Creative Director

About IW Group

IW Group is an award-winning multicultural marketing agency producing culture-shaping work for leading brands including McDonald’s, Heinz, Covered California, and Lexus. We create impactful campaigns and content that blend storytelling, culture, and innovation to deliver unique Asian, multicultural, and cross-generational solutions for our clients. With a dynamic team across Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York, we are always looking for talented, creative, and collaborative individuals to join our growing team.

The Role

We’re looking for a bold, visionary Creative Director who can inspire, lead, and execute industry-leading ideas that push our agency—and our clients—forward. This is a dynamic leadership role for a creative who’s passionate about blending culture, technology, and storytelling. You’ll champion the innovative use of AI tools and strategies to drive exceptional results.

Reporting to the Executive Creative Director (ECD) and Chief Creative & Innovation Officer (CCIO), you’ll play a key role in elevating our creative standards, mentoring cross-functional teams, and collaborating closely with clients and senior leadership. You’ll ensure that our ideas and executions stay culturally relevant, future-focused, and leverage the best of what emerging technologies like AI can offer.

What You'll Bring

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Design, Advertising, Communications, or a related field.
• 7+ years of relevant creative experience at a top-tier agency or brand, with a portfolio that demonstrates conceptual thinking, exceptional craft, and innovative work.
• Demonstrated experience developing advertising campaigns that reach multicultural audiences, with a strong preference for work targeting Asian American consumer segments.
• Proven leadership and team-building skills; able to inspire and nurture talent.
• Deep understanding of brand development, multichannel marketing, and visual storytelling.
• Strong working knowledge of AI tools and platforms relevant to creative ideation, content generation, and campaign optimization.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills.

Skills and Abilities

• Lead and manage the creative process from concept through execution, integrating AI where it adds strategic and creative value.
• Develop and communicate clear, compelling creative strategies that align with client objectives and brand vision.
• Actively explore and apply AI tools and generative technologies to push the boundaries of ideation, production, personalization, and storytelling.
• Oversee the production of all creative deliverables, ensuring they meet the highest standards of craft, originality, and effectiveness.
• Lead client pitches and presentations with compelling storytelling and strategic insight.
• Stay ahead of trends in culture, design, AI, and technology to keep our work innovative and relevant.
• Mentor and develop talent across disciplines, including art directors, designers, copywriters, and strategists.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment on budgets, timelines, and deliverables.
• Play an active role in talent acquisition and career development for your team.

Success Factors

• Possess genuine passion for the work and the communities we serve.
• Thrive in a collaborative, fast-paced, AI-forward environment.
• Culturally aware and inclusive.
• Adaptable, solutions-focused, and resilient under pressure.
• Open to feedback and growth-minded.
• Empathetic and supportive teammate.
• Constantly curious and eager to experiment with new tools and ideas.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working on major Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) or Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) brands.

Benefits and Perks

• Hybrid work model (three in-office days per week)
• 20 PTO days annually
• 20 paid holidays (including Thanksgiving & Christmas week)
• Birthday off
• Year-round Flex Fridays (half-day Fridays)
• Competitive health, dental, and vision coverage
• Employer-sponsored Life Insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D), and Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage
• 401(k) with company match
• Cell phone reimbursement
• Employee referral program
• Collaborative, growth-oriented team environment

Company Culture

• Connectors: IW Group is a company founded with community at our core. We believe in building meaningful communities and encourage teams to connect with causes and missions that fuel their passions.
• Foodies: You will often find our teams sharing a meal. We love to explore new cultures and experiences through food and lived experiences.
• Explorers: Curiosity fuels our work. Whether it’s testing new technologies, visiting art galleries, or discovering local coffee shops, we encourage teams to follow their creative interests.

The Hybrid Work Model

• Work Model: IW Group supports a hybrid work schedule. Teams are required to work in-office at least three days per week, Tuesday through Thursday.
• Work Environment: This role is based primarily in the IW Group office and may also involve working at client sites or other designated locations.
• Work Hours: Project timelines may occasionally require extended hours, including evenings or weekends.
• Travel and Events: This role may involve working outside the office for client events and may include occasional travel beyond the local area, including national or international locations.

Physical Requirements

• Engage in a variety of activities, from sitting and using your hands to talking, hearing, standing, walking, and occasionally stooping or kneeling.
• Vision abilities required include close vision.

Equal Employment Opportunity

IW Group is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and respectful work environment. IW Group provides equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identification and expression, national origin, marital status, age, disability, genetic information, military status, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic established by local, state, or federal law.

NOTE: This job description isn’t exhaustive; roles and responsibilities may evolve. We provide reasonable accommodations to support employees with disabilities.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Reasonable accommodation can be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the described essential functions of this role.