlines for projects big and small. Manage multiple projects simultaneously and switch between them regularly while delivering on deadlines or communicating timetable adjustments.
• Communication: Partake in a consistent back and forth of ideas, critiques, and inspirations between members of the Creative Team. Seek input from key stakeholders whenever project details change, are missing, or conflict. Manage expectations of internal and external teams and communicate proactively whenever misalignment or challenges arise.
• Teamwork: Be a solutions-oriented advocate for design principles. When interacting with colleagues, be exclusively constructive, collaborative, professional, respectful, and effective.
• Employee Development and Attitude: Grow quickly in job knowledge and familiarity with the company, brands, and products. Recognize our organization’s strengths and its weaknesses, and actively champion solutions that account for both.
All of the expectations outlined above will be monitored by comparative assessments, interviews with managers/colleagues/direct reports, and evaluation by the Associate Creative Director - Design and Creative Director. When possible, objective quantitative measures will be used.