Creative Director

Who We AreMACH27 is a Los Angeles-based creative and design agency providing services in entertainment creative, multi-platform design packages, digital advertising strategy, key art design, print, out-of-home, photo and video content production, brand campaign ideation, and production. We are high-volume, fast-paced, and have an open mentoring culture with great industry leaders. With your expertise, esprit-de-corps, and passion, you will play a critical role in generating world-class art with a diverse, hard-working, and eclectic crew. We are proud and honored to collaborate with some of the best world-class partners including Disney, Hallmark Media, Max, IMAX, Netflix, NBCUniversal, Pluto TV, Snap, and Sony.The RoleThe Creative Director is MACH27's primary day-to-day creative leader. This role is responsible for creative quality across all agency output, client relationship management, team development, and the operational efficiency of the creative department. The CD generates ideas, leads pitches, sets standards, and holds the team accountable to them. This is a true blend of a leadership and creative role.How You'll Contribute Set and uphold the creative standard for the entire agency; define what excellence looks like in every type of work the agency produces, communicate that standard clearly and consistently, and hold yourself and the team accountable to it on every project regardless of size, budget, or timelinePitch, ideate, and develop bold, culturally resonant campaigns that elevate client brands and break through in a cluttered, competitive landscapeLead the creative team through every phase of a project from kickoff to post-mortem - provide clear, decisive creative direction at each stage, make confident calls when the team is at an impasse, and guide the work toward an outcome that is both creatively exceptional and strategically soundDrive creative strategy using qualitative and quantitative data - bring audience insights, performance data, and market intelligence into the concepting process, communicate these findings to leadership regularly, and use them to continuously sharpen the agency's creative approach and competitive positioningBuild and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with clients; serve as their primary creative partner, develop a deep understanding of their business, their audience, and their brand, and show up to every interaction as someone who is as invested in their success as they areDevelop and grow the creative team through active mentorship, structured development planning, and a culture that consistently rewards curiosity, craft, and creative courage; assess the strengths and gaps on the team honestly and continuously - develop talent in those gaps where possible, and communicate proactively to leadership when the team is not positioned to deliver at the level clients expect; MACH27 should never learn about a resourcing or skills gap through an underdelivered projectOwn all aspects of the agency's brand standards (visual identity, creative style, tone of voice) ensuring consistency, integrity, and freshness across every client account and every piece of work that carries the agency's namePartner with the CEO and business development team to lead the agency's own promotional and marketing efforts across social channels, pitch documents, and RFP proposals, including generating estimates and defining scope of workWork with the CEO to develop, refine, and evolve agency-wide creative methodologies and processes - identify what's working, what isn't, and what the team needs to operate at a higher level, and build systems that improve quality, efficiency, and team satisfaction over timeFoster a creative culture that attracts and retains exceptional talent - be the kind of leader people want to work for, the kind of Creative Director whose team produces the best work of their careers, and the kind of voice that shapes how the agency thinks about creativity, culture, and what it means to do this work wellEstablish and evolve agency-wide standards for how AI tools are integrated into the creative workflow; evaluate emerging tools strategically, make informed adoption decisions, and ensure the team is using AI to enhance creative quality and operational efficiency, not to replace original thinkingAdvise PMs on timeline, resourcing, and scope - be a senior operational partner in the health and velocity of the workLead client and leadership conversations about campaign strategy and creative solutions with the fluency of someone who has thought three steps ahead - know the questions that are coming, have the answers ready, and shift from presenting to problem-solving in real time without losing the room; build relationships with new business prospects with the same intentionality brought to existing clientsModel and cultivate a feedback culture across the creative team - deliver specific, actionable positive and constructive criticism consistently, not just in formal reviews, but as a daily practiceOwn the team's time as deliberately as own time - when client work is light, have internal projects organized, queued, and ready to assign; the team should never be idleMaintain a firm grasp on the financial health of the department - understand the P&L, monitor how the team's time is being booked across projects, and flag proactively when hours are trending over or resources are being misallocatedIdentify and manage freelance and vendor talent like photographers, retouchers, and outside creative resources, ensuring outside work meets MACH27's standards and projects remain within budgetPartner with HR to recruit, hire, and onboard creative talent - building a team that reflects MACH27's standards, creative ambitions, and long-term capacity needsPush creative limits; set new standards for excellence while bringing strategy, insights, and cultural awareness into the heart of every creative conversationDo work that earns recognition - MACH27 has won Clio Gold and Silver awards and expects CDs to bring that level of ambition to every briefOther duties as assignedWho You Are13+ years of experience as a creative leader with key art expertiseA portfolio that demonstrates a career-long track record of creative excellence, conceptual leadership, and the ability to produce award-caliber work across formats, genres, and campaign typesExpert knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite, with the ability to engage meaningfully at a production level to provide technically informed creative direction at all timesStrategic command of project management tools and agency operations - able to use data from tools like Asana or Monday.com to make informed decisions about team structure, resourcing, and creative output across the full agency portfolioDeep expertise in key art, entertainment marketing, and multi-platform campaign development across theatrical, streaming, gaming, music, live events, and emerging formatsProven ability to develop and implement creative methodologies, brand standards, and agency-wide processes that improve quality, consistency, and team performance over timeStrong photography technical skills (compositing, problem-solving, color grading, light and shadow) are at the level where they inform how others are directed, not what is done personallyExpert knowledge of the business side of design - understands budgeting, scoping, profitability, client economics, and revenue accountability; can read the departmental P&L and the team's time reports with the same fluency brought to a creative brief; and brings the same rigor to client retention as to client acquisitionProven track record managing and mentoring a team of diverse creative talent and making them measurably betterStrong client-facing presence; a trusted creative and operational partner, not just a vendorAble to shift fluidly between creative vision and operational execution, both maker and manager, without using one as an excuse to neglect the otherAn exceptional communicator with clients, leadership, and the team; delivers feedback, both positive and constructive, with clarity, consistency, and care; the team always knows where they stand and what they need to do to growHighly organized and proactive in managing the department's time and capacity; anticipates gaps, prepares internal work in advance, and ensures the team is always productive, engaged, and moving forwardStrategic about talent: understands the strengths and limitations of the team, develops people deliberately, and speaks up early when a gap threatens the agency's ability to deliver; does not wait for a missed deadline to raise the alarmCulturally attuned and forward-looking - sees trends before they peak, follows what's happening in entertainment, design, technology, and culture, and positions MACH27 to leadEstablishes and evolves agency-wide standards for AI tool usage across the creative team: evaluates emerging tools with a strategic lens, makes informed adoption decisions, and ensures AI enhances creative quality and operational efficiency without substituting for original thinkingGrowth mindset; invests in the team's development as much as their ownExecutive-level fluency in Google Suite - able to build, lead, and adapt high-stakes presentations for clients, prospects, and internal leadership in real timeWhy Work HereWe want to make sure you're taken care of while we create world class art. MACH27 is proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package to our team members alongside competitive compensation. We asked our team members what benefits they like the most and this is what they said:Full benefits package (health/dental/vision/HSA)$50,000 fully company-paid life insurance policy401(k) with a 4% match (and no vesting period)25 Days of Paid Time Off (PTO), plus twelve national holidays off and additional early release daysYearly performance, compensation, and inflation adjustmentPotential year-end bonusEmployee wellness benefits and mental health support Flexible location and hours policyYearly employee development fundTransparent Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) and culture initiativesRegular employee engagement eventsMentorship focused developmentCreative office space near downtown Culver CityCompensationThe starting base compensation range for this position in the selected city is $158,863 - $265,000 annually. Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including but not limited to the candidate's certifications, location, prior experience, and qualifications. MACH27 uses Aon Radford as our primary compensation database for benchmarking, with millions of data points behind the job level/description data we consider in structuring the range for each role.Don't see your ideal role posted? Please feel free to apply anyway by sending a resume to [email protected].MACH27 is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to making our team as inclusive and diverse as our audience and partners. We are dedicated to providing equal opportunity and reasonable accommodations for all employees. Come explore MACH27, where innovation, creativity, and passion come together.