Associate creative director serp_jobs.h1.location_city

Who We Are

Swig Life is a woman owned and operated lifestyle brand. We design and produce premium insulated drinkware and coolers with women in mind. We believe that your water bottle, travel tumbler and insulated cooler are a reflection of your personal style, and this inspires us to design products that women love, whether for themselves or for a gift. Swig Life is growing rapidly and we believe our people are our strength. It truly is an exciting time to be a part of our journey and we are seeking smart, innovative, creative, and experienced individuals to join our talented team! Key attributes and qualities we are looking for in candidates for all open roles : embrace an entrepreneurial spirit, innovative and solution‑oriented, adaptable and resilient, best‑practices methodology, team oriented with a lean‑in attitude, highest standards for execution, and a high level of accountability.

About The Role

Swig Life is seeking an experienced Creative Director to join our team and lead creative efforts with intensity and purpose. In this role, you will be responsible for executing creative marketing strategies that drive brand awareness and customer engagement. You will be a critical part of our leadership team, and will inspire and motivate your people to create innovative and impactful photography, content, copy, print and graphic design, and marketing collateral for a multi‑channel growing business. You should be an experienced manager of people, have a natural eye for design and art direction, be business and operationally minded, and a prolific generator of ideas that connect with our fashion‑oriented female consumer base.

Please note : A portfolio must be submitted alongside this application. Applications without an attached portfolio will not be considered.

What You’ll Do

Own the creative process from concept to completion; manage the creative calendar, project prioritization and management, budget planning, and general creative operations.

Lead the creative team in developing high‑quality creative campaigns on time, based on quarterly launch calendar, and in accordance with marketing and business strategies.

Utilize strong analytical ability to evaluate and inform the end‑to‑end brand experience across multiple channels and customer touch points. Work closely with business leaders and cross‑functional partners to deliver desired brand positioning, meeting as needed to present ideas and solutions to marketing initiatives.

Ensure that the Swig Life brand message is well defined and remains consistent and relevant through all collateral and platforms.

Conceptualize and deliver relevant assets for both B2B and B2C, lead operations of internal studio and external photography partnerships.

Lead the print design team through seasonal launch planning and design executions, implementing feedback while delivering against pre‑book and production timelines.

Manage and inspire the creative team, remain actively involved in hiring and training creative staff, reviewing work, troubleshooting, brainstorming, and providing direction. Foster an environment of both collaboration and innovation.

Maintain an excellent understanding of the current digital marketing landscape, including emerging trends and technologies.

Who You Are

12+ years of experience in a creative retail marketing leadership role, ideally in the gifting or wholesale industry

Proven experience as a strategic thinker who understands the power of marketing storytelling and how it can be used to capture the customers' attention, increase brand awareness and drive traffic

Strong creative leader with 5+ years experience managing a team, who has an eye on process and production across multiple disciplines (photography, art direction, print, graphic design)

Expertise in both digital (email, social, paid, site, etc.) and print collateral executions; preferred experience in product development with a focus on print / pattern design

A strategic and analytical mindset, capable of connecting creative output to broader business objectives and audience insights

Comfortable with working in a fast‑paced environment, meeting all deadlines particularly in peak seasons

Be an emotionally resilient leader who is proficient at managing and prioritizing many projects and deadlines simultaneously

Proven competitive awareness and ability to pattern current trends and expertise across the retail industry

Benefits At Swig Life

15 days Paid Time Off your first year, and an additional day each year thereafter (up to 25 days), as well as company paid holidays and parental leave options

Medical, dental, and vision insurance as well as additional voluntary benefits

A 5% 401k match for all eligible employees

Summer Fridays – from Memorial Day to Labor Day enjoy half days every Friday

Swig Life is currently operating under an onsite work model, and this position will report on site to our Richmond office at least 3 days per week. Additional ad‑hoc in‑office days may be required based on business needs. Please do not apply if you are not comfortable with an onsite‑work model.

Swig Life is an equal‑opportunity employer and is committed to providing a workplace free from harassment and discrimination. We are committed to recruiting, hiring, training and promoting qualified people of all backgrounds, and make all employment decisions without regard to any protected status. Please note, we are unable to offer sponsorship or relocation for this position, and all new hires will be required to verify their employment eligibility.

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Seniority level

Director

Employment type

Full‑time

Job function

Design, Art / Creative, and Information Technology

Industries

Manufacturing

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