Creative Director with minimum 5 years agency experience, needed for a leading advertising agency in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Job Requirements:
• Dual nationality required for Lebanese candidates
• Bachelor Degree in Communication Design or Fine Arts
• 5+ years agency experience in the design, advertising or media field
• Production or Post Production experience is a plus
• All major design software
• Microsoft office
• Knowledge of layouts, graphic fundamentals, typography & limitations of the web; must understand Flash and have the ability to storyboard or translate ideas to designers and develop innovative motion graphics solutions
• A strong working knowledge of experience design, brand development, interactive commerce and creative process
• Print and web design capabilities: must know how to work in both media for integrated campaigns
• Experience with software such as Photoshop, Illustrator, In Design & Flash
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
• Ability to supervise and train employees, to include organizing, prioritizing, and scheduling work assignments
• Ability to lead a creative team
• Solid background in copy-writing and/or design
• Must be willing to work long hours
• Must be proficient in communication and have extensive knowledge in all major design software and have a solid understanding of the print/media processes
• Must be able to manage the creative team from concept to completion of the projects with strong leadership
• Knowledge of each step of an ad campaign’s process to give creative direction, work on schedule and meet client’s advertising expectations
• Needs to understand a client’s needs or plan, and then translate those into design ideas
• Knows every creative brief intimately
• Steers the whole ship in the right direction
• Understands strategy and planning
• Can sell or present anything, and do it well
• Should have the authority and confidence to make some big decisions, and should also take some firm stands against feedback that will either ruin the creative or demoralize the department.
• Knows how to motivate
• Ability to lead projects from concept to completion. Apply best practices in user interface and interactive design, including image optimization and site mapping
• Ability to make evaluative judgments

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manage the Creative Department of the company
• Interpret the client’s communication’s strategy and then develop proposed creative approaches and treatments that align with the strategy.
• Initiate and stimulate creative ideas for and from everyone involved in the creative process

Management Responsibilities

• Responsible for workflow integration, team management, client facilitation, creative development and a general smooth running of the creative department.
• Help develop the RFP’s based on clients’ needs
• Develop the billing strategy for the year and issue RFP’s based on clients’ needs as well as facilitate the upgrades of any/all equipment and software of the department.
• Oversee the creative team to help develop the agency’s creative product for clients.
• Attend planning meetings and makes presentations to agency staff and clients to decide the strategic and creative direction of an advertising campaign
• Plan and implement budgets along with Marketing Managers to ensure both quality and efficiency, and establish schedules on short- and long-term projects.
• Attend strategy meetings for new business
• Meet with creative team to check the status on current projects and assign new projects
• Lead brainstorming sessions with creative team to develop ad campaigns based on client’s needs
• Provide quality control over concepts and projects,
• Work with internal teams to generate ideas for pitching and proposals
• Establish creative direction for the entire line of online services and programs
• Manage multiple projects from concept through completion
• Develop creative programs and design concepts that meet the business objectives of the organization and that advance our brand strategy

Creative Design Responsibilities

• Brand building , concept building and create corporate identity
• Design campaigns for mega launches, re-launches and consumer promotions.
• Design and create ad campaigns for press and magazines, corporate brochures and flyers.
• Supervise the advertising campaign process from inception till production.
• Engage in BTL (below the line) and ABL (above the line) activities.
• Manage and direct a team of, Designers, artists and operators to ensure smooth operation on a day to day base.
• Develop TVC concepts along with story board.
• Devise different creative vehicles for presentation
• Creative Consultation
• Direct Photography session (model and production shoot)
• Creative and concept development and close integration with copywriters.
• Work with Marketing Managers to make sure the client’s needs are being met and the creative goals are on track
• Develop every aspect of an ad campaign based on the client’s marketing plan, conceptualize those ideas for clients, assign projects to staff and verify that the client’s deadlines are being met

Dealing with Client

• Pitch concept to clients.
• Formulate concise and cohesive guidelines for clients.
• Interpret a client’s vision and make it a tangible and deliverable product
• Create advertising proposals for clients

Do you know anyone suitable for this position? Please share!