ICF Next

Group Creative Director (Future Opportunity)

ICF Next$131K — $269K *
Media
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 15+ years of experience in agency or equivalent creative roles with leadership in integrated campaigns
  • An exceptional portfolio showcasing original conceptual thinking and strategic creativity
  • Proven experience in building and leading high-performing creative teams
  • Extensive background in developing integrated multi-channel campaigns
  • Strong creative judgment with the ability to protect and challenge ideas
  • Ability to translate complex issues into engaging communications for broad audiences
  • Demonstrated understanding of public health, safety, education, and sustainability issues

Responsibilities

  • Lead the creative direction and vision for integrated campaigns and multidisciplinary teams
  • Develop breakthrough campaigns that connect with audiences and create measurable impacts
  • Oversee creative development from inception to final production while maintaining the original idea's integrity
  • Mentor and inspire creative professionals, fostering a thriving collaborative environment
  • Collaborate with various teams to ensure seamless execution across all channels
  • Build trusted relationships with clients, guiding complex decisions while maintaining creative integrity
  • Lead major productions across various media to ensure creative excellence throughout the process
  • Shape strategies and client relationships to support agency growth through new business opportunities

Benefits

  • Opportunities for continued professional development and mentorship
  • Access to a diverse range of complex, meaningful projects
  • Dynamic and collaborative work environment fostering creative exploration
  • Potential to influence the creative direction and culture of the agency
Full Job Description
Note: This is a strategic job posting to network for future anticipated opportunities as we continue to grow. While this may not be an immediate need, we would love the opportunity to connect with you.

The Role

We are looking for a Group Creative Director who can lead important work, build exceptional teams, and create the conditions for ambitious ideas to thrive.

This role sits at the heart of Creative. The Group Creative Director is responsible for the quality, direction, and creative sensibility of a significant portfolio of work, as well as the teams responsible for creating it. This person should be able to see the big picture without losing sight of the idea, the craft, or the audience. They should know when to push, when to protect, and when to simplify.

Much of the work will address some of the most consequential issues facing people and communities, including public health, public safety, education, energy, environmental sustainability, and other mission-driven challenges. These are often complex issues involving diverse audiences, competing priorities, deeply held beliefs, and decisions with meaningful consequences.

The right experience, however, can come from anywhere truly great integrated creative work gets made. Consumer. Healthcare. Technology. Culture. We are looking for someone who understands not just how creativity can attract attention, but how the right idea can make complex information human, connect with people, shift perception, build confidence, and move audiences to act.

The strongest candidates will have a body of work that demonstrates original thinking, exceptional creative judgment, and consistently high standards of craft. Industry recognition and award-winning work are valued, but what matters most is evidence of ideas that were distinctive, beautifully made, strategically sound, and effective.

What You Will Do:
  • Lead the creative direction, quality, and vision of a significant portfolio of clients, integrated campaigns, and multidisciplinary creative teams.
  • Develop breakthrough integrated campaigns that translate strategy, audience insight, behavioral understanding, and cultural context into ideas that connect with people and create measurable impact.
  • Lead creative development from brief through production, ensuring every execution reflects the strength of the original idea and the highest standards of craft.
  • Build, mentor, and inspire Creative Directors, Associate Creative Directors, writers, art directors, designers, and other creative specialists, creating an environment where ambitious ideas and exceptional people can thrive.
  • Partner closely with strategy, research, behavioral science, media, production, communications, experience design, and technology teams to deliver seamless integrated campaigns across every channel.
  • Build trusted relationships with senior clients and stakeholders, confidently presenting ambitious creative thinking and guiding complex decision-making while protecting the integrity of the work.
  • Lead major productions across film, photography, digital, social, experiential, and emerging platforms, ensuring creative excellence from concept to final delivery.
  • Play a significant leadership role in new business, pitches, and agency growth by helping shape winning strategies, creative platforms, and client relationships.
  • Champion creative excellence while ensuring work meets the highest standards of accessibility, inclusivity, clarity, effectiveness, and measurable performance.
  • Help shape the creative culture, standards, capabilities, and long-term reputation of ICF Next.


What Makes This Role Different

The Group Creative Director defines the creative standard for a significant portfolio of work. They don't simply oversee campaigns-they build teams, shape creative culture, strengthen client relationships, and create the conditions for exceptional ideas to thrive.

They move comfortably between the biggest strategic challenge and the smallest creative detail, knowing when to challenge an idea, when to simplify it, and when to protect it. They understand that exceptional creative work is built by exceptional creative teams and invest in both with equal commitment.

What We Are Looking For:

Basic Qualifications
  • 15+ years of agency or equivalent creative experience, including deep experience leading integrated campaigns and multidisciplinary creative teams.
  • An exceptional portfolio demonstrating original conceptual thinking, creative leadership, and a consistent ability to produce strategically smart, beautifully crafted work that delivers measurable results.


Professional Skills
  • A proven track record of building, mentoring, and leading high-performing creative teams while establishing a clear creative vision across a significant portfolio of work.
  • Extensive experience developing integrated campaigns across video, digital, social, experiential, print, out-of-home, web, emerging platforms, and connected customer experiences.
  • Exceptional creative judgment and the ability to recognize, shape, challenge, and protect powerful ideas from concept through execution.
  • Deep understanding of how strategy, audience insight, behavioral science, storytelling, design, technology, and craft come together to create work that moves people.
  • Experience translating complex, technical, scientific, regulated, or sensitive subject matter into compelling creative communications that people genuinely engage with.
  • Confidence presenting ambitious creative thinking to senior executives, clients, and diverse stakeholder groups while building trust and creative momentum.
  • Experience developing campaigns addressing public health, public safety, education, energy, environmental sustainability, climate, or other complex mission-driven challenges is highly valued. Public-sector experience is welcome but not required.
  • Industry recognition is valued, but what matters most is a body of work that demonstrates originality, exceptional craft, strategic thinking, and measurable impact.


Bot and Third-Party Applications

Please note that this application must be submitted directly by the applicant for consideration. Failure to do so may result in the application being excluded for consideration. Applicants needing an accommodation for disability or religious purposes in connection with the application process should contact [redacted] for assistance.

Pay Range - There are multiple factors that are considered in determining final pay for a position, including, but not limited to, relevant work experience, skills, certifications and competencies that align to the specified role, geographic location, education and certifications as well as contract provisions regarding labor categories that are specific to the position.

The pay range for this position based on full-time employment is:
$131,256.00 - $269,993.00

Nationwide Remote Office (US99)

About ICF Next

ICF Next is a global marketing and communications agency that provides a wide range of services to clients in various industries, including healthcare, energy, and transportation. The company was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia. ICF Next offers a comprehensive suite of services, including branding, digital marketing, public relations, and social media management. The company has a strong reputation for delivering innovative and effective solutions that help its clients achieve their business objectives. ICF Next is committed to sustainability and social responsibility, and it has received numerous awards for its work in these areas.
Learn more about ICF Next
Size
8,000 employees
Market Cap
$1.8 billion
Industry
Net Income
$54.9 million
Founded
1969
5 Year Trend
+5.6%
Revenue
$1.5 billion
NASDAQ

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