Executive Creative Director

Company Description

Running with Sasquatch is more than just a clever marketing campaign. As a Jack Link’s team member, Running with Sasquatch means we roll up our buffalo plaid sleeves and do the hard work first. We don’t shy away from challenges. In fact, we push hard and take risks. True to our North Woods roots, we're a bunch of ordinary people who accomplish extraordinary things by driving results with innovation, creativity and a clear sense of urgency. Like our awesome protein products, we have an unwavering passion for quality, and you won’t find anything artificial here. What you see is what you get… authentic, humble and fun people who Run with Sasquatch!

Running with Sasquatch takes a team. We invite you to run with us, succeed with us, and celebrate with us. Most importantly, Feed Your Wild Side with us on our journey to be the dominant global leader of branded protein snacks!

Jack Link's Protein Snacks is a global leader in snacking and the No. 1 meat snack manufacturer worldwide. Still family-owned and operated with headquarters in Minong, Wisconsin, Jack Link’s also has a large corporate hub in Downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, and operates a total of 11 manufacturing and distribution facilities in four countries. Jack Link’s produces high-quality, great-tasting protein snacks that feed the wild sides of consumers around the world. Jack Link's Protein Snacks family of brands includes Jack Link's, Lorissa's Kitchen, World Kitchens Jerky, Bifi and Peperami.

Job Description

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, Lorissa’s Kitchen, and Golden Island, 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 5+ 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 Development

• 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 and contribute to 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 mak