Who We Are
Translation is an award-winning independent creative agency that aspires to be the most culturally influential company in the world.
We help ambitious brands harness the power of culture to solve their biggest challenges – at our best, we make what was once invisible unmissable.
As a unique mix of experts in culture, technology, and storytelling, we are united by a passion to grow brands in ways that advertising alone never could. What makes Translation’s work stand out is our ability to collaborate and create with individuals who don’t just consume “culture”, they’re a part of making it and living it every day.
We are an entrepreneurial business – not a traditional “ad agency.” That means we value resourcefulness and tenacity just as much as we value creativity and intelligence.
The Role
We are looking for a Associate Creative Director (Art) to join Translation in our Brooklyn headquarters!
The ideal candidate is culturally fluent and creatively ambitious. They understand how culture moves, what’s happening now, what’s around the corner, and what has staying power.
At Translation, all of our Associate Creative Directors (Art) lead the development of bold visual concepts, and guide/mentor/manage creative teams on a given project. They proactively collaborate with strategy and context planning partners, as well as directly with clients, to ensure work is both creatively exceptional and strategically aligned.
Our Associate CDs lead by example to consistently inspire creative colleagues to create world-class, pioneering ideas. They generate useful, usable ideas across all existing and emerging digital platforms – continually develop practices and processes to inspire, innovate, and harness new ways of thinking.
What You’ll Do
- Ensure the timely development and execution of multiple campaigns and projects that not only meet client objectives but are breakthrough ideas for the creative industry.
- Create distinction in crowded categories. Develop a clear creative vision for brands, products, and services that separates them from competitors and gives people a reason to care.
- Develop creative solutions that defend budget recommendations and measurement objectives to provide both profitable and quality work to our current and prospective clients.
- Display an industry-leading understanding and application of the principles that make innovative and effective campaigns
- Ensures the execution of high-quality work that is on time, on budget, and uses appropriate technology.
- Look beyond what's being asked to identify creative opportunities that can grow the brand, deepen its relevance, or create unexpected cultural impact.
- Serve as an arbiter of verbal and visual tone and craft for creative assignments for internal executive and external client review.
- Provide leadership and motivation, conveying the vision and values of the agency to staff.
- Train and supervise assigned creative teams
- Collaborate with the core leadership team on assigned accounts and projects to ensure alignment on creative recommendations and client opportunities.
- Maintain professional external relationships with production partners, freelance networks, agency partners, and others to ensure we’re sharing the agency POV across the industry and recruiting the right talent and partners
- Participate in the creation and presentation of client pitches and new business efforts, as required.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
You are results and bottom-line-oriented, yet possess deep appreciation and sensitivity towards people, culture, and values. You are persistent, diplomatic, passionate, and optimistic, with a proactive, hands-on mentality. You hold yourself accountable and take great pride in your work – just like us. We’re proudly diverse in our backgrounds, our accents, and our fiercely held personal passions. We are, in every sense of the word, independent and not beholden to anyone else’s agenda. So are you.
- Ability to successfully lead, motivate, and mentor teams of creative talent (art and design) to create work that moves the cultural needle.
- Knowledge of the pre- and post-production process across formats and media.
- An understanding of the current landscape of creative advertising work in the market.
- Create conceptual platforms that visually tie both design and art direction together across media and the comms funnel.
- Strong aptitude for providing clear creative direction, career path guidance, and timely / helpful feedback that will improve creative processes, as well as keep work on budget and on schedule.
- Able to prioritize work and resources across engagements based on short- and long-term needs, timelines, and budgets.
- Possess and encourage high degrees of initiative, drive, empathy, accountability, creativity, and maturity.
- Demonstrate, evangelize, and live the core values of the agency.
- Incorporate the passion, excitement, and experience of one’s MINOR in relevant ways that inform the quality and output of agency deliverables.
- Be able to move with the ebbs and flows of pitches, brainstorming sessions, and deadlines with agility, humor, and focus.
- Possess and demonstrate impeccable interpersonal, presentation, and communication skills across all levels of both internal and client organizations.
Minimum Qualifications
- 8+ years of professional experience at an agency or similar creative organization
- Has held at least an Associate Creative Director title (or equivalent)
- A background with progressive experience in a client-facing, creative leadership role in a creative agency environment.
- Digitally savvy; MUST be proficient in Google Workspace, Microsoft Office suite, Adobe Creative Suite as well knowledge of current A.I. tools and platforms.
Preferred Qualifications
- Training or degree in a directly related field, such as advertising, graphic design, commercial art, or web/digital design.
About UnitedMasters, Inc.
UnitedMasters Inc. represents the creative solutions company, Translation, and the leading software and services platform for independent creators, UnitedMasters. UnitedMasters enables ownership, exposure, and new paths for financial return for independent creators, while Translation helps brands leverage the power of contemporary culture to achieve transformational growth. Combined, UnitedMasters, Inc. is the world’s leading marketplace for cultural capital, connecting independent artists and brands to realize a future in which all creators own their future. Backed by Alphabet, Andreessen Horowitz, and Apple, UnitedMasters, Inc. is reimagining how brands and artists come together to tell their stories, build profitable growth, and push culture forward.Our salary ranges are based on paying competitively for our size and industry, and are one part of many compensation, benefits and other reward opportunities we provide (e.g. in some cases that may include bonus, stock options, 401k match).
Individual pay rate decisions are based on a number of factors, including qualifications for the role, experience level, skillset, and balancing internal equity relative to peers at the company.
We expect the majority of the candidates who are offered roles at our company to fall healthily throughout the range based on these factors.
