Creative Director

Creative Director

Department: Creative

Reports to: Co-Chief Executive Officer

Location: Fully remote (Eastern time zone preferred)

Type: Full-time

Salary Range: $150-$170K

ABOUT BELLWEATHER

Bellweather is a creative agency for legacy brands: the nonprofits, cultural institutions, healthcare systems, and government organizations that are part of people’s lives. We’ve spent a decade helping these organizations find what makes them matter and bringing it to life through immersive research, artistic collaboration, and creative work that doesn’t look or feel like anyone else’s.

Our clients include Brooklyn Public Library, MetroPlusHealth, Museum Hue, NYC Votes, and Visit Baltimore, among others. We're a certified woman-owned business and a Webby Award–winning agency.

Our work starts with immersive research and deep listening. We spend time in communities, collaborating with artists, poets, photographers, and filmmakers to find what makes an organization extraordinary. From there, we build strategic platforms and brand identities that our clients can own and carry forward long after the engagement ends.

ABOUT THE NAME

Our name combines "bellwether" (a leading indicator) and "weather" (constant change). We help organizations find what makes them extraordinary and give it a platform that lasts.

HOW WE WORK

Bellweather is a fully remote company. Our team is distributed across the U.S., with most of our collaboration happening in Eastern time. We've built our workflows, meetings, and creative process around remote work from the start.

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THE ROLE

The Creative Director leads Bellweather's Creative department — a team of graphic designers, photographers, videographers, and copywriters — and shapes the creative direction of every project, keeping our work aligned with client objectives, market trends, and the standard of quality Bellweather is known for.

Day to day, you'll move between big-picture vision and hands-on craft: partnering with the Strategy team to define creative direction, leading concept development, presenting work to clients, and providing creative oversight on photo and video shoots — from approving cast, wardrobe, and shot lists to traveling on site as the creative lead when a production needs your eye. You'll also run the operational side of the department: allocating resources across projects, managing freelancers and vendors, and continuously sharpening how the team works.

Success in the first six months looks like a creative team that's energized and growing under your mentorship, client work that's completed on time and on budget without sacrificing craft, and a few pitches where your creative vision helped win the room. This position reports directly to the Co-Chief Executive Officer.

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WHAT YOU’LL DO

Job responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

Ideate and Create:  (35%)

• Creative Vision: Collaborate with the Strategy team to define the creative vision and direction for projects, ensuring alignment with overall business goals.
• Creative Leadership: Lead the creative team in developing innovative, strategy-driven solutions that resonate with target audiences.
• Industry Trends: Stay abreast of industry trends and emerging technologies to ensure Bellweather maintains a leading edge in creative innovation.
• Creative Pitches: Oversee the development of creative pitches, ensuring they are compelling and aligned with client needs.
• Presentations: Deliver persuasive presentations of creative concepts and scaled deliverables to clients, effectively communicating the vision and value of proposed solutions.
• Creative Quality: Ensure all creative output meets the highest standards of quality, creativity, and innovation.

Scale: (30%)

• Media Plans: Utilize a thorough understanding of media plans and scopes of work to bring creative concepts to market effectively.
• Project Development: Oversee the development and execution of projects, ensuring they are delivered on time, within scope, and on budget. This included oversight of photo and video production.
• Photo and Video Production: Provide creative oversight for photo and video production, including approving cast, wardrobe, set styling, shot lists, scripts and storyboards. This role may also require travelling on site as the creative lead to ensure the vision is executed accurately and creatively.
• Resource Allocation: Manage the allocation of resources, balancing the needs of multiple projects and ensuring optimal team performance including freelancers which include software, and other creative tools.
• Process Optimization: Continuously improve creative processes and workflows to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
• Vendor Management: Collaborate with external vendors and partners to ensure seamless integration and execution of creative work.

Team Management and Development: (30%)

• Leadership: Provide leadership and mentorship to a team of graphic designers, photographers, videographers, copywriters, and other creative professionals.
• Collaborative Environment: Foster a collaborative, learning, and innovative work environment that encourages team members to excel.
• Recruitment: Oversee and manage the recruitment and onboarding of new staff and freelance support, ensuring the team is equipped with the necessary skills and expertise.
• Supervision: Supervise and manage the day-to-day activities of the creative team, including effort tracking and budget allocation.
• Professional Development: Support the professional growth of team members through regular feedback, training, and development opportunities.
• Performance Management: Conduct performance evaluations and implement development plans to help team members achieve their full potential.

Business Development: (5%)

• New Business Opportunities: Participate in identifying and pursuing new business opportunities, leveraging creative expertise to attract and secure new clients.
• Pitch Presentations: Contribute to pitch presentations, providing creative insights and solutions that align with client needs and objectives.
• Client Engagement: Engage with clients to understand their goals and challenges, ensuring Bellweather's creative solutions exceed expectations and drive business growth.
• Market Positioning: Help position Bellweather as a leader in creative innovation through thought leadership, industry engagement, and high-profile project work.

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REQUIREMENTS

• 5–7 years of experience in a creative agency, with at least 2–3 years in a leadership role (e.g., Art Director, Associate Creative Director, Creative Director)
• A portfolio that shows innovative, strategy-driven creative work across campaigns, brand identity, and digital projects
• Proficiency in creative software and tools (e.g., Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Google Suite)
• Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design or a related field
• Proven experience scaling omni-channel media plans and integrated marketing campaigns
• Proven experience directing photo and video production, from storyboarding through post-production
• Strong leadership and communication skills, with the ability to present and sell creative work to clients

NICE TO HAVE

• An advanced degree in Graphic Design or a related field
• Familiarity with emerging technologies and creative trends that keep an agency on the leading edge
• Experience contributing to new business development and pitch presentations at an agency

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WHAT WE OFFER

• Comprehensive health benefits package including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Unlimited/Flexible PTO
• Fully remote work environment with flexible scheduling, subject to change based on organizational needs.

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HOW TO APPLY

Send your resume, portfolio, and a brief note in the email about why this role interests you to [email protected] with the subject line [Creative Director - Applicant Name].

Bellweather is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds and identities.

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