Associate Director, Creative
Regular Full Time
35 hours per week
ART + AUDIENCE + LEARNING
Located in Toronto, the Art Gallery of Ontario is one of the largest art museums in North America, attracting approximately one million visitors annually. The AGO Collection of more than 120,000 works of art ranges from cutting-edge contemporary art to significant works by Indigenous and Canadian artists and European masterpieces.
We are currently seeking an Associate Director, Creative, to join our Communications and Brand team. Under the direction of the Director, Brand Marketing, the incumbent is a visionary leader who directs and inspires the creative team to produce exceptional work that reflects the AGO’s mission, values, and strategic goals. They are responsible for developing and maintaining a high-quality, distinctive, and cohesive visual identity across all platforms and touchpoints. This includes guiding the creative team to deliver innovative, strategic, and audience-centric design solutions that resonate locally and globally.
The role bridges creative excellence with business strategy, ensuring all visual storytelling and brand experiences advance AGO’s objectives, connect with diverse audiences, and reinforce the institution’s role as a leading cultural voice. Partnering cross-functionally, thinking in both big picture and in small detail, and serving as a coach, guide, and strategic thinker with a strong ability to influence outcomes through compelling creative direction.
AGO Values:
Respect: We foster belonging and appreciate each other.
Openness: We interact with an open mind and thoughtful engagement.
Collaboration: We believe in the power of together.
Accountability: We own our actions and outcomes.
What is this position responsible for?
Lead the AGO’s Visual Identity & Brand Expression
Guide the creative direction and implementation of AGO’s brand identity, ensuring consistency, innovation, and resonance across all materials and media. Oversee all creative outputs, ensuring they reflect AGO’s narrative, values, and strategic goals.
Develop and Oversee Strategic Creative Campaigns
Lead the vision and development of visual identity and creative campaigns for exhibitions, programs, marketing initiatives, retail and food + beverage programs and institutional priorities. Align creative work with AGO’s goals and audience insights, ensuring both visual impact and message clarity.
Cross-Functional Strategic Collaboration
Partner closely with marketing, exhibitions, development, revenue-generating teams, and others to ensure creative strategies support institutional objectives and align with broader organizational goals.
Manage Creative Projects End-to-End
Oversee creative projects from concept to completion, ensuring they are delivered on time, on budget, and to the highest standard. Conduct reviews, lead brainstorming sessions, and assess past performance to refine future work.
Provide Creative Team Leadership & Development
Inspire, coach, and mentor a diverse team of creative professionals and visual storytellers, including designers, copywriter, photography, web designer, and motion design and editor. Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence, supporting growth and skill development.
Incorporate Trends & Emerging Technologies
Stay ahead of creative and design trends, technologies, and audience behaviors. Introduce new tools, techniques, and responsive content strategies that maintain AGO’s creative relevance and impact.
What are we looking for?
Proven leader with a minimum of 3-5 years in a senior creative leadership role.
Experience developing strategic, audience-centric creative campaigns and visual identities that drive business outcomes.
Demonstrated ability to lead and inspire creative teams across disciplines, fostering a high-performance and innovative culture.
Strong conceptual and executional design skills across digital, print, environmental, video, and spatial storytelling.
Exceptional strategic thinking—translating business goals into creative strategies, balancing innovation with practical execution.
Highly collaborative, with experience working across departments and with external vendors, agencies, and media partners.
Adept at using Adobe Creative Suite, design technology, and familiar with emerging AI-driven creative tools.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills; can present and defend ideas to both creative and non-creative stakeholders. Able to provide actionable feedback and / or direction.
Strong project management skills; able to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Knowledge of industry best practices and AODA compliance.
Passion for the arts, cultural sector, and the creative landscape of Toronto.
Open-minded, adaptable, and enthusiastic about innovation and change.
Lifelong learner with an interest in design strategy, UX/UI, leadership, animation, or digital marketing training, would be considered an asset.
Experience working in a non-profit, unionized work environment seen is an asset.
What are the benefits of working at the AGO?
Discounts to GoodLife Fitness.
Free tickets to every major exhibit at AGO.
Discounts to major attractions as a part of the Provincial/City Reciprocal Programs.
Free admission to the AGO for friends and family, discounts at the gift shop, bistro, and Learning Centre.
If this sounds like the opportunity you are looking for, apply now!
Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility:
At the AGO, we lead global conversations from Toronto through extraordinary collections, exhibitions, and programs, reflecting the diverse community we serve. Committed to fostering inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility, we embed these values into our strategic plan and ongoing priorities.
To Apply:
Please submit your resume and cover letter outlining your relevant experience and qualifications online at https://jobs.jobvite.com/ago/jobs/viewall. We thank all applicants for their interest in the position; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
The Art Gallery of Ontario is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
