Leapfrog Online is hiring: Creative Director in Chicago

Creative DirectorWe have a TALL orderThe Creative Director is responsible for the management and leadership of the Creative team. The Creative Director must be able to collaboratively translate Marketing plans and drive strategic thought leadership to create innovative, inspiring and flexible digital creative visions. The Creative team is the subject matter expert when it comes to the visual design and layout, brand language, typographic and color components of our user interfaces. The Creative Director must be able to mentor, manage and motivate internal and external creative resources. Critical components of this position include user-interface design / user-centered design and conversion driven design.We need practical CREATIVE solutions to e-commerce challengesDevelop and manage a scalable creative function serving all business units, capable of flexing resources to accommodate changes in the size and scope of business needs.Ensure consistent and transparent communication around the flow of projects and approvals; coordinate with Account, Program Management, Business Analysis, Delivery Management, and Implementation teams for highly integrated execution.Manage the delivery of compelling direct marketing concepts and intuitive navigation for client sites, digital marketing strategies and online advertising initiatives.Manage the delivery of engaging, direct marketing copy that drives consumers to buy our client's products and enables superior online user experience and SEO efficacy.Define, establish and refine a standard set of objective evaluative criteria for all design work, based on direct marketing principles.Ensure the diligent maintenance of client brand standards in all Creative and Production executions.The CONSUMER is at the center of everything we do Develop solid user experience guidelines, including defined interaction design criteria, for use in the Creative and Production teams, including standard outputs for their consumption.Leverage Web Analytics data sources, including Google Analytics and Tealeaf, to define a routine process for delivering business-unit and client-specific recommendations surrounding user experience and consumer insightsDevelop and implement a well-defined methodology for prototyping across the Supply chain, both within the Creative group, the larger Technology and Marketing Operations teams, and the organization as a whole.We need LEADERSHIP to take us to the next level Develop, deliver and evangelize a culture of testing in the team's activities, based on sound principles of direct marketing, frequent and regular user experience - effective from intent to purchase - testing, and data-driven analytics.Develop deep understanding of business objectives and continuously align and reinforce communication around achievement of within the team and across the organization.Effective communication and collaboration of financial objectives, impacts and learning against business objectives. Includes cost-modeling, vendor management and budgeting process.Encourage frequent collaboration across not only the individual teams and their clients, but across the organization as a whole. Support the team in developing collaborative alliances that will strengthen teamwork within the group as a whole.Continually define ways to increase internal client satisfaction through continuous improvement and expense control for cost optimization; serve as the leadership voice for all Creative activities.We're looking for a TEAM builder Manage the career development of direct reports and the reporting chain as a whole.Manage the assignment of team members to internal client projects as needed.Exercise staff oversight to ensure new operations plans, policies, procedures, and transition / migration plans are consistent with the overall company goals and objectives.We scale with VENDOR partnerships Establish, negotiate and build relationships with vendors and contractors needed to meet the Creative staff augmentation and outsourcing needs of the company.Work with Finance to ensure accurate demand forecasting, cost modeling and accounting for all contractors and suppliers.Build financial models for defining appropriate mix of internal vs. external resources relative to internal client financial goals.These attributes hint at SUCCESS Four-year degree10 years of experience, preferably at a Creative, Direct Marketing or User Experience agencySolid experience leading creative for direct marketing for digital experiences including websites and landing pages.Experience of the business development cycle, client presentations and selling conceptual creative internally and externally.Understanding of the role of copywriting, color, typography, interaction design, photographic and illustrative treatments, and their application in the execution of direct marketing.Experience with mobile, social and email marketing.Strong project management skills and keen understanding of concept-to-execution development process.Ability to operate with candor and integrity, collaborate and build trust.Type of EmploymentContract-to-hire, Full Time Employment