Associate Creative Director (FMCG)

ROLE DESCRIPTION

The Associate Creative Director (Copy-Based) is a pivotal creative leader responsible for elevating the verbal identity and strategic messaging across client accounts. Reporting to an Executive Creative Director or Creative Director, you will lead the development of compelling narratives, powerful concepts, and impactful copy that resonates with audiences and drives business results. You will mentor and inspire a team of copywriters, ensuring all creative output is strategically sound, impeccably crafted, and consistently delivers on VML's standard of creative excellence. This role demands a master storyteller, a strategic thinker, and a hands-on writer who can articulate a vision and bring it to life through words across all media.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Conceptual Leadership: Lead the ideation and development of breakthrough creative concepts, campaign platforms, and strategic narratives from a copy-first perspective.
• Copy Excellence & Craft: Write, edit, and oversee the creation of high-quality, persuasive, and on-brand copy for a wide range of channels including digital, social, traditional advertising, content marketing, CRM, and emerging platforms.
• Strategic Messaging: Ensure all verbal communication is strategically aligned with client objectives, brand voice, and target audience insights. Translate complex marketing strategies into clear, compelling, and actionable messages.
• Team Leadership & Mentorship: Guide, inspire, and mentor a team of copywriters, fostering their growth, providing constructive feedback, and ensuring the highest standards of craft and conceptual thinking.
• Client Presentation & Persuasion: Confidently present and articulate creative concepts and copy strategies to clients, effectively selling ideas and building strong client relationships.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work seamlessly with Art Directors, Designers, Strategists, Account Teams, and Technologists to ensure integrated creative solutions where copy and visuals work in harmony.
• Brand Stewardship: Act as a guardian of brand voice and tone, ensuring consistency and distinctiveness across all client communications.
• Trend & Innovation: Stay abreast of industry trends, cultural shifts, and emerging communication technologies to bring fresh perspectives and innovative verbal solutions to client challenges.
• Project Management: Oversee multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring timely delivery and adherence to creative briefs and strategic goals.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Experience: 8-12+ years of progressive experience in an advertising or marketing agency, with a significant portion in a senior copywriting or copy-focused leadership role.
• Portfolio: A strong, diverse portfolio showcasing exceptional copywriting, conceptual thinking, and successful campaigns across various media, demonstrating a clear understanding of how words drive impact.
• Conceptual Strength: Proven ability to generate big ideas and translate them into compelling verbal concepts that can be executed across integrated campaigns.
• Strategic Acumen: A deep understanding of marketing strategy, consumer insights, and how to use copy to solve business problems and achieve client objectives.
• Leadership & Mentorship: Demonstrated experience in leading, inspiring, and developing creative talent, particularly copywriters.
• Communication Skills: Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex ideas clearly and persuasively to both internal teams and clients.
• Adaptability: Ability to adapt writing style and tone to suit different brands, audiences, and platforms.
• Collaboration: A highly collaborative spirit, with experience working effectively in multidisciplinary teams.
• Education: Bachelor's degree in Advertising, Marketing, English, Journalism, Communications, or a related field.