ROLE: ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR
TEAM: CREATIVE, SALT XC
LOCATION: TORONTO, ON (HYBRID)
*Open to Copy or Art Direction backgrounds*
COMPANY OVERVIEW
Salt is a North American marketing agency that creates connected experiences through creative, digital & media innovation.
Our mission is to “Earn the World’s Attention” and Salt is built to find, develop, execute, and amplify the ideas that are worthy of our clients’ audiences. We’ve structured our agency to do what’s right for our clients – to connect different perspectives, to work across mediums, and to focus on delivering meaningful, effective results.
We’re committed to living up to the values in our name. “Salt of The Earth” means we value collaborative, humble, hard-working people here. We’re looking for people who are as smart as they are kind because we believe the right talent and the right culture help us do what’s right for our clients.
ROLE OVERVIEW
As an Associate Creative Director, you are a creative leader who bridges concept and craft to bring bold, insight-driven ideas to life across integrated and XM campaigns. You balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution, shaping work that resonates culturally, connects across channels, and delivers measurable impact.
You will partner with Creative Directors and cross-functional teams to lead concept development, elevate execution, and ensure creative excellence from idea to delivery. You understand how to integrate storytelling across digital, social, film, experiential, and emerging platforms to build cohesive brand narratives.
In this role, you will mentor and guide creative teams, inspire collaboration, and uphold Salt’s standards of creativity, innovation, and effectiveness. Your leadership will help transform ideas into work that moves audiences, strengthens brands, and reflects the agency’s commitment to Connected Creativity.
CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
Creative Ideation & Development
- Lead and contribute to the creation of integrated campaign ideas, including experiential, that are strategically grounded, culturally relevant, and built to perform across multiple platforms.
- Translate brand and strategic insights into inspiring creative concepts that connect emotionally and drive measurable results.
- Champion collaboration within creative teams, encouraging the exploration of unconventional ideas and innovative storytelling.
- Contribute to new business opportunities through concept development and creative presentations.
Creative Execution
- Oversee the craft and quality of creative output across channels including digital, social, experiential, print, and film.
- Provide direction and hands-on support through all stages of production to ensure fidelity to concept, brand voice, and quality standards.
- Partner with producers, designers, and writers to refine and execute ideas with precision and attention to detail.
- Ensure creative work adheres to brand guidelines, accessibility standards, and production best practices.
Creative Direction
- Manage and mentor cross-disciplinary creative teams, providing clear feedback, guidance, and support to elevate ideas and performance.
- Create an environment that balances creative freedom with accountability, empowering teams to deliver their best work.
- Ensure all creative output aligns with the agency’s creative vision, brand strategy, and client objectives.
- Support department leadership in shaping creative culture, process, and operational excellence.
Presentation & Client Partnership
- Partner with Account and Strategy teams to ensure ideas are aligned with business goals and brand positioning.
- Confidently present work to clients, articulating the creative rationale and strategic thinking behind the ideas.
- Build trusted relationships with client stakeholders, demonstrating understanding, empathy, and expertise.
- Manage feedback collaboratively, maintaining creative integrity while responding constructively to client input.
Creative Strategy
- Collaborate with Strategy and Planning teams to identify cultural, audience, and brand insights that inspire creative ideas.
- Apply data and research to guide creative decision-making and strengthen storytelling.
- Understand market and category dynamics to ensure creative solutions are distinctive and effective.
- Contribute to campaign measurement and creative optimization post-launch.
Creative Administration (Finance & Operations)
- Support project scoping and resourcing in partnership with Creative Operations and Production.
- Ensure creative time and resources are used efficiently while maintaining quality and creative ambition.
- Contribute to budget planning and vendor management during production phases.
- Model operational discipline through strong time management, responsiveness, and attention to process.
EXPERIENCE & SKILLS
- 8–12 years of creative experience within integrated, XM, or full-service agencies, developing and executing cross-channel campaigns that demonstrate conceptual strength and craft excellence.
- Proven ability to lead creative ideation and development across multiple touchpoints including digital, social, experiential, and traditional channels.
- Strong creative direction skills with demonstrated experience mentoring and managing teams to deliver exceptional work that meets both creative and business goals.
- Deep understanding of the creative process from insight to execution, with the ability to guide concept development, oversee production, and maintain high standards across all deliverables.
- Strategic thinker who connects creativity to client objectives, translating insights into ideas that drive performance, engagement, and brand equity.
- Exceptional presentation and communication skills, capable of articulating creative ideas with clarity, confidence, and persuasion to both internal and external audiences.
- Collaborative, solutions-oriented partner who thrives in integrated, cross-disciplinary environments and contributes to a culture of trust, inclusion, and creative ambition.
- Strong production knowledge across content, experiential, and digital formats, with the ability to manage vendor relationships and make informed creative production decisions.
- Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities while maintaining creative quality and meeting deadlines.
- Culturally curious and future-focused, consistently exploring new technologies, trends, and audience behaviors to inform and inspire creative innovation.
WHAT WE STAND FOR
- Salt of the Earth: We lead with humility, honesty, and heart—always.
- Do What’s Right: No shortcuts. We choose integrity over ease, every time.
- Earn Your Salt: We roll up our sleeves, chase results, and celebrate the journey.
- Make Things Better: We’re solution-seekers, always pushing for smarter ways forward.
- Seek Different Perspectives: Diversity fuels our thinking. Inclusion drives our impact.
Salt XC is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity and to attracting and retaining the most qualified employees regardless of race, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age or disability.
The anticipated annual base salary range for this position is $95,000–$135,000. Individual compensation within this range is determined based on job-related factors such as experience, skills, level of responsibility, internal equity, and business needs. This range represents the expected base salary for this role and does not include other elements of SALT's total rewards program.
