Role OverviewEnvision Horizons is seeking an Associate Creative Director (ACD) to act as a player/coach-balancing hands-on creative leadership with team development and operational oversight. This role is responsible for driving creative strategy, elevating executional quality, and ensuring performance across a defined group of brands.
The ACD partners closely with the Creative Director to help run the department while independently owning creative direction for a subset of accounts, including key and Signature/Premiere brands across leading retail marketplaces-primarily Amazon, with additional exposure to Walmart and Target. In close collaboration with the Creative Director, the ACD helps translate department vision and creative standards into day-to-day execution, providing leadership, feedback, and operational support that ensures consistency, scalability, and high-quality creative output across teams.
What You'll DoCreative Leadership & Strategy- Oversee the creative direction and output for a portfolio of marketplace brands, ensuring alignment with Envision Horizons' performance, brand, and quality standards
- Apply deep understanding of marketplace dynamics (conversion, click-through rate, algorithmic visibility) to inform creative decisions and guidance for a team of Strategists and Designers
- Review and approve the majority of deliverables, escalating only the most high-visibility or sensitive work
- Balance hands-on execution with broader creative frameworks and scalable standards across accounts
- Partner closely with the Creative Director to uphold department-wide creative standards, align on strategic priorities, and ensure creative work reflects the broader vision and direction of the department
Marketplace Expertise (Amazon, Walmart, Target)- Translate platform-specific best practices into high-performing creative across Amazon (PDP, A+ Content, Brand Store, Sponsored Ads), as well as Walmart and Target ecosystems
- Help with strategic creative concepting that's led by conversion within retail environments, balancing brand storytelling with performance-driven design
- Partner with Media and Strategy teams to align creative with keyword strategy, search behavior, and retail media placements
- Stay ahead of evolving marketplace trends, formats, and requirements, integrating them into team workflows and outputs
Team Leadership & Coaching- Directly manage a pod of Creative Strategists and Designers
- Provide ongoing coaching, feedback, and career development support
- Lead team rituals including 1:1s, workload reviews, and creative critiques that elevate both craft and strategic thinking
- Build a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement
- Serve as a key leadership extension of the Creative Director by reinforcing team expectations, supporting talent development initiatives, and helping scale creative excellence across the department
Creative Operations & Process- Oversee workflow, intake discipline, and creative production across multiple brands and initiatives
- Ensure consistent adoption of department standards (QA tiers, templates, frameworks)
- Influence resourcing decisions, including project staffing and hiring priorities
- Drive efficiency and scalability through strong systems thinking and process optimization
- Collaborate with the Creative Director on refining workflows, improving operational consistency, and identifying opportunities to strengthen creative systems and processes across the department
Cross-Functional Collaboration- Partner with Account Directors and Media leadership to align creative with account strategy, retail goals, and performance KPIs
- Act as a key stakeholder in planning and executing high-impact initiatives across marketplaces
- Escalate systemic challenges and contribute to department-level improvements alongside the Creative Director
- Help bridge communication and alignment between creative teams and department leadership, ensuring strategic priorities are clearly executed across accounts and initiatives
What Success Looks Like- Creative Quality & Performance: High-performing, conversion-focused creative across Amazon, Walmart, and Target
- Delivery Excellence: Strong on-time delivery and milestone adherence across content calendars and launches
- Team Development: Measurable growth, retention, and engagement of direct reports
- Operational Rigor: Consistent adoption of creative processes and marketplace best practices
- Leadership Impact: Elevated creative output, stronger critiques, and improved team performance
What You Bring- Proven experience in a senior creative role (Senior Creative Strategist, Art Director, or equivalent), ideally within eCommerce or marketplace-focused environments
- Strong portfolio showcasing performance-driven creative, particularly within Amazon and/or other retail marketplaces
- Deep understanding of marketplace ecosystems, including conversion optimization, retail media, and content structures
- Experience managing and mentoring creative teams
- Ability to balance hands-on creative work with leadership and operational responsibilities
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
- Systems-oriented mindset with a focus on both quality and efficiency
