Associate Creative Manager - Brand & Marketing

Role Summary : The Associate Creative Manager is a hands-on senior creative leader who combines high-level thinking with strong execution. While responsible for guiding and growing the creative team, this role is not only managerial but also requires directly contributing to critical design work, major campaigns, brand identity development, and visual problem-solving.You will lead the creative process end-to-end: setting direction, executing hero assets, implementing scalable workflows, and ensuring the team consistently delivers world-class work. This role also demands strategic thinking—linking creativity with business objectives, marketing performance, and brand growth metrics. You will work closely with Brand, Performance Marketing, Product, and Retail teams to translate insights and goals into impactful creative solutions. Key Responsibilities- Creative Leadership with High-Level Execution:Take ownership of the creative vision, quality and outcomes across all brand channels.Lead conceptual development for major campaigns, flagship launches, and brand films—while being hands-on in designing key assets.Elevate strategic creative thinking by connecting consumer insights, performance data, and brand objectives.Provide strong creative direction to a team of 6-8 designers while personally delivering high-impact work where needed.Team Management & Creative Mentorship :Guide Lead Designers and junior creatives through structured feedback, 1:1s, and performance development.Manage daily creative flow: assigning briefs, setting expectations, and unlocking challenges.Build a culture centred on craft excellence, curiosity, accountability, and continuous improvement.Creative Process & Workflow Ownership :Establish and refine workflows for brief intake, review cycles, approvals, and production.Maintain oversight on timelines, resourcing, and team bandwidth to ensure smooth, predictable output.Set and uphold quality benchmarks for all deliverables, ensuring consistency across digital, packaging, retail, and motion.AI-Enabled Creative Innovation :Pioneer advanced AI workflows to improve creative velocity, ideation depth, and production agility.Standardize best practices and ensure the team uses AI tools effectively, ethically, and with brand consistency.Explore emerging tools and integrate relevant innovations into the creative pipeline.Stakeholder Alignment & Strategic Communication: Act as the primary creative interface for cross-functional teams: Brand, Performance Marketing, Product, Retail, Content, and Leadership.Translate business goals and campaign strategies into clear creative direction.Present creative recommendations confidently, articulating rationale, impact, and feasibility.Manage stakeholder expectations on timelines, quality, scope, and revisions while protecting creative integrity.Business & Brand Performance Thinking :Partner with marketing and performance teams to understand what drives engagement, conversion, and brand lift.Use performance metrics, consumer insights, and market signals to inform creative decision-making.Shape creative strategies that balance innovation with measurable business outcomes.Evaluate how design impacts both short-term performance and long-term brand building. Core Skills & Competencies :Creative & Strategic ThinkingStrong storytelling and conceptual abilities rooted in consumer understanding and brand strategy.Ability to build and evolve comprehensive brand identity systems and scalable visual frameworks.Clear, persuasive communication—capable of influencing senior stakeholders and team members alike.Technical Mastery : Expert proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop / Illustrator).Strong understanding of motion workflows (After Effects / Premiere).Advanced experience with AI tools for ideation, static design, and video workflows.Deep knowledge of digital, print, packaging, and retail production processes.Leadership, Operations & Communication :Ability to balance hands-on execution with team oversight.Strong project management, prioritization, and decision-making skills.High emotional intelligence, clarity in delegation, and calmness under pressure. Experience & Qualifications : 8–12 years of professional experience with a portfolio demonstrating leadership, execution, and breadth across digital, retail, packaging, and motion.Experience managing and mentoring multi-level creative teams (Leads + junior designers).Proven success building or improving creative processes in a fast-paced environment.Experience in creative agencies or brand-side creative teams is highly valued, particularly if you have led integrated campaigns and managed agency/vendor relationships end-to-end.Demonstrated ability to connect creative thinking with marketing, product, and business strategies.Hands-on experience implementing AI-enabled creative workflows is strongly preferred.Bachelor’s degree in Design, Visual Communication, Fine Arts, or equivalent professional training. Behaviours & Attributes (What We Value)Leadership presence with humility and collaboration.High creative ambition balanced with operational discipline.Ownership mindset: proactive, solution-oriented, and adaptable.Passion for pushing creative boundaries while grounding decisions in data, insights, and brand objectives.Ability to remain steady, clear, and decisive in high-pressure situations.