Associate Creative Director — Art & Creative Strategy

James Ross Advertising | Pompano Beach, FL

Full-Time | On-Site

Salary: Starting at $85,000 annually, with competitive compensation based on experience, creative expertise, and leadership capabilities. Exceptional candidates will be considered at higher salary levels.

We're looking for a creative leader who still loves creating.

James Ross Advertising is an established, independent boutique advertising agency with more than 30 years of experience developing brands, campaigns and marketing programs across a diverse range of industries.

We're looking for an experienced, hands-on Associate Creative Director who can think strategically, develop compelling concepts, execute exceptional graphic design and help lead our creative team.

This is a unique opportunity for someone who wants the influence of a creative leadership role without stepping away from the work they love.

Approximately 60% of this position is hands-on creative execution, with 40% dedicated to creative strategy, direction and team leadership.

What You'll Be Responsible For

Creative Strategy & Concept Development

• Translate marketing objectives and client briefs into strong creative strategies and compelling campaign concepts.
• Develop creative campaigns, advertising headlines, messaging direction and visual storytelling.
• Work with our agency leadership, account management and marketing strategists to ensure creative supports business objectives.

Hands-On Creative Execution

• Personally design and produce high-quality creative across print, digital, social, web, email and advertising campaigns.
• Maintain advanced proficiency in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign, with working knowledge of Figma and emerging creative tools.
• Develop layouts, brand identities, advertising concepts and campaign assets from initial idea through final execution.
• Ensure all creative meets the agency's standards for originality, consistency and quality.

Creative Leadership & Management

• Lead, mentor and provide direction to designers, writers and other creative resources.
• Review creative work, provide constructive feedback and maintain consistency across client brands.
• Collaborate with project management to establish priorities, manage creative workloads and meet deadlines.
• Present creative concepts internally and to clients, clearly explaining the strategic thinking behind the work.

Modern Creative Thinking

• Understand how creative needs to function across different marketing channels, including paid media, organic social, websites, SEO/AEO content and traditional advertising.
• Use AI-assisted creative tools thoughtfully for research, ideation, production and efficiency while maintaining human judgment and brand authenticity.
• Balance strong brand storytelling with the practical demands of performance-driven marketing.

What We're Looking For

• 7–12+ years of creative experience, preferably in an advertising agency or multidisciplinary creative environment.
• Exceptional graphic design and art direction capabilities.
• Proven ability to develop creative concepts, advertising headlines and campaign messaging.
• Experience managing or mentoring creative professionals.
• Strong understanding of both traditional and digital advertising.
• Advanced Adobe Creative Cloud skills.
• Excellent communication and presentation abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple brands and projects in a fast-moving boutique agency.
• A portfolio demonstrating both conceptual thinking and personally executed creative work.

Experience in luxury, lifestyle, marine, automotive, hospitality, ecommerce and consumer brands is a plus, but not required.

Work Location Requirement:

This is a full-time, in-office position at James Ross Advertising in Pompano Beach, Florida. We believe creative collaboration, team leadership, and the exchange of ideas are most effective when working together in person. Candidates must currently reside in South Florida and be able to commute to our office daily. This is not a remote or hybrid position, and applicants seeking those arrangements will not be considered.

Why Join James Ross Advertising?

We're intentionally boutique, which means our creative professionals have meaningful ownership of their work and direct access to agency leadership.

Our clients are diverse, our projects are challenging, and our approach combines creative thinking with strategic marketing.

We want someone who takes pride in creating great work, enjoys mentoring others and wants to help shape the creative future of our agency.

Experienced Senior Art Directors who are ready to take the next step in their careers are encouraged to apply.

James Ross Advertising is an equal opportunity employer.