Summary of the Group Creative Director, Art (Health) job at VML

About VML Health:

VML HEALTH is a global healthcare agency that partners with healthcare clients across a broad definition of health, from high science to wellness and everything in between. It operates fluidly within the VML agency, as a core group of health specialists (a ‘vertical’) that has the benefit of autonomy in management, but with support of non-health expertise. 

At the heart of health is the story of life – all the highs and lows, ambitions, and possibilities. But facing a health challenge can suddenly pull people away from these stories, knocking them off course.

Our purpose is to bridge this gap, bringing people closer to life and all its meaning. We gain a deeper understanding of Healthcare Professionals’ and patients’ needs, behaviors and lived experiences through what we call ‘radical empathy’.

VML Health creates connected brands that get to the heart, bringing people closer to the lives they want to live.  Get to the heart. Connect for life.

What we’re looking for:

VML Health is seeking a highly strategic and visually driven Group Creative Director, Art to lead and inspire our art and design teams. This role will be the go-to creative leader for assigned brands, providing thoughtful leadership, strategic clarity, and direction to develop strong visual concepts that solve clients’ business challenges. The GCD, Art will be a champion of innovative and elevated art direction and design, pushing boundaries and inspiring teams to create award-worthy work.

What you’ll do:

• Go-to creative leader for assigned brands: provides thoughtful leadership, strategic clarity, inspiration and direction to teams and helps develop strong visual concepts that solve clients’ business challenges.
• Provide actionable, clear and strategic feedback for teams and help push the boundaries to encourage innovative and elevated art direction and design.
• Conceive and persuasively present award-worthy visual concepts and recommendations to internal teams and clients.
• Lead production efforts and demonstrate ability to work within budget or can articulate justification to increase budget for projects, ensuring art and design are effectively integrated.
• Foster strong relationships with clients and spot opportunities to enhance or build on a project (upsell), leveraging the power of compelling visuals.
• Identify when process or system is broken and proactively work with team to address any issues related to art and design workflows.
• Present confidently to client and clearly communicate how creative art and design work meets the strategic and business objective.
• Oversee and/or lead art and design teams in multiple locations.
• Manage multiple projects, sometimes for various brands with different scopes and ensure all project of self and team deadlines are met, with a focus on excellence in art direction and design.

Who you are:

• Possess a high degree of creativity: ability to generate innovative, award-worthy creative and strategic art and design ideas that solve clients’ business challenges.
• Display confident and persuasive presentation skills and can respond well to challenging client situations, particularly when defending art and design choices.
• Comfortable with pushing back on brief or strategic direction as necessary and collaborating with most senior level co-workers and clients, to ensure the best possible art and design outcomes.
• A visionary artist with a passion for creating impactful and persuasive visuals.
• A strategic thinker with the ability to translate complex information into clear and compelling visual concepts.
• An inspiring leader with a proven ability to mentor and develop art and design talent.

What you’ll need:

• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, fine arts, visual communication, or related field.
• 10+ years of equivalent experience with 5+ years of supervisory experience, specifically in art direction and design.
• Portfolio that demonstrates creative and conceptual art and design thinking, preferably in the healthcare/pharma industry.
• Expert knowledge of design principles, typography, color theory, and visual communication.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and other relevant design software.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

What we offer:

• Passionate, driven people | We champion a culture of people that do extraordinary work.
• Consciously cultivated culture | We aim to embody the behaviors to build an inclusive community that is in it together, bringing both positivity and active listening into the workplace as we simultaneously strive to empower creative bravery.
• Competitive benefits | What we offer full time hires ranges from the full spectrum of group health coverage options (medical, dental, vision) to a generous 401k match (100% dollar-for-dollar match, up to 5% of salary contribution), and a variety of paid time off offerings that reflect our investment in all aspects of your overall life balance and wellness.
• Growth-minded opportunities | We aim to nurture a culture of real-time feedback, growth-oriented mindset, and plenty of training opportunities through VML and WPP, so you can continue to grow personally and professionally.

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