Creative Lead

Title: Creative Lead, TELUS Connected Studio
Location: Hybrid, Client onsite, Toronto
Salary: $165,000-185,000
Benefits: Extended health, dental, life insurance, health spending account
Language of work: English
Company address:100 – 99 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5V 3P8

The Role

TELUS is undergoing a significant marketing transformation. ‘Mid-funnel’ channels – digital, social, retail and CRM  – are the new creative canvas on which this iconic brand will continue to grow.

The TELUS Connected Studio marks a new generation in client dedicated creative studios designed specifically for this new era. 

Bringing together the long-separated disciplines of creative, design, production, data, and media, into a single highly connected team, the Connected Studio produces smart, innovative creative work that builds TELUS’s brand for a wide range of customers across all of TELUS’s business lines. 

As a member of the Connected Studios team, you’ll be working with cutting edge production technologies as well as with leading creative and production talent from across The&Partnership and Hogarth’s Canadian and global network. 

You’ll be a member of the leadership team, guiding the development of this new-model team from inception. You’ll be helping to forge the culture, processes and best practices that’ll enable TELUS to become one of the world’s most connected, innovative, and creative companies.

As creative leader you’ll understand the nuances and power of big brand ideas and be an expert in leading an agile team to interpret and apply them across every consumer touchpoint. 

You’ll be a hand’s on problem solver and and thrive in a fast-paced environment, able to think fast and move faster across a dynamic retail environment. Your work will live where the rubber hits the road, converting ideas into tangible business results.

Key Responsibilities

• Responsible for the consistency, direction and execution of all creative output, overseeing, directing and approving a high volume of work across a variety of mid-funnel channels including digital, social, print, radio, DM / email, retail collateral etc
• Become the focal point of striving for and delivering creative excellence, working effectively with your team to accomplishing it in daily work and achieve client goals
• Work closely with the Client Leads to triage briefs and assign the right creative and production resource to deliver great creative work
• Creative passion to drive strategically sound creative solutions for modern audiences on modern channels
• Help drive 'idea led' creative solutions that utilize the full benefits of the addressable channels available while maintaining the highest possible standard of creative excellence
• Help lead the integration of innovative creative production tools (generative AI and dynamic production) into the ‘business as usual’ creative process.
• In conjuction with the Managing Director, work to establish appropriate processes and programs to best support our business, objectives for the agency, and service our clients.
• Responsible for determining the appropriate creative resourcing for the connected studio creative department, including senior positions.
• Act as the leading hiring manager for junior, intermediate, and senior creative roles.
• Responsible for coordinating the work allocation across Canadian offices, and sometimes in conjuction with our USA locations.
• This is a senior client facing role in which you will be expected to respresent the company through presentations, events, and in some cases, speaking engagements.
• Budgetary responsibilities including, but not limited to programs, trainings, and freelance oversight when required.
• Must be willing to travel occasionally, and be in the office 2-3 days a week (minimum).

Skills and Experience Required

• 18+ years of experience in successive creative roles in an advertising agency, or creative studio, with a mandatory background in art direction.
• 9+ years of your experience must be a Creative Director role at an adversting agency.
• 5+ years of your experience must include being a member of an agency Leadership Team or Management team (or equivalent).
• 9+ years of your experience must include providing guidance & vision to multiple teams of Art Directors, Designers & Copywriters.
• International experience leading tier 1 advertising agencies.
• Experience of running a modern, globally distributed, multi-channel creative department of a similar size is essential
• In-house agency experience.
• A proven track record of high quality effective work as evidenced by a stand out creative portfolio showing work that covers all aspects of the media mix.
• Must be forward thinking and embrace creative innovation in the digital space and push for the best work possible through use of audience data and platform specific creative best practices
• Must have experience in leading extensions of brand or product platform ideas, and in some cases, the strategic and creative origination of cross-channel campaigns. 
• An effective manager of both creative and production talent to ensure the department is motivated and enthusiastic, able to empower teams to take on responsibility and be inspired about their work.
• Must be persuasive and very articulate when it comes to directing or presenting, inspiring confidence and trust in colleagues and clients alike
• Proven confidence negotiating with and influencing peers and senior clients to get the best creative work possible through the client
• Hold the position of trusted partner and advocate to clients, providing advice and guidance
• Fast category or retail experience would be useful, as would experience in the tech or telco space
• An effective manager of people to ensure creative department is upbeat and enthusiastic, empowering teams to take on more responsibility and be inspired about their work.

People Leadership

• You ensure diversity in every sense in the teams you build, sustaining a fair and equitable approach to hiring, promotions and performance management
• You are a magnet for talent. The brightest creative minds want to work at your side
• You communicate a vision that people can get behind, building and sustaining pride and trust in employees and clients
• You will be a born collaborator; ready, willing and able to embrace opinions and contributions from co-workers from different organiations 

The&Partnership embraces and celebrates diversity, inclusivity, and equal opportunity. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We are a worldwide creative agency that represents global clients. The more inclusive we are, the more brilliant work we can create together.