What are the responsibilities and job description for the Creative Director position at Rakuten (Rakuten, Inc)?
Job Description :
Here at Rakuten Kobo Inc., we offer a casual working start-up environment and a group of friendly and talented individuals. Our employees rank us highly in terms of commitment to work / life balance. We realize that for our people to be innovative, creative, and passionate, they need to feel valued and supported. We believe in rewarding all our employees with competitive salaries, performance-based annual bonuses, stock options, and training opportunities.
We offer a start-up environment, interesting and engaging work within the technology and publishing industries, and a group of friendly and talented individuals. Additionally, our employees rank us highly in terms of commitment to work-life balance and a company culture committed to caring for our employees.
If you are looking for a company that inspires passion and personal and professional growth, come join Kobo and come help us make reading lives better.
The Role :
Rakuten Kobo is looking for a Creative Director to refine creative strategy across a number of projects and work with an internal team to deliver on Kobo's brand promise in meaningful ways for all customers, across all touchpoints, and all countries.
Reporting to VP Brand, this role will provide critical direction and support for marketing and creative initiatives, from collaborating in the development of creative briefs to final creative execution. Specifically, and immediately, the CD will work closely with the Dir Creative Ops and VP Brand to direct and oversee the rollout of a global initiative touching all owned touchpoints : to build a strong visual / written vocabulary and design system that will take the brand to the next level.
It requires a passion to break through with innovative ideas while ensuring alignment with business objectives. It requires strong people, persuasion and presentation skills. Solid expertise in retail, digital, social, email, print and creative development process is key. The ideal candidate must have exceptional communication, relationship building, influencing and analytical skills, and will be a brand advocate across the organization.
This person will work collaboratively with a team of in-house graphic designers, copy writers and external agencies as necessary with a focus on improving efficiency and quality. They will be required to execute designs and assets themselves, including but not limited to : proof of concepts with asset mock ups, a brand guideline book, campaign playbooks, as well as other high-visibility assets across all channels. It's important this person have a strong design background, with the enthusiasm to get their hands in the work to create something inspirational and brand-centric. This person will proactively partner and work collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders to bring the brand to life with compelling & engaging copy and beautiful, evocative design in various channels and markets, maintaining a consistent voice with local resonance.
Responsibilities : Oversee and execute design projects, from conception to deliveryDevelop and pitch creative concepts. Deliver robust toolkits, advertising material, video assets and otherwise to supportWork closely with Creative Operations, Brand Marketing and Brand Strategy to ensure concepts and vision are aligned to goals and operational needsGenerate ideas to portray concepts and advertise our products / servicesEnsure designs are accessible, device and user-friendlyArt direct on set for photography and video needsMaintain brand consistency throughout creative projectsLiaise with various stakeholders to ensure expectations are metStay up-to-date with industry developments and tools
Design Leadership : Facilitate stakeholder and peer reviews to drive creative trust and understandingChallenge the team to push their ideas forward, champion for innovationCreate a culture of inspiration, trust and creativityFacilitate creative brainstorms
Collaboration : Work alongside various stakeholders and partners to ensure creative output is aligned to business strategy and goalsEstablish a culture of respect and transparencyWork closely with Design, Copy and Production Leads to ensure concepts and brand development is aligned and applied to our operational design and copy needs
Design Strategy : Integrate performance and user testing data into design decisionsEnsure creative concepts and brand standards are aligned to business goals and operational needs
The Skillset :
Required : 5 years of experience in a senior creative leadership roleExceptional problem solver that grasps issues at the core level and offers insightful creative solutionsDetail oriented, highly driven and results focusedPortfolio of completed design projectsExpert level proficiency in design softwares Figma and Adobe Creative SuiteExtensive experience in design, especially digitalProven success in delivering outstanding results with a focus on flawless creative output and innovative, strategic approaches which drive brand loyalty, strong executional abilities and outstanding customer / partner engagementStrong aesthetic eye with refined sensibility of colors, fonts, layouts and compositionsAttention to detailAbility to meet deadlines and collaborate with a teamAbility to articulate and rationalize your concepts or process
Nice to Haves : Motion design experiencePrevious experience working in eReading, eCommerce, retail, entertainment, and software environments
The Perks : Flexible hours and hybrid remote working environmentSubsidized in-office lunchesFull benefits starting from your first dayPaid Volunteer days, unlimited sick days, and 3% RRSP matchingMonthly commuting & internet allowanceFlexible health spending accountTalent and development training budgetFree Kobo device free weekly e-book or audiobookFrequent Lunch and Learns Author seriesWeekly Kobo Tech University sessionsWeekly trivia happy hours (Thirsty Thursday's, as we like to call it)Maternity / paternity leave top up
About Rakuten Kobo Inc.
Owned by Tokyo-based Rakuten and headquartered in Toronto, Rakuten Kobo Inc. is one of the most advanced global ecommerce companies, with the world's most innovative e-reading services offering more than 6 million eBooks and audiobooks to 30 million customers in 190 countries. Kobo delivers the best digital reading experience through creative innovation, award-winning e-readers, and top-ranking mobile apps. Kobo is a part of the Rakuten group of companies.
Rakuten Kobo Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Accessibility accommodations for candidates with disabilities participating in the selection process are available on request. Any information received related to accommodation needs of applicants will be addressed confidentially.
Rakuten Kobo would like to thank all applicants for their interest in this role however only qualified candidates will be shortlisted.
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