Associate Creative Director, Art

Overview:

FWD People is a full-service strategic marketing agency delivering meaningful and measurable results in the health and non-profit sectors. We take pride in being our clients’ trusted strategic partner — staying ahead of the curve, and leveraging our expertise and foresight to help them navigate change and seize opportunities. We approach every challenge with a commitment to innovation, excellence, and empathy and we seek the same qualities in our team. As a fast-growing, senior team, we're excited to welcome more forward-thinking individuals who will help us drive growth, foster positive change within our client's industries, and have fun along the way.

In this role, you will work across our client portfolio to drive creative strategy, shape product launches, and build impactful brands and campaigns that exceed our partners’ objectives. You’ll lead with bold, strategic ideas, exceptional design, and innovative thinking, while guiding the team to deliver outstanding work and fostering strong relationships through clear communication and creative leadership. A key focus of your role will be driving design and innovation for a marquee animal health account, transforming companion care and veterinary services through technology and forward-thinking solutions. We’re looking for someone with a dynamic background, and experience in B2B and/or Healthcare eager to learn new industries. 

What You’ll Do:

• Lead creative direction across owned projects using a hands-on approach. 

  • Ideate, conceptualize, art direct, and manage 360 campaigns (mainly across social, digital, print and video).

  • Design/art direct for any media including video storyboarding, and directing motion graphics animators.

  • Contribute to campaign and asset tone development, providing constructive feedback on copy and writing compelling headlines when needed.

  • Craft thoughtful presentations to sell your ideas.

  • Proactively keep up with design trends and technology advancements,  infusing innovation and a modern perspective into every project.

  • Become an expert on our clients and their challenges.

  • Apply systems thinking across brand architecture, user journeys, product ecosystems, and more. 

  • Manage large creative production projects from teams, overseeing creative assignments from development through production.

• Build trust and guide clients through the creative process. Confidently leading C-suite level clients and holding responsibility for the executed deliverables.

• Facilitate creative sessions and in-person client workshops involving senior stakeholders, demonstrating a full understanding of their industry’s design and marketing trends and how to set them apart. 

• Develop and present strategic creative recommendations that align with clients’ marketing and sales goals, demonstrating a deep understanding of lead generation and sales engagement processes.

• Brief internal teams, and encourage them to create best-in-class identity systems and brand applications (digital content, print, environmental, packaging, experiential).

• Ensure that there is never a gap in service for our clients, even if it means rolling up your sleeves.  

• Mentor and support team members in and outside of the Creative team. 

• Contribute to new business proposals and pitches, helping grow the agency’s profile and our client portfolio. 

• Help shape our agency processes and our overall approach to positioning the agency relative to our competitors.

What You’ll Bring: 

• 10+ years of agency-based brand and campaign creative experience, with at least 2 years experience working in Healthcare. Animal Health experience is a huge plus. 

• You have exceptionally high standards for the creative process and your output, demonstrating meticulous attention to detail in every task. At the same time, you excel in concepting and pushing creative boundaries, bringing a strategic mindset to develop innovative ideas that deliver meaningful impact.

• You’re a critical thinker and natural storyteller with exceptional narrative-building skills, crafting concise and impactful communication across all mediums—internally, externally, and in every deck and asset. 

• History of facilitating, presenting to, and helping guide senior leadership clients. 

• Work well under pressure, and excel at self-managing while guiding others to deliver exceptional work. You set clear expectations and consistently exceed them, ensuring the team stays focused, productive, and aligned with goals.

• You embody a self-motivated positive attitude and collaborative nature, with the ability to adapt to new situations, think on your feet, and communicate openly and proactively with those around you. 

What You’ll Love About This Role: 

• Creative Leadership with a Hands-On Approach:  You’ll be driving the creative vision for a key Animal Health account, seamlessly connecting strategy and execution to deliver impactful, innovative work—while remaining actively involved in design and execution alongside the team.
  

• Strategic Impact: Elevate your creative expertise by driving concept development rooted in strategic thinking. You'll ensure every idea and execution aligns seamlessly with campaign objectives and client goals, delivering work that inspires, resonates, and achieves meaningful results.
  

• The Team: Be part of a close-knit, collaborative group of talented professionals who excel at delivering best-in-class work infused with forward-thinking creativity and design. You'll have the opportunity to shape not only the creative output but also the growth and evolution of an exceptional team during an exciting period of organizational and functional expansion.

Working at FWD People

We are a senior team that champions integrity, adaptability, excellence, and growth. Here, you’ll collaborate with solution-focused colleagues to advance both our clients and our teams.

Our office is located in Brooklyn Heights, and we offer a flexible hybrid work schedule. We value in-person collaboration and connection but also understand the importance of offering the flexibility to work from home.

We are dedicated to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. As an equal-opportunity employer, we welcome differences in race, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, and more. We believe that diversity drives innovation and success, and we are committed to ensuring equal opportunities and fostering a culture of respect and collaboration.

Benefits & Comp 

At FWD, we believe in supporting our team both personally and professionally.  We offer excellent benefits, including 25 days off per year +16 paid holidays, matching 401(k), medical, dental & vision, paid parental leave, home office setup, yearly team retreats, and a comprehensive professional development program including executive coaching and a yearly professional development stipend. As we continue to grow, we enhance our benefits package to meet the needs of our team.

The salary range for this role is $135,000 - $150,000 with a preference for contract-to-permanent candidates to ensure a mutual fit. However, full-time candidates are also welcome and encouraged to apply. This role is based in NYC (Brooklyn) with a flexible hybrid work schedule.