Associate Creative Director

Resilient, Cutting-Edge, Leader

You are a creative leader who can't help but see the gap between good and great, and who can't walk past it. You've spent over a decade in agency life learning exactly what it takes to make work ship-ready, and exactly how to get a team of designers and writers there without doing the work for them. You know in your bones when something is “on brand” or “off brand,” and you have a visceral reaction to the latter. You hold the line, every day, on every account, regardless of size.

Apply Today

Application Requirements

 

  • 10+ years of agency experience, with a proven record managing and developing creative talent

  • Stellar portfolio, sent via email as an attachment or link

  • References who can speak to both your creative standards and your leadership

Top Priorities

  • Serve as the final creative review on retainer accounts — the last set of eyes before work reaches the client

  • Provide first-pass creative review on higher-tier accounts, catching what needs to be caught so the Creative Director's review stays focused on brand-level decisions

  • Give clear, actionable creative direction to designers and writers that elevates the work without doing it for them

  • Enforce brand consistency across every account, whether or not the CD has personally seen the work

  • Lead client-facing creative presentations and discovery sessions in place of or alongside the CD

This job is in person.
We are in office Monday -Thursday in Columbia, Missouri.

Being in office is a point of difference. We offer a relocation stipend and we will not entertain remote applications.

read about being in office at hoot

Day-to-Day

Creative Review & Quality Control — Team Direction & Mentorship — Brand Standards Enforcement — Client Presentations & Discovery — Retainer Creative Oversight — Talent Development — Cross-Account Consistency

Works With

Creative Director: Reports directly to the CD; serves as first-pass review before higher-tier work reaches them

Designers & Writers: Provides day-to-day creative direction and development

Account Director: Collaborates on account growth and ensuring creative supports client strategy

Strategist: Partners to make sure creative execution stays aligned to marketing strategy

Salary

 

$80,000 - $90,000 based on experience

2026 Benefits List

  • Childcare

    50% off childcare at Windsor Street Montessori 18m-3rd grade

  • Life Support

    $250 month reimbursement for anything that allows you to buy back your time. Meal planning, cleaning, dog walking etc.

  • 401K

    Employer match up to 4%

  • Health Insurance

    Sedera paid at 50%
    Big Tree Medical paid at 100%

  • Parental Leave

    12 weeks paid
    Baby welcome at office for first year

  • In Kind

    The Laser Clinic
    Columbia Weightlifting

  • Mental Health Support

    Paid at 50%

  • Mind/Body Support

    “Move your body” hours on your timesheet (up to 2 hours)

  • Time/Shift Flexibility

    You may start your day between 7:30am and 9am, you may end between 4 and 6pm, we do not require a lunch break.

  • Work From Home Fridays

    All employees work remotely on Fridays and we avoid meetings

Apply Today