Creative Director
Description
As a Creative Director at DPDK, you are a visionary leader who combines creative mastery with strategic thinking. You are driven by the power of visual storytelling and know how to translate brand values into compelling visual concepts that resonate. You inspire your team and clients with bold ideas and exceptional craft. Working in a high-energy, dynamic environment excites you, and you thrive on bringing creative excellence to every stage of a project—from concept to execution.
You are a key player in shaping the creative direction of projects, with a strong sense for design, branding, motion, and interactive experiences. You see the bigger picture without losing sight of the details and are skilled at guiding others toward impactful outcomes. You’re not just directing visual work; you’re driving transformation through creativity.
Your Duties & Responsibilities
- Lead and drive the creative vision for a wide range of projects—from digital platforms and brand campaigns to interactive experiences and product launches.
- Translate client briefings and business objectives into breakthrough creative concepts and art directions that align with project goals.
- Responsible for creating the weekly team schedule and ensuring the team stays on track with the planning and goals.
- Acts as a dual-role leader: providing visual direction and creative guidance, while also managing the day-to-day and weekly team workload
- Collaborate closely with UX, UI, motion, and development teams to bring integrated creative solutions to life.
- Present concepts and creative strategies to clients in a compelling and inspiring manner, communicating design rationale with clarity and confidence.
- Coach, mentor, and inspire designers, animators, and junior creatives; oversee the artistic development of team members.
- Safeguard visual quality and brand consistency across all deliverables, maintaining a sharp eye on detail while meeting strategic goals.
- Take ownership of creative quality throughout the production process—reviewing, refining, and iterating as needed.
- Stay ahead of industry trends and emerging tools, translating these into new creative opportunities for the agency and clients.
- Collaborate with project managers, strategists, and developers to ensure creative output aligns with timelines, budgets, and feasibility.
- Bring original thinking to pitches and proposals, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible within brand and tech constraints.
Requirements
- A strong portfolio that demonstrates exceptional art direction, visual storytelling, and brand craftsmanship across digital, motion, and interactive platforms.
- Minimum of 7 years of experience in a creative, design, or digital agency setting, with at least 2 years in a Creative Director role.
- Mastery of Adobe Creative Suite (especially Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects), including Figma. Other creative tools being a plus.
- Deep understanding of branding, typography, color theory, and visual composition, with the ability to create and evolve distinctive visual identities.
- Experienced in leading creative teams and mentoring junior creatives; you know how to inspire, delegate, and elevate others' work.
- Strong storytelling and presentation skills—capable of selling big ideas to internal and external stakeholders.
- Comfortable working across multiple projects in a fast-paced environment, with the ability to prioritize and deliver under tight deadlines.
- You are a natural collaborator with a proactive mindset and a hands-on approach to problem solving.
- You challenge the status quo by exploring new creative techniques, visual trends, and storytelling formats.
- Fluent in English and Dutch, with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Perks and Benefits
- Be part of a leading international digital agency from the coolest office in Rotterdam
- A competitive salary with amazing working conditions: pension, unlimited holidays, education and growth opportunities, and excellent career perspectives
- Join a highly diverse and international team of driven colleagues
- Daily lunch at the office, with healthy snacks, drinks, and lots of coffee
- Attend exclusive expertise-sharing events, relaxing Friday afternoon drinks, and tasty summer BBQs on the roof terrace with the best view in town!
At DPDK, we are committed to crafting exceptional digital experiences and bold creative statements. Our values—exceptionalism, transformation, craftsmanship, drive, and sincerity—guide everything we do. We strive to be better and newer every day and challenge everyone else to do the same.
If you’re ready to shape the future of digital creativity with us, send us your portfolio and a short letter telling us why you belong at DPDK.