Associate Creative Director (Design)

Who is Frankel?

Frankel is a full-service strategic communications firm based in Gainesville, FL, specializing in branding, marketing, and digital strategy. We help organizations connect with their audiences through thoughtful strategy, sharp creative, and measurable results - whether that's a million-dollar budget or a gumball and a paperclip. We partner with clients across financial services, higher education, healthcare, professional services, and more, and we're looking for people who love a good challenge as much as we do.

Who We Need

If you're a designer who can spot a great idea from a mile away, knows how to turn strategy into visual storytelling, and can make the people around you better, this role is for you.

The Associate Creative Director (Design) is responsible for developing and leading visual concepts, campaigns, brand systems, and creative work across Frankel's client portfolio. This role combines strong design and conceptual skills with creative leadership, helping shape work from the initial idea through final execution.

The ACD (Design) works closely with the Creative Director, account teams, strategists, and other creative team members to develop integrated work that is strategically sound, visually compelling, and right for the client. This person is both a hands-on creative and a leader - someone who can design the work, present the idea, provide thoughtful feedback, and help raise the creative bar across the agency.

The ideal candidate has a strong design portfolio, excellent conceptual thinking, and the ability to lead without ego. They should be comfortable moving between big-picture campaign development and hands-on execution in a fast-paced agency environment.

The Basics

Job Title: Associate Creative Director - Design

Department: Creative

Reports To: Creative Director

Location: Gainesville, FL (Hybrid) or Remote in Select States

Employment Type: Full-Time

NOTE: Only USA-based candidates will be considered for this position. Frankel is unable to provide sponsorship at this time. If based in Gainesville, this hybrid role requires being in the office from Tuesday through Thursday, and Monday and Friday are remote days. We are open to remote candidates.

Responsibilities

Creative Leadership

• Partner with the Creative Director to develop the creative vision and direction for client work
• Lead the visual direction for integrated campaigns, brand initiatives, digital experiences, and other creative projects
• Translate strategic briefs and client objectives into compelling visual concepts
• Help set the creative standard for work across assigned accounts
• Present creative concepts and recommendations to clients and internal stakeholders
• Provide clear, constructive feedback to designers and other creative team members
• Mentor and develop junior and mid-level design talent

Design & Concepting

• Develop big ideas, campaign concepts, visual systems, brand identities, layouts, and other creative concepts
• Create and oversee design across digital, print, social, video, web, presentations, and other channels
• Turn strategic ideas into clear, compelling, and memorable visual storytelling
• Maintain strong understanding of brand standards and ensure visual consistency across deliverables
• Review and refine creative throughout the process, from initial concept through final production
• Know when a piece needs more work, when it's ready to go, and when to push the idea further

Client & Team Collaboration

• Work closely with Account Services, Strategy, Copy, Digital, Web, and other teams to develop integrated solutions
• Participate in client meetings, creative reviews, brainstorms, and presentations
• Collaborate with copywriters to ensure visual and verbal concepts work together as one idea
• Help translate client feedback into actionable creative direction
• Build strong working relationships with clients and internal partners

Creative Quality

• Ensure creative work meets Frankel's standards for strategy, originality, design, and execution
• Review final work for accuracy, consistency, accessibility, and adherence to brand standards
• Identify opportunities to make work smarter, more effective, and more engaging
• Stay current on design, advertising, technology, cultural, and creative trends
• Understand how emerging technologies, including AI, can improve creative development and execution

General

• Manage multiple projects and priorities while meeting deadlines
• Maintain organized files, documentation, and creative processes
• Participate in agency brainstorms, pitches, and new business opportunities
• Contribute to the evolution of Frankel's creative product and culture
• Perform other duties as assigned

Requirements

• Minimum 2 years of experience working in an Associate Creative Director (ACD) role at an advertising, marketing, communications, or creative agency
• Demonstrated experience operating at an ACD or Director-level creative role, with 10-15+ years of professional design experience
• Proven experience developing and leading creative concepts and campaigns
• Exceptional visual design and conceptual thinking skills
• Strong portfolio demonstrating creative leadership and high-quality design across multiple mediums
• Experience presenting creative work to clients and internal stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to give and receive thoughtful, constructive creative feedback
• Experience mentoring or managing other creative team members
• Strong understanding of branding, visual identity, typography, layout, and integrated marketing
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Ability to manage multiple accounts, projects, and deadlines simultaneously
• Comfortable working collaboratively across departments
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud
• Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Advertising, Fine Arts, Communications, or a related field preferred
• We're serious about the work, not about ego. Kindness and collaboration are non-negotiable here.

Bonus points if:

• You have experience in higher education, healthcare, financial services, or professional services
• You have experience developing brand identities and visual systems
• You have experience designing for digital, web, social, video, and emerging platforms
• You have experience with motion, animation, or basic video production
• You are confident integrating AI into your creative workflow while maintaining quality and originality
• You have experience working on pitches and new business presentations
• You have direct team management experience or line management experience, including hiring, coaching, developing, and managing the performance of creative team members
• You have experience managing client relationships, accounts, or day-to-day client partnerships
• You have experience selling creative work - including pitching creative concepts, capabilities, or agency services to prospective or existing clients

Why Frankel?

Agency life shouldn't take over your life. Beyond the day-to-day, here's what you can expect as part of the team:

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage, with Frankel contributing toward the cost of your plan
• 401(k) with a match, eligible after your first work anniversary
• 15 days of PTO in year one, moving to our flexible Responsible Time Off plan after that
• Holiday Break Days in November and December
• Paid parental leave and a free Employee Assistance Program
• A hybrid, collaborative culture with an open-door policy - we want to hear your ideas, not just your deliverables

Compensation & Pay Transparency

In compliance with applicable pay transparency laws, Frankel includes the expected salary range for this role. Actual compensation will depend on factors like experience, skills, and internal equity. All full-time employees are eligible for our full benefits package, including medical/dental/vision coverage, 401(k) matching, paid parental leave, generous PTO, and more.

The salary range for this position is $80,000–$120,000 annually, depending on skills, experience, and qualifications

We Are Stoked, Pumped & Jazzed

...to see your application. If this job sounds like you, we'd love to hear from you.