Associate Creative Director, Copy

VML

Department: Creative

Location: Chicago, IL, United States

Requisition ID: 10891

Who We Are:

At VML, we are a beacon of innovation and growth in an ever-evolving world. Our heritage is built upon a century of combined expertise, where creativity meets technology, and diverse perspectives ignite inspiration. With the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, we have forged a new path as a growth partner that is part creative agency, part consultancy, and part technology powerhouse. 

Our global family now encompasses over 30,000 employees across 150+ offices in 64 markets, each contributing to a culture that values connection, belonging, and the power of differences.  Our expertise spans the entire customer journey, offering deep insights in communications, commerce, consultancy, CRM, CX, data, production, and technology. We deliver end-to-end solutions that result in revolutionary work. 

Who we are looking for:

You dream big and sweat the small stuff. You love the front lines but you’re able to see the 30,000 foot view. You live to make work that leaves its mark on culture. As Associate Creative Director, you’re the indispensable right hand of the Creative Director, leading projects from concept through production, and pushing relentlessly to make the work impactful and influential. Your talent goes without saying, but you bring it to bear in a manner that is uniquely Swift: low on ego, big on laughs, collaborative, candid and respectful.

What you’ll do:

  • Client facing | Regularly connect with clients to create a partnership that builds trust in our thought leadership and ideas.
  • Analyze | Understand how data is used to develop multi-channel campaigns and experiences that successfully connect with the audience.
  • Create | Generate highly effective creative concepts and copy and provide exceptional copy and art direction.
  • Collaborate | Closely partner with your Account, Strategy and Media counterparts. Successfully integrate into the larger team and be a positive force in our work environment and agency culture.

Who you are:

  • A builder | Entrepreneurial attitude. Appetite for bringing people together. Possess an innate knack to marshal people and create gravity around ideas.
  • A leader | You set a high-quality bar and ensure team members are excelling and growing in their craft and careers.
  • Open and collaborative | Our team is close-knit and supportive and we’re working with a lot of unknowns. You must be a champion of team environments that are comfortable with ambiguity and encourage collaboration.
  • An experimenter | You embrace the unknown and are ready to both enforce and break the process. You’re excited by opportunities to create new ideas rather than defaulting to existing ones. You see technology as a tool for creativity.
  • Ego-less | We all wear the hats that need wearing. It’s a mentality that makes the team successful.

What you’ll need:

  • Minimum 7 years experience in an agency setting in advertising
  • Management and direction of large-scale video and photoshoot process
  • Portfolio that shows strong conceptual thinking, a sharp voice and versatility across multiple platforms, including social

What we offer: 

  • Passionate, driven people | We champion a culture of people that do extraordinary work.
  • Consciously cultivated culture | We aim to embody the behaviors to build an inclusive community that is in it together, bringing both positivity and active listening into the workplace as we simultaneously strive to empower creative bravery.
  • Competitive benefits | What we offer full time hires ranges from the full spectrum of group health coverage options (medical, dental, vision) to a generous 401k match (100% dollar-for-dollar match, up to 5% of salary contribution), and a variety of paid time off offerings that reflect our investment in all aspects of your overall life balance and wellness.
  • Growth-minded opportunities | We aim to nurture a culture of real-time feedback, growth-oriented mindset, and plenty of training opportunities through VML and WPP, so you can continue to grow personally and professionally.

The base salary range for this position at the time of this posting is indicated below. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including location, business needs, level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package, click WPP Benefits for more details.

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$75,000$180,000 USD

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

WPP (VML) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers. 

VML is a WPP Agency. For more information, please visit our website, and follow VML on our social channels via Instagram, LinkedIn, and X. 

When you click "Submit Application", this will send any information you add below to VML. Before you do this, we think it's a good idea to read through our Recruitment Privacy Policy. California residents should read our California Recruitment Privacy Notice. This explains what we do with your personal data when you apply for a role with us, and, how you can update the information you have provided us with or how to remove it.

When you click "Submit Application", this will send any information you add below to VML. Before you do this, we think it's a good idea to read through our Recruitment Privacy Policy. California residents should read our California Recruitment Privacy Notice. This explains what we do with your personal data when you apply for a role with us, and, how you can update the information you have provided us with or how to remove it.