Associate Creative Director​/Design Lead, Direct Mail (contract

Associate Creative Director/Design Lead

Digitas is looking for a freelance Associate Creative Director/Design Lead with extensive direct mail experience to join our team!

In this role, you will serve as a strategic partner and the executional design lead on high-profile direct mail projects for both existing clients and new business pitches. You will collaborate with an ACD/Copy Lead to translate creative briefs into actionable concepts and then drop down in the weeds to actually build the designs that go along with those concepts. You'll create fresh, innovative campaigns that are strategically sound and creatively compelling and then help to guide those campaigns through all phases of creative development, execution, and activation.

PLEASE NOTE:

• This role is based out of our Detroit office and the ability to collaborate onsite 3-4 days/week is preferred. Candidates local to the Detroit market who are willing to work in a hybrid capacity will be prioritized but highly qualified candidates in other markets may also be considered.
• This is a 40hr/week freelance role expected to start in late August and run for a period of 3-4 months. Conversion into a full-time role following the completion of the freelance period is possible but not guaranteed.
• Anticipated pay range is $100-$125/hr on a W2; no C2C or 1099 options are available.

• In partnership with an ACD/Copy Lead, brainstorm sessions to generate innovative, compelling, and fresh direct mail campaign concepts and content.
• Understand client business needs, receive and translate creative briefs, and oversee the development and execution of brand and retailer-specific direct mail concepts, ensuring adherence to brand guidelines.
• Deliver compelling internal and client-facing presentations in support of existing work as well as new business pitches.
• Take ownership of projects, proactively driving them toward successful outcomes.
• Design on-brand direct mail pieces including formatting and layout, overall look and feel, and logos, graphics, and other design elements that stops people in their tracks.
• Keep projects and teams on-brand, on-brief, and on-time.
• Stay on top of cultural trends, consumer behaviors, and what competitors are up to.

• 7+ years of professional visual design experience with a specific focus on direct mail campaigns preferably in an advertising agency or in-house marketing team.
• Bachelor's degree in advertising, marketing, graphic design, or a related field; equivalent experience may be substituted.
• Prior experience working in or alongside the automotive industry preferred.
• Experience guiding creative projects and team members from concept to production.
• An understanding of how brands tick and how to make people care about them.
• Excellent conceptual creative and visual storytelling skills.
• Mastery of Adobe Creative Suite (specifically Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign) as well as other relevant specialized design tools.
• Ability to translate an existing design language into something fresh and unique.
• Versatile design chops with extensive experience supporting direct mail campaigns for large, national brands.
• An ability to understand, internalize, and develop persuasive, compelling, and on-brand design concepts using existing design language based on client brand guidelines and the audience being targeted.
• An understanding of how direct mail and tier 1 CRM campaigns integrate into a larger business/marketing strategy.
• Prior experience supporting the development and presentation of new business pitches.
• Prior experience performing CRM and direct mail audits for existing clients.
• Ability to translate client business challenges into creative concepts.
• Comfort operating with a high degree of ownership, autonomy, and accountability.
• A natural sense of urgency with an ability to work quickly, efficiently, and accurately within tight deadlines and constantly-evolving project parameters, scope, and goals.
• Highly collaborative but independently capable with an ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional, geographically-distributed teams.
• Flexible and adaptable with an ability to work successfully across multiple concurrent…