Jack Link's is not made up of a bunch of button-up, corporate types. Like our brands and products, we believe in being authentic and genuine. Life is too short to be artificial. We have never done things the way everyone else does. Over the years, for us these facts have always been more than just a way of doing business, it has been a way of life.What makes working at Jack Link’s so special? Jack Link’s is a company for personal growth, for awesome characters who are real, love speed and with great self discipline. You can feed your wild side while working in a very international and fresh environment. We push hard and take risks - with the unwavering passion to get done what we have set out to do. All backed up by an unflinching eye on quality.Jack Link’s is a family owned and value driven company. In April 2014 Jack Link’s bought the brands BiFi and Peperami from Unilever. The remainder of the year was used to implement the brands and organisation in a new head office organisation in Amsterdam. In 2016 the Beef Jerky product was integrated and Jack Link’s EMEA was up and running autonomously. In the meantime, Jack Links EMEA has grown to 60 employees and is still growing.If you are an innovative creative leader with a social-first and culturally tuned-in mindset, looking to elevate content creativity to new heights, this job might be right for you. We are looking for a creative mastermind, a multi-tasker to motivate, inspire, manage, create, and steward new content opportunities that stand out from the status quo, inspire engagement and spark conversation.As the Executive Creative Director (ECD), you will be responsible for building, growing, and leading a team of content innovators that will support our full portfolio of brands including – Jack Link’s, Jack Link’s Wild, Lorissa’s Kitchen, Golden Island, and Wild River, as well as Licensed and Incubator brands as they are launched. You will be a champion for creative excellence, build exceptional cross-functional relationships, provide visionary leadership and inspiration while balancing strategic feedback and communicating actionable direction to the team to drive results. The Executive Creative Director reports to the Vice President of Integrated Marketing and will be a key member of the Marketing Leadership Team.The responsibilities of this position shall consist of, but not be limited to, the following:Creative leadership
Provide visionary leadership to the creative team, inspiring and guiding them to produce innovative, compelling, and effective content across our full portfolio of brands
Build, manage and mentor a team of creative content professionals, including art directors, copywriters, designers, editors, videographers, and other creatives, with 4+ direct reports
Inspire the creative team to create more modern and culturally relevant content using brainstorming sessions, team meetings, and other strategic tools
Develop a strong team culture by attracting creative professionals and supporting their individual growth to build a talent pipeline that ensures the future success of the business and our brands
Provide constructive feedback, conduct performance evaluations, and foster a collaborative and positive work environment. Inspire creative team members to be engaged, organized, and self-sufficient
Build bridges between teams and nurture cross-functional relationships while contributing cohesive creative support to cross-functional initiatives
Embody Link Snacks’ values and champion them to the creative team
Participate as part of the Marketing Leadership Team to problem solve company challenges and to work toward the achievement of company growth goals
Creative Oversight
Champion a culture of curiosity and innovation by staying ahead of industry trends, integrating emerging technologies like Generative AI, and continuously adapting to the evolving social media landscape.
Lead in setting the vision for how our brands show up across every content touchpoint (social, digital, experiential, and more).
Oversee the development of ideas, concepts and content ensuring alignment with brand guidelines, industry regulations, and market trends
Maintain high standards of creative excellence and accountability, using best practices to guide teams through the creative process and ensure accurate, error-free creative execution within agreed timelines
Inspire teams to push creative boundaries – crafting and capturing content that help our brands make an impact in culture and create a connection with our consumers
Act as a player-coach, working with teams to bring ideas to life
Planning, Strategizing, Evaluating & Optimizing
Partner with Brand teams to develop workable project budgets, plans, and realistic timelines in addition to defining content scope
Work with cross functional team to develop content strategies and opportunities
Review, analyze and evaluate creative briefs and creative deliverables relative to the brand’s needs and objectives
Gain a deep knowledge of our brands’ businesses and goals to develop unique creative concepts that will maintain their brand’s voice and build consumer engagement and affinity.
Act as a key point of contact for the brand teams, building strong relationships and understanding their content needs.
Oversee deadlines and budgets as they relate to creative projects to contribute to fiscal responsibility of the brand(s) and overall business
Required Education:
Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design, Art Direction, Digital Marketing, Writing, Journalism or creative content-related field or equivalent
Required Experience:
15+ years of experience in advertising/content development, including at least five years in leading a creative team. Proven ability to manage a diverse portfolio of brands. CPG/food experience is a plus.
Proven track record in overseeing the development of creative work across social media, with specific experience working on big idea campaign platforms, as well as with short-form video content and emerging platforms.
Significant leadership experience in agency settings or with large brands, capable of leading by example, fostering a positive work environment, and encouraging a culture of innovation and collaboration.
Experience attracting, mentoring, and developing creative talent.
Willingness to take on all types of projects, big and small.
A deep understanding of social platforms and their creative formats.
Experience taking a moment in culture and reacting quickly to create a social activation.
Ability to socialize and present creative work in a compelling and persuasive way to cross-functional partners and senior leadership – has excellent people skills.
Clear and concise written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence and motivate others.
Sound decision-making and problem-solving skills based on brand, consumer, and industry knowledge.
Ability to adapt to changing priorities and circumstances.
Strong capability to multitask and prioritize multiple demands.
Proficiency in Adobe software.
Willingness and ability to occasionally work nonstandard work hours and weekends, and travel as required (30%).
JACK LINK’S CORE VALUES:Company values: Be Real, Speed Matters, Stewardship, Relationship Driven, Self-Discipline, and Show Awesome Character.EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:Jack Link’s provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic that is protected by federal, state or local law.E-VERIFY:Jack Link’s is participant in the federal E-Verify program to confirm the identity and employment authorization of all newly hired employees. For information about the E-Verify program, please visit:http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify/employeesAll your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.