Associate Creative Director, Social - Art Director

The opportunity:

VML is seeking an Associate Creative Director, Social (Art Director) to join its New York creative team. This role will help lead social-first creative across several key products within an iconic beverage brand portfolio, developing distinctive visual ideas across always-on content, paid and organic social, creator partnerships, activations and broader campaigns.

You will establish and evolve the visual expression of each brand, identify culturally relevant opportunities and guide work from concept through production and final delivery. The role combines creative leadership with hands-on execution: you should be equally comfortable making quick-turn mobile content and art-directing larger-scale lifestyle productions.

What you’ll do:

• Lead visual concept development and art direction for social-first work across relevant platforms.
• Define and evolve distinctive visual approaches for each brand, ensuring the work is both platform-native and consistent with brand strategy.
• Translate youth culture, emerging trends and social behaviors into proactive, brand-appropriate creative ideas.
• Develop a range of strong creative routes for each brief and help identify the most effective direction.
• Create and finish assets hands-on, including editing, retouching and preparing polished content for publication.
• Produce or direct quick-turn content using mobile capture, stop-motion and other lo-fi techniques.
• Art direct lifestyle productions and content capture days, helping build versatile brand content libraries.
• Collaborate with copywriters, strategists, producers, account teams and creative partners to deliver integrated work.
• Present creative work and lead client conversations as needed, exercising sound judgment and discretion.
• Mentor and support junior and mid-level creatives.

What you’ll need:

• Experience as an Associate Creative Director or Senior Art Director, or equivalent experience demonstrating readiness to lead at this level.
• A portfolio that demonstrates social-first thinking, a distinctive visual point of view and strong executional craft.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Pro, including the ability to edit, retouch and finish assets independently.
• Experience creating mobile-first content and art-directing larger-scale productions.
• A strong understanding of social platforms, youth culture and emerging formats, with the judgment to identify opportunities that are relevant to the brand and audience.
• The ability to manage multiple assignments, feedback cycles and deadlines while maintaining a high standard of work.
• Confidence presenting creative work and leading client discussions with appropriate independence.
• A collaborative approach and an interest in guiding the development of other creatives.
• Photography and/or video-shooting experience.