VP/Creative Director, Art - Shopper Marketing

Company Description

Arc is the lead shopper and retail agency within Publicis Groupe. In an era of unprecedented disruption, where the customers you seek actively resist brands like never before, everything we do is in service of making your brand irresistible. We call it Irresistible Commerce. And it starts by employing insights and data to uncover what’s standing in the way of growth. Then we deploy irresistible creative solutions to build connected shopping experiences that are personal, valuable and delightful for your customers. The results simultaneously drive brand sales and love. Helping us become WARC’s #1 Specialty Retail Agency with groundbreaking work recognized by Adweek, ANA Reggie Awards and Effies.

Job Summary

Arc is looking for a VP/Creative Director with a design background to join our team!

A transformational creative leader, the VP/CD sets the standard for a high-performing agency team, delivering breakthrough work that fuels business growth while elevating the art and design craft. The role requires a balance of creative excellence and business acumen, fostering a culture of innovation, adaptability, and storytelling, while attracting and retaining top talent.

As the creative lead for a new CPG client, this VP/CD will be responsible for developing and producing award-worthy, commerce-driving campaigns that push creative boundaries and elevate brands at retail and through ecommerce. A champion of innovation, this leader will explore emerging technology, AI and digital trends to unlock new creative possibilities and shape the future of commerce marketing.

PLEASE NOTE: This is a hybrid role based out of our Chicago office and will require onsite engagement an average of 3 days/week. All candidates must be local to that market and willing to work in a hybrid arrangement.

Responsibilities

• Set the creative vision for the client, ensuring work aligns with business goals and cultural trends.
• Lead the development of groundbreaking commerce/shopper campaigns that build brands and drive retailer and consumer engagement.
• Build strong client relationships, serving as a trusted advisor and championing impactful ideas.
• Confidently present work, articulating creative rationale with clarity and persuasion.
• Be an integral voice for commerce creative on an Integrated Agency Team
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities by recognizing emerging trends and client needs.
• Leverage technology and digital advancements to push creative boundaries and enhance engagement.
• Lead tough conversations with poise, ensuring creative integrity while addressing business realities.
• Recruit, mentor, and develop top creative talent, fostering a culture of excellence.
• Cultivate an environment that embraces bold thinking, constructive debate, and risk-taking.
• Align creative efforts with the agency priorities, driving high standards for innovation, quality and impact.
• Oversee multiple projects and resources, ensuring seamless execution and best-in-class output.
• Streamline workflows to enhance efficiency without compromising creative excellence.
• Drive accountability by setting clear expectations and holding teams to high-performance standards.

Qualifications

• 12 years of progressively responsible creative leadership experience in an advertising agency environment with a specific focus on strategic and hands-on commerce, retail, or shopper marketing campaigns.
• Proven expertise in elevating conceptual ideas and art/design craft across multiple creative disciplines with a track record of driving business results.
• Exceptional storytelling ability, adapting narratives for different audiences.
• Proven ability to influence and inspire at all levels—internally and externally.
• Experience building and nurturing high-performance, collaborative creative teams.
• Passion for tech, AI and innovation to enhance creative and business impact.
• Outstanding presentation skills with the ability to command a room.

Additional information

The Power of One starts with our people! To do powerful things, we offer powerful resources. Our best-in-class wellness and benefits offerings include:

• Paid Family Care for parents and caregivers for 12 weeks or more
• Monetary assistance and support for Adoption, Surrogacy and Fertility
• Monetary assistance and support for pet adoption
• Employee Assistance Programs and Health/Wellness/Comfort reimbursements to help you invest in your future and work/life balance
• Tuition Assistance
• Paid time off that includes Flexible Time off Vacation, Annual Sick Days, Volunteer Days, Holiday and Identity days, and more
• Matching Gifts programs
• Flexible working arrangements
• ‘Work Your World’ Program encouraging employees to work from anywhere Publicis Groupe has an office for up to 6 weeks a year (based upon eligibility)
• Business Resource Groups that support multiple affinities and alliances

The benefits offerings listed are available to eligible U.S. Based employees, are reviewed on an annual basis, and are governed by the terms of the applicable plan documents.

Arc is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our employment decisions are made without regard to actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability, medical condition as defined by applicable state law, genetic information, marital status, military service and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances.

If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact USMSTACompliance@publicis.com. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Compensation Range: $156,560-$224,910 annually. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and the Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan through a third-party benefits administration system once certain criteria have been met. Temporary roles may also qualify for participation in our 401(k) plan after eligibility criteria have been met. For regular roles, the Company will offer medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401k, and paid time off. The Company anticipates the application deadline for this job posting will be 4/14/25.