Vice President, Executive Creative Director Job at West Cary Group in Richmond

Vice President, Executive Creative Director Description : The Vice President, Executive Creative Director (ECD) is a visionary senior leader responsible for shaping the creative vision, strategy, and execution for one of the agency’s most important accounts. As the primary creative partner for this flagship client, the ECD drives bold, insight-driven creative work that delivers measurable business results. This leader sets the standard for innovation, collaboration, and creative excellence, while fostering a strong, trusted partnership with senior client stakeholders.

The ECD inspires and mentors a dedicated creative team, ensures seamless cross-functional integration, and leverages industry trends to keep the client ahead of the curve. With deep expertise in brand strategy, integrated marketing, and emerging technologies, this role is central to strengthening the client-agency relationship and reinforcing the agency’s reputation as a creative leader.

Position Responsibilities Own and lead the creative vision and output for the dedicated account across all platforms and campaigns.

Collaborate with senior client executives to develop strategic, innovative creative solutions that drive business growth.

Ensure the creative output consistently reflects exceptional quality, creative strategy and innovation by actively participating in the creative direction and craft of the work.

Act as a creative partner for the client’s senior leadership, fostering trust and collaboration.

Identify organic growth opportunities and drive initiatives that expand the agency’s scope of work with the client.

Partner with account team leads to align creative with client intent and measurable performance.

Represent the agency in client presentations and business reviews as a creative face of the account.

Lead, mentor, and inspire a dedicated creative team of Group and Senior Creative Directors, Associate Creative Directors, Art Directors, Copywriters, and Designers.

Act as a ‘coach / player’ when needed, and foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and accountability within the team.

Oversee resource planning, budgets, and timelines to ensure efficient, profitable operations without compromising creative quality.

Support recruitment, retention, and growth of top creative talent, ensuring the team evolves to meet the client’s needs.

Contribute insights and learnings from the flagship account to agency-wide innovation and thought leadership initiatives.

Partner with West Cary Group leadership and actively participate in agency initiatives and leadership meetings to positively impact the organization, its people, processes, and creative direction, driving operational excellence beyond the account.

Requirements Role Qualifications 15+ years of experience in creative roles, with 7–10 years leading large creative teams on high-profile, complex accounts.

Proven experience managing flagship accounts with multi-million-dollar budgets and multi-channel campaigns.

Strong conceptual thinker with deep knowledge of digital, social, experiential, and traditional media.

Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships with executive level clients and act as a strategic partner.

Expertise in driving creative innovation and identifying opportunities for growth within an account.

Exceptional leadership skills with a passion for mentoring senior creative talent and developing high-performing teams.

High-level business acumen with the ability to align creative vision to business objectives.

Consistently demonstrates the invaluable leadership characteristics, such as sound judgment, the ability to positively influence team members and clients, and the innate sense of purpose and drive to enhance West Cary Group holistically

Essential Skills And Experience Exceptional presentation and communication skills, with the ability to influence and inspire both internal teams and clients.

Expertise in brand and identity management at a national or global scale.

Deep understanding of the creative development process from concept to execution.

Strong organizational skills to manage multiple concurrent initiatives while maintaining a clear strategic vision.

Expertise in integrating creative with emerging platforms, technologies, and data-driven insights.

Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment with aggressive timelines while delivering exceptional results.

BS / BA degree required in design, marketing, advertising, communications, or related field

Has strong presentation skills and is an expert client manager and creative negotiator

Responsible for training and reviewing, and mentoring direct reports

Ability to understand timelines, proposed budgets, staffing needs, and provide actionable feedback

Strong expertise in communication disciplines, which include marketing communications, advertising, media and public relations, print and digital design, strategy development, and project management

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