Acting Global Creative Director / US Creative Lead
Location: New York City
Contract: Maternity Cover (Full-time)
Start: June (handover period included)
A globally respected creative agency is looking for a senior, visionary creative leader to step into a pivotal maternity cover role leading their US presence in New York.
This is a rare opportunity for an experienced Creative Partner / Global Creative Director–level leader to take ownership of a high-profile account and act as the senior creative authority on the ground in NYC, partnering closely with an established UK leadership team.
They’re looking for someone who thrives at the intersection of creative excellence, client leadership and business growth — someone comfortable leading from the front, selling work in the room, and elevating creative standards across teams.
The Role
This is not a behind-the-scenes creative leadership position.
The successful candidate will act as the US creative lead, responsible for steering the creative output, building senior client relationships and representing the work at the highest level.
Working across integrated campaigns, thought-leadership initiatives and brand storytelling, they will oversee everything from film and experiential to social, events and large-scale marketing programmes.
The role requires someone who can:
- Lead and defend creative work with confidence in senior client environments
- Build trusted relationships with global marketing stakeholders
- Maintain and elevate creative standards across integrated campaigns
- Translate complex briefs into bold, strategically grounded creative ideas
- Direct work on set, guide teams through production and oversee delivery across formats
Key Responsibilities
Creative Leadership (Primary Focus)
- Act as the senior creative voice in the US market
- Own the quality and ambition of all work leaving the studio
- Lead creative responses from brief through to final execution
- Direct and mentor a cross-disciplinary creative team across the US and UK
- Oversee integrated campaigns across film, social, experiential, digital and beyond
Senior Client Partnership
- Build strong relationships with senior client stakeholders in New York
- Represent the agency creatively and strategically in key meetings
- Ensure opportunities for growth and collaboration are maximised
Strategic Growth
- Identify new opportunities to expand the partnership and unlock new workstreams
- Collaborate with global leadership teams to drive new creative opportunities
- Contribute to new business conversations and agency growth
US Operations & Leadership
- Lead the NYC team day-to-day while collaborating with international teams
- Manage freelance and creative talent pipelines locally
- Represent the agency on the ground for shoots, workshops, events and client sessions
What They’re Looking For
- A Creative Director / Creative Partner–level leader with global experience
- Strong track record delivering integrated campaigns for major brands
- Comfortable operating in senior client environments and selling work in-room
- Experience leading multi-market teams across time zones
- Entrepreneurial mindset with an instinct for growing client relationships
- Strong understanding of B2B marketing and technology-driven brands
- Interest or experience in AI, innovation and emerging creative tools
- Someone equally comfortable leading teams and getting hands-on with ideas
The Opportunity
This role offers the chance to lead creative work at a global scale while shaping the agency’s presence in the US market.
The position is initially a maternity cover, but the ambition is for the role to evolve into a longer-term opportunity driven by growth.