Timezone: West coast is preferred; East coast acceptable if west coast hours can be observed when needed and travel is feasible
Reports to: CEO
The Role
Active Theory is seeking an outward-facing, growth-minded Executive Creative Director (ECD) to help drive the business into its next chapter. We are looking for an entrepreneurial storyteller, a natural pitcher, and a relationship-builder who is driven to win high-level US clients.
In this role, you will lean confidently on a world-class internal engine of craft and execution led by established peer leadership and our highly talented production team. We want a growth partner, not a status-quo manager. You have a burning ambition to elevate Active Theory’s presence in the US and want a true stake in that future. You excel at finding and inspiring bold brands that want to take risks, leveraging our world-class internal capabilities to deliver experiences that redefine what we can produce.
Responsibilities
Core Responsibilities
Company-Level Responsibilities
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Partner with peer leadership to shape and evolve Active Theory’s creative vision and marketpositioning.
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Maintain a high bar for creative quality across all projects you pitch and win
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Provide creative oversight and feedback to designers across multiple teams
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Participate in internal reviews, critiques, and creative forums
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Ensure pitch visions are translated smoothly to production
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Contribute to studio-wide creative initiatives, experimentation, and thought leadership
Project-Level Responsibilities
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Serve as Executive Creative Director and project lead on assigned client work, setting the vision from concept through pitch, and guiding key milestones through to launch
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Own the overarching creative vision, narrative, and strategic direction across projects, ensuring work is visually striking, conceptually rigorous, and technically sound.
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Lead creative discovery, ideation, initial design direction, and reviews
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Be hands-on when needed, contributing directly to design, motion, or visual systems during critical pitch phases to maintain momentum
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Present work and creative rationale clearly charismatically and confidently to senior client stakeholders inspiring them to take creative risks
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Partner closely with internal production and development leads to balance creative ambition with scope, timelines, and budget
Client & Account Leadership
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Act as the primary outward-facing Creative Lead for Clients, developing deep understanding of the brand, creative standards, and long-term vision
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Establish trusted client relationships through strong creative leadership, business acumen, and relationship-building
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Lead pitches, concept presentations, and creative strategy discussions to actively win and secure high-level US accounts.
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Provide creative leadership and client management in partnership with production and account leads
Leadership, Mentorship & Growth
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Mentor Creative department members through consistent project feedback, constructive craft-oriented guidance, and development of career-relevant skills and qualities
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Participate in hiring by reviewing portfolios, interviewing candidates, and helping define role expectations
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Inspire and align the North American Creative Team around growth and bold creative standards.
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Represent Active Theory externally through public speaking, events, talks, and industry presence
Requirements
Required Experience & Skills
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15+ years of experience in digital design/creative production, ideally within a creative or digital agency or as an independent studio founder/consultant.
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Proven experience leading large-scale, highly interactive projects from concept to launch
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Strong conceptual thinking paired with excellent visual and design craft
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Strong design sensibility to direct the work; familiarity with modern design tools (like Figma) is expected for tactical agility, but deep hands-on execution in animation/3D tools is not required.
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Strong understanding of IRL brand experiences, their value to clients and how they live within marketing ecosystems
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Excellent presentation, communication, and storytelling skills, with a proven track record of commanding a room and winning new business.
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Ability to lead teams with clarity, empathy, and confidence
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Comfortable balancing creative ambition with practical constraints
What Success Looks Like
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New business efforts are elevated through clear, compelling creative vision, resulting in a scaled pipeline of high-level US accounts.
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Clients trust your leadership and see you as a long-term creative partner, and willingly embrace ambitious digital risks.
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Projects consistently launch at a high creative bar, leveraging our internal production expertise.
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The internal production team feels inspired by the caliber and ambition of the work you bring in.
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Active Theory’s design culture continues to mature, evolve, and strengthen
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Senior creatives, especially emerging leaders, grow alongside you by stepping up to own project delivery.