Microsoft

Creative Director

Microsoft • $142K — $274K *
Redmond, WA 98052In-Person
Media
5 - 7 years of experience
Today
Be an Early Applicant
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Master's or Bachelor's Degree in design-related field with 6-8+ years of experience in product/service design
  • 10+ years in a senior creative role, ideally at an in-house or top-tier agency
  • Portfolio showcasing impactful, diverse creative work across multiple channels
  • Proficient in managing project budgets and presenting creative ROI to senior executives
  • Strong communication skills with experience engaging VP-level leadership
  • Experience in integrating AI tools into creative processes
  • Background in brand marketing and advertising creative disciplines

Responsibilities

  • Set and maintain high creative standards across portfolio outputs
  • Lead development of multi-channel campaigns from concept to delivery
  • Serve as a key creative decision-maker aligning with brand ambitions
  • Direct hands-on creative work alongside the team to set a quality example
  • Collaborate with stakeholders to transform briefs into innovative creative
  • Manage budget and resourcing for projects, ensuring timely delivery
  • Establish operational processes and quality benchmarks as team scales
  • Integrate AI technologies responsibly into creative practices

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health benefits
  • 401(k) plan with company matching
  • Generous paid time off and parental leave
  • Employee discounts and perks
  • Career development and training opportunities
Full Job Description
Overview

Creative Director, Global Creative

This Creative Director will be a founding member of something genuinely new: an in-house creative capability built to produce breakthrough work at the scale and standards Microsoft's businesses demand. Reporting to the General Manager, Global Creative, this leader will own the creative output of a major discipline or portfolio area - partnering across Microsoft to deliver integrated, on-brand work across every touchpoint.

This is a rare opportunity to help shape the model from the inside, set the creative standard, and prove that in-house can be best-in-class.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities

Creative Leadership & Creative Direction
  • Set and uphold the creative bar for your portfolio - driving quality, craft, innovation, and cultural relevance across all output
  • Lead end-to-end creative development across brand campaigns, advertising content, digital, social, video, and experiential touchpoints
  • Serve as a senior creative voice in brand and advertising decisions, ensuring work reflects Microsoft's brand ambition and drives measurable business impact
  • Concept, direct, and ship work hands-on alongside your team - modeling the standard rather than only directing it

Operations & Stakeholder Management
  • Partner with internal business stakeholders to translate briefs into breakthrough creative, running efficient brief-to-output and review processes
  • Collaborate with agency partners and external vendors on assigned work, contributing to the right blend of in-house and external resourcing
  • Manage your portfolio's project budgets and resourcing, delivering on time, on scope, and within plan
  • Help build the team's operating rhythms, creative review frameworks, and quality benchmarks as the org scales

Innovation & AI
  • Integrate AI-powered tools and workflows into your creative production responsibly and ambitiously - helping define what AI-enabled creative looks like at Microsoft's scale
  • Stay ahead of emerging creative technologies, platforms, and cultural trends, and bring that perspective into the work

Executive Partnership
  • Present creative work, strategy, and rationale to senior stakeholders, including CVP- and VP-level partners
  • Partner with the GM, Global Creative and peer Creative Directors to ensure creative coherence, resource alignment, and shared priorities across the team


Qualifications

Required Qualifications
  • Master's Degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Human Computer Interaction, User Experience, Interaction Design, or related field AND 6+ years experience working in product or service design
    • OR Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Human Computer Interaction, User Experience, Interaction Design, or related field AND 8+ years experience working in product or service design
    • OR equivalent experience (e.g., demonstrated experience working in product or service design or using design thinking to solve problems).

Preferred Qualifications
  • 10+ years of experience in a senior creative role at an in-house creative organization, top-tier advertising agency, or comparable organization
  • A portfolio demonstrating breakthrough creative work across brand advertising, content, and digital - with clear evidence of range, craft, and impact at scale
  • Proven ability to lead concept-through-delivery on complex, multi-channel campaigns
  • Experience managing project budgets and articulating creative rationale and ROI to senior stakeholders
  • Executive communication and influencing skills, with experience presenting to VP- and CVP-level leadership
  • Experience inside an in-house creative organization at a global technology or consumer brand company
  • Demonstrated experience integrating AI tools into creative workflows in a meaningful and responsible way
  • Background spanning both brand marketing and advertising creative disciplines
  • Experience working alongside agency partners in hybrid internal/external models
  • Advanced degree in design, marketing, communications, or a related field


Product Design IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $142,800.00 - $274,800.00 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $188,000.00 - $304,200.00 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

About Microsoft

Microsoft is an American multinational corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, supports, and sells a range of software products and services. Microsoft’s devices and consumer (D&C) licensing segment licenses the Windows operating system and related software, Microsoft Office for consumers, and the Windows Phone operating system. The company’s computing and gaming hardware segment provides Xbox gaming and entertainment consoles and accessories, second-party and third-party video games, and Xbox Live subscriptions; surface devices and accessories; and Microsoft PC accessories. Its phone hardware segment offers Lumia smartphones and other non-Lumia phones. Its D&C segment provides Windows Store, Xbox Live transactions, and Windows phone store; search advertising; display advertising; Office 365 Home and Office 365 Personal; first-party video games; and other consumer products and services as well as operating retail stores. Microsoft’s commercial licensing segments license server products, including Windows Server, Microsoft SQL Server, Visual Studio, System Center, and related Client Access Licenses (CALs); Windows Embedded; Windows operating system; Microsoft Office for business, including Office, Exchange, SharePoint, Lync, and related CALs; Microsoft Dynamics business solutions; and Skype. Its commercial segment offers enterprise services, including premier support services and Microsoft consulting services; commercial cloud comprising Office 365 Commercial, other Microsoft Office online offerings, Dynamics CRM Online, and Microsoft Azure; and other commercial products and online services. The company markets and distributes its products through original equipment manufacturers, distributors, and resellers, as well as online.

Microsoft Careers

Join Microsoft today and be part of a company that values innovation, leadership, and diversity in its workforce. As a global leader in technology and digital transformation, Microsoft offers unparalleled job opportunities that propel your career to new heights.

Explore Career Opportunities at Microsoft

Whether you're a seasoned professional looking for your next challenge or a recent graduate eager to start your career, Microsoft has a position that suits your skills and ambitions. We are committed to fostering a culture of growth and learning, where every team member is supported in expanding their horizons.

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At Microsoft, we believe that innovation comes from diversity of thought and inclusion. We are committed to a workplace where everyone feels valued and inspired. Our leadership is dedicated to fostering an environment where diverse perspectives lead to breakthrough innovations and a competitive edge.

Grow with Us

Career growth at Microsoft is about more than climbing the corporate ladder; it's about continuous learning, expanding your skills, and improving your capabilities. With access to various leadership and training programs, you can evolve as a professional and make a significant impact within the company and on the global stage.

Hiring Process

Our hiring process is designed to identify true potential. Starting with a review of your resume, followed by interviews that assess your problem-solving abilities and cultural fit, we ensure that all candidates have a fair chance to demonstrate their strengths and potential to contribute to our team.

Networking and Professional Development

Microsoft is a place where you can build a professional network that spans the globe. Our employees benefit from connections with top-tier professionals and industry leaders, which opens doors to innovative projects and collaborative opportunities that are second to none.

Join Our Team

If you're ready to take on exciting challenges and make a difference in the world of technology, explore the job opportunities at Microsoft. Search for open positions that match your skills and interests, and prepare to embark on a rewarding career path filled with innovation and opportunities for personal and professional growth.

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At Microsoft, your future is limitless. Join us in our mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Your journey with Microsoft starts here.
Learn more about Microsoft
Size
181,000 employees
Market Cap
$1,762.4 billion
Industry
Enterprise Technology
Net Income
$51.3 billion
Founded
1975
5 Year Trend
+15.5%
Revenue
$153.2 billion
NASDAQ
MSFT
* Ladders Estimates

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