Marriner Marketing is looking for a VP of Creative

Marriner Marketing, an award-winning agency specializing in food, beverage and tourism is actively seeking a VP of Creative to turbo charge the next stage of agency growth. At Marriner, we do not just want to build brands for the world as it exists, we strive to transform brands for the world as it will be.

This is not a remote position. Our team works in our Columbia, Maryland office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. While the office is open on Mondays and Fridays, employees have the option to work remote should they so choose.

Ideal candidate will be 

• A conceptual visionary
• A strong mentor and teacher
• A well-rounded modern marketer with proven acumen in paid, earned and owned channels (traditional and digital) for both B2C and B2B clients (preferable some experience in the food and/or travel industries)
• A talented contributor to tactical development
• An open-minded collaborator
• Someone who is ready to spearhead our mission to win an Effie within the next three years

The VP of Creative will oversee the recommendation, integration and implementation of all creative output needed to achieve the goals of the agency and our customers. Ultimately, they have ownership and accountability for all creative (channel agnostic) that goes out the door. They should help develop an undeniable Agency creative fingerprint that becomes easily identifiable without being “cookie-cutter.”

The VP of Creative will inspire others both internally and externally. We view this department as the heart of the agency, and this role as the soul. Successfully manage of team of approximately ten, including career development, resourcing, and hiring and while meeting profitability goals for the creative department will be paramount to our continued growth and success.

As a key member of the agency leadership team, the VP of Creative will have an influential voice in the direction of the agency, and corresponding accountabilities to achieve our collective goals.

Responsibilities of Agency’s VP of Creative are comprised of (but not limited to):

Creative Excellence

• Lead. Own the process and ensure every piece, from concept through the smallest tactical activation, meets Client and Agency standards.
• Strategically push the creative integrity of all campaigns and deliverables. Find unique ways to disrupt the industry and compel customers to act
• Contribute thoughtfully to the strategic, and annual, planning processes
• Deliver consistency from target insight to concept to content
• Lead integrated campaign development that works across every medium (print, TV, video, digital, social, collateral, experiential, sales decks, packaging, etc.) and collaborate to identify the most appropriate channel mix for each marketing program
• Work with Performance team to optimize create and achieve desired KPIs.
• Ensure brand message, tone and design standards are consistent across all offline and online channels.
• Be scrappy and resourceful

Client Engagement

• Be a proud ambassador of the agency
• Be the Client-facing representation of Agency’s creative vision
• Be fluent in each Clients’ business, brand and marketing objectives
• Lead the creation of work that makes both the agency and the client proud.
• Help to proactively identify growth opportunities and solutions to challenges our clients might not even know they have
• Win over a room. Showcase exceptional presentation skills, with an ability to clearly articulate and explain the creative work and your rationale behind it. Evoke excitement and passion with your recommendations. Be influential and charming. Not stubborn and aggressive

Leadership

• Guide, mentor, enable and inspire a growing team of creative directors, art directors, designers and copywriters to deliver best-in-class creative work
• Create seamless integration through a positive partnership with cross-functional teams
• Maintain and grow the health and culture of the Agency - a fun and meaningful place to work
• Foster a culture of curiosity
• Encourage and empower the Creative department to serve as subject matter experts on the latest creative trends, communication techniques and formats.
• Identify and manage outside creative resources as appropriate and necessary
• Identify additional capabilities that should be added to Agency’s in-house resources and manage the onboarding process through professional development of talent acquisition.

Agency Growth

• Contribute to updating the Agency’s brand story to align with our vision for the future and the class of clients we are looking to attract.
• Work with the New Business team to develop identify, engage and win business
• Help attract and retain top-tier creative talent
• Actively engage in Senior Leadership team meetings to help position the Agency for continued growth
• Work with the VP of Strategic Partnerships to develop motivating new business outreach materials, RFP responses and pitch presentations
• Take ownership of defined Agency growth initiatives to help achieve agreed-upon milestones
• Collaborate with other department leads to ensure seamless Agency integration
• Help attract and retain top-tier creative talent
• Manage profitability within your group

Required Qualifications and Skills

• 10+ years of experience in creative leadership in an Agency setting
• A passion for uncovering target insights and maximizing them for disruptive creative concepts and campaigns
• Ability the think big when appropriate, but activate within constraints when necessary
• A compelling portfolio with distinctive, results-driven work that excites people to learn from and work with you
• Talented storyteller with a proven ability to contribute to brand strategy \
• Proven experience in leading the development of 360-degree campaign concepts and activations
• Proven experience across traditional and digital paid, earned and owned channels
• Hands-on involvement with key projects, while still being able to empower, challenge and champion your team
• Ability to provide clear creative direction and constructive feedback to deliver quality work on time and within budget
• Charm and optimism
• A shared love of food

Qualified candidates should send their resume and portfolio to davidm@marriner.com.