Key Accountabilities

• Creative Innovation:

  • Develop core creative concepts and ensure they are translated into compelling deliverables that align with client objectives.

  • Ensure ideas are rooted in client needs by committing to thorough research of both historical and current competitors, as well as the broader market, to inform the right creative strategy.

  • Take a strategic lead in identifying and unlocking growth opportunities within partnerships by introducing additional creative ideas that drive client growth.

  • Create the vision for creative excellence across all client projects—from conception to execution—ensuring cohesive, high-quality output.

• Message and Aesthetic: 

  • Concentration in Experiences and Events: The Creative Director is responsible for ensuring creativity is infused in every element of the run of show, leading the creative team in shaping messaging, tone, and visual identity—ensuring all elements align.

  • Master the art of storytelling through the PullSpark _nstinct methodology, applying it across campaign deliverables, including but not limited to film, events, social media, media relations and more. 

  • Serve as the gatekeeper for all creative deliverables at PullSpark across select disciplines, ensuring consistency in both messaging and aesthetic. A creative leader with mastery in one to two of PullSpark’s core disciplines, they actively pursue growth and development in the others.

• People Leadership:

  • Communicate clearly with talent, contractors, and clients—providing guidance on when and how to deliver messages effectively across all disciplines. Lead confidently on-site, offering direction across all deliverables to ensure alignment with both client business outcomes and the PullSpark brand.

  • As needed, responsible for the development and skill enhancement of Creative Services team members.

  • As needed, responsible for conducting annual reviews, managing raises and bonus allocations, and creating opportunities for team members to advance in their careers. This includes clearly communicating feedback on performance gaps and fostering growth opportunities.

  • Lead creative development sessions and provide feedback to ensure ideas are innovative and of the utmost quality level, while being executable within scope, timeline, and budget, as well as supporting the client’s win.

  • Ensure creative output maintains consistency in quality, creativity, and effectiveness across all projects.

  • Work alongside the Vice President of Creative Services as an advisor to the team, responsible for anticipating team and client needs.

• Measurement

  • Accountable for meeting departmental goals that align with the KPIs established by the Vice President of Creative Services, supporting the company’s overall goals and vision.

  • Conduct thorough contractor evaluations in Copywriting, Creative Direction, Graphic Design, Art Direction and Creative Production, generating data reports that analyze performance to inform future creative strategies and enhance PullSpark’s event offerings.

Core Responsibilities

Leading Creative Team:

• Strategic Communication: The Creative Director ensures that all project communications prioritize creative excellence while fostering transparency and collaboration across departments.

• Leadership: The Creative Director is responsible for guiding the team’s career growth with the ultimate goal of advancing to senior-level positions, where they can deliver high-quality products and contribute to business expansion. This includes providing clear feedback and holding team members accountable to foster individual growth.

• Hiring / Dismissal / Promotions: The Creative Director collaborates with the Vice President of Creative Services and HR to forecast staffing needs, fill open roles with qualified candidates, and lead the process for employee dismissals and promotions.

• Development: The Creative Director is responsible for creating opportunities that allow the creative services team to expand their skill sets, foster innovation, and deepen their knowledge of the company’s products. This includes setting clear goals and providing feedback to support career growth and prepare employees for promotions.

• Problem Resolution: Proactively address roadblocks, internal issues, or project delays, and collaborate with the Director of Accounts to find solutions when projects exceed budget.

• HR: Accountable for conducting 1:1s focused on career growth, ensuring that all HR discussions are properly documented. They collaborate with the HR advisor to address employee satisfaction and are responsible for upholding PullSpark’s management practices.

• Multidisciplinary Creative Leadership: The Creative Director is an expert in the PullSpark Storytelling Methodology (_nstinct) across all disciplines. They have the ability to serve as the senior-most leader and primary creative decision-maker in any PullSpark process. This includes, but is not limited to, the following areas: Event/Experiential Activations (e.g., Openers, Event Look and Feel, Set Design, Experiential Design, and Marketing Activations), Film Work (e.g., Story Videos, Commercials), and Communications (e.g., Campaigns, Social Strategy, Messaging Strategies).

Developing Creative Concepts:

• Innovation: Can create an idea from nothing that leads to a business outcome for the client’s objectives, ensuring proper market research has been done on the idea.

• Excellence: The Creative Director holds the team accountable for maintaining a standard of creative excellence, ensuring all work not only meets but exceeds client expectations.

• Subject Matter Expert: Responsible for becoming an expert in all products offered by the agency.

• Creative Contribution: Contributes creatively within their key disciplines (e.g., writing, design, etc.), ensuring high-quality output in alignment with project goals.

• Strategy: Champion and create using data-driven insights and technology to enhance the creative process, performance, and results.

• Client Brand Expertise: Serve as a subject matter expert on each client’s brand, ensuring all deliverables align with their expectations and reviewing key materials to maintain brand consistency.

• Decision-making & Communication: Act as the product representative in decision-making, ensuring the project team is fully informed of all communications and developments.

Cross Departmental:

• Client Relationship Insight: Collaborate with account teams and clients to understand business objectives and translate them into creative solutions that drive success. Present creative work to clients, clearly articulating how it aligns with business goals while offering strategic insights. Initiate and lead vision-casting sessions with clients to explore innovative ideas and collaborative opportunities, emphasizing strategic foresight and creative thinking.

• Creative Briefs & Decks: Fulfill creative briefs before handing them to the creative executors. Create pitch slides to support project presentations.

• Workflow Understanding: Maintain a comprehensive understanding of the organization’s workflow and key stakeholders to ensure seamless project execution and identify opportunities for growth.

Budget & Resource Management:

• Budgets: Understand project budgets, ensuring deliverables are produced within financial constraints while maintaining high-quality standards.

• Vendor: As needed, oversee the team's negotiations with vendors and suppliers, ensuring cost-effective solutions that don’t compromise on quality or client satisfaction.

• Contractors: Recommend contractors for projects per set creative vision.

People Leadership and Culture:

• Problem Resolution: Proactively address roadblocks, internal issues, or project delays, collaborating with the Director of Accounts to find solutions if projects exceed budget.

• Culture: Execute the Vice President of Creative Services’ vision for a team culture that fosters creativity, innovation and collaboration within the creative services team.

• Values: Lead by example in upholding PullSpark’s core values, ensuring the creative team consistently embodies the agency’s culture of excellence and innovation.

• Key Attributes: Strategic oversight, accountability, multidisciplinary expertise and cross-functional leadership.

• Multiple Disciplines: Provides leadership and guidance across multiple disciplines, aligning departmental goals with the company’s broader vision and strategy.

• Communication: Understands how to communicate messages across any PullSpark discipline, either directly or by guiding subject matter experts on the team to achieve the client’s ultimate ROI.

• High Standards: Holds themselves to the highest level of craftsmanship set by leadership, consistently striving for the best possible outcome in every project.

• Strategic Thinker: Elevates job objectives by introducing new ideas, processes, or strategies that drive significant impact both within their department and across the company and client.

Agency Growth:

• Growth Focus: Continuously seek opportunities to expand client scope by identifying additional products or services that align with their needs and objectives, as identified by the Account teams.

• Business Development: Assist in generating key insights and developments for the RFP process as PullSpark bids on projects.