ROLE: CREATIVE DIRECTOR
TEAM: THE KITCHEN NORTH AMERICA
LOCATION: TORONTO (HYBRID)
START DATE: JANUARY 2026
COMPANY OVERVIEW
The Kitchen brings together a range of disciplines and capabilities. It’s a team
of creatives, producers, data analysts and social experts working together to
deliver remarkable ideas that live in a variety of mediums, from everything from
social to TV. This team moves at the speed of culture. It is built to respond to
trends and events as they happen, coming up with the ideas that transcend social
media to capture the spirit of the moment, earn media impressions, and get the
country talking.
Are you ready to join an award-ambitious team that's making waves in the
advertising industry? Our incredible team has been recognized internationally by
industry giants like Cannes, One Show and was named Campaign's Global ‘In-House
Agency of The Year’, further solidifying our position as a leader in the
industry. Join us and be a part of something truly special - a team that's
dedicated to creating ground-breaking work and pushing limits.
At The Kitchen, we're not just looking for individuals who want to be a part of
the advertising industry - we're looking for trailblazers who are ready to lead
the way to the next big thing! We want individuals who are passionate about
producing award-winning work and have an innate drive to their craft and are
eager to generate innovative ideas both within and outside of the brief.
ROLE OVERVIEW
As the Creative Director you will lead a creative team made up of a senior pair
focused on social/digital activations, a junior team and content creators
focused on agile and planned social content, and a team of supporting designers
and resources tasked with making clever content that cuts through the noise on
social.
As an experienced creative leader, you know how to have an impact on your team,
and an ability to ensure every project they’re working on reaches its potential
- from agile responses to online moments, to bigger concepts born from cultural
trends.
You’re more than a creative manager; you’re a teacher to other creative managers
and talent. You know how to help a senior creative pair get the most out of
their team. You’re able to show the junior creatives ‘the ropes’ and get them to
a great idea that they feel passionate about. You are hands-on in contributing
to ideas and producing great work.
You’re always thinking about your team and its capabilities - addressing skill
gaps, training talent, and making sure you’re holding them to a high standard.
You’re an enthusiastic pitcher and want to be the creative face of the agency to
your brand partners.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- You lead: You Inspire and direct a team of writers, designers, producers,
social media/community managers and strategists to ensure a culture conducive
to great work. You are responsible for growing, retaining, and motivating
this team to succeed.
- You’re adaptable: You demonstrate resiliency in a dynamic, fast-paced work
environment where ideas and opportunities happen fast and require
flexibility.
- You hold your team to high standards: You ensure the highest level of
creative quality from your team and for the brands you work with. You
understand how to give clear feedback that your teams can use to improve
their work.
- You manage and supervise multiple creative projects and workflows, sometimes
bringing your creatives together, and sometimes focusing them on separate
asks.
- You direct the design and development of creative materials.
- You ensure brand identity and message consistency across channels.
- You care about being a good partner: meeting business objectives, values,
budgets, and deadlines with work that makes you proud. You present work and
develop relationships of value and respect with the team.
- You will lead and participate in brainstorming sessions and bring interesting
opportunities and trends to the team’s newsroom process.
- You’re a hands-on creative, writing copy or designing against guidelines and
brand tone of voice for film, print, digital and social as needed to support
your team.
- You lead teams and ensure strong and non-traditional creative output,
collaborating with and working under the direction of the Head of Creative.
- You help the agency develop a strong and positive relationship with the
advertising community to help recruit top talent.
EXPERIENCE & SKILLS
- A proven track record of success in digital/social advertising.
- An established leader with a track record of developing talent.
- 8+ years’ experience in Advertising, social, or medium agnostic creative…. or
a track record that shows why you’re ahead of your peers.
- Strong Portfolio: You demonstrate originality, innovation, and
multi-disciplinary thinking through your work.
- International Recognition: You have created a world-class campaign that
achieved international fame or won multiple international awards.
- Leadership Skills: You demonstrate strong leadership skills and can organize,
motivate, and improve the creative output of those around you.
- Big Unconventional Idea Thinker: You go beyond the executional or tactical
tasks and come up with innovative approaches that earn attention.
- Team Player: You are positive, collaborative and a contagious spirit, who
works well with others.
- Entrepreneurial: You take initiative and proactively come to the table with
new ideas to push forward the creative work and develop relationships with
the team
- Production Savvy: You know how to work within budgetary constraints and have
experience working with photographers, directors, and vendors.
- Time Management: You can manage your time, hit deadlines and be on time for
meetings, while juggling multiple projects.
The Kitchen, Kraft Heinz, and Salt are committed to Equal Employment Opportunity
and to attracting and retaining the most qualified employees regardless of race,
national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age or disability.
