Creative Director, Design

Key Responsibilities

• Translate brand strategy, consumer insights, cultural observations and product truths into distinctive, relevant and memorable design ideas.

• Lead the design expression of major campaigns, launches and brand initiatives across digital, web, social, OOH, retail, experiential, photography, product storytelling and other customer-facing touchpoints.

• Develop visual concepts and design systems that reinforce the central creative idea while building recognition and equity for the brand.

• Work in close partnership with the Head of Design to evolve and apply the visual identity systems for Windows, Surface and Services.

• Turn foundational brand principles into compelling and scalable visual expressions, including typography, color, composition, layout, imagery, iconography, graphic language and other design elements.

• Lead internal design teams and agency partners from brief through visual exploration, system development, production and final delivery, inspiring exceptional craft at every stage.

• Establish the design direction for projects, providing clear creative guidance, thoughtful critique and actionable feedback to designers, art directors and external partners.

• Develop and art direct photography, key art, illustration, typography and other visual assets required to support brand and campaign design systems.

• Partner with the Creative Director, Art & Film to ensure the design system and film expression share a coherent visual world, while respecting clear ownership of filmmaking, directing, production and motion-led storytelling within the Art & Film function.

• Partner with Creative Directors in Copy to ensure language, hierarchy, typography and visual expression work together as a unified experience.

• Collaborate with Integrated Marketing, Product Marketing, Retail, Digital, Product Design and other internal partners to create cohesive design experiences across customer touchpoints.

• Present and represent design thinking to creative leadership, marketing partners and senior stakeholders, clearly articulating the rationale behind the work and advocating for the strongest design outcome.

• Lead and creatively direct brand design agencies, design studios, photographers, illustrators, typographers, image-makers and other specialist partners.

• Ensure final work adheres to the core design idea and established brand principles while allowing room for experimentation, evolution and creative innovation.

• Identify opportunities to improve existing design systems, tools and frameworks so teams can execute with greater clarity, consistency and quality.

• Maintain a strong point of view on contemporary brand design, typography, image-making, technology, fashion, culture and visual communication, bringing that perspective into the work.

• Lead multiple design initiatives simultaneously while maintaining creative clarity, systems coherence, high standards and exceptional attention to detail.

• Mentor designers and art directors, helping them strengthen their conceptual thinking, systems thinking, visual judgment and executional craft.

• Contribute to a design culture centered on ambition, rigor, curiosity, collaboration and world-class craft.

You must submit a portfolio to be considered for this role.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree or Certificate in Design, Fine Arts, Human Computer Interaction, Visual Communications or related field AND 8+ years experience in art design or a related art field working on computer games or entertainment OR equivalent experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Creative Director, Design Director, Associate Creative Director or equivalent at a leading brand design studio, advertising agency or in-house creative team at a consumer organization.

• An outstanding portfolio demonstrating excellence in brand identity, visual systems, campaign design, typography, image-making and visual storytelling.

• Significant experience developing design systems and visual expressions for major consumer brands, campaigns, launches or culturally relevant products.

• Deep hands-on expertise in typography, composition, color, layout, photography, image-making, identity design and visual systems.

• Demonstrated ability to translate a foundational brand identity into flexible campaign and launch systems that work across multiple channels, formats and customer touchpoints.

• Experience building scalable design systems that maintain clarity and distinctiveness across global markets, audiences and execution partners.

• Experience leading design initiatives from early creative exploration through system development, production, implementation and final delivery.

• Experience directing multidisciplinary design teams, agencies, studios, photographers, illustrators, typographers and other specialist creative partners.

• Strong conceptual thinking and the ability to connect brand strategy, customer insight and product truth to a clear visual idea.

• Experience partnering with copywriters, advertising creatives, filmmakers, marketers and other disciplines while maintaining a clear point of view on design.

• Ability to present, defend and evolve design ideas with creative leadership, cross-functional partners and senior business stakeholders.

• Exceptional visual taste, attention to detail and a strong point of view on contemporary design, technology and culture.

• Experience developing or evolving identity and design systems for nationally or globally recognized consumer brands.

• Experience leading the design expression of high-profile integrated campaigns, product launches and brand initiatives.

• Creative leadership experience within a leading brand design studio, advertising agency, consumer brand, in-house creative organization or a combination of these environments.

• Experience developing large-scale campaign systems that extend across digital, web, social, OOH, retail, experiential and other customer-facing channels.

• Experience applying foundational visual identity systems to campaign and launch work without compromising brand consistency or creative ambition.

• Experience developing photography frameworks, key art systems, typographic systems and distinctive approaches to product storytelling.

• Experience balancing long-term brand stewardship with the distinct creative needs of individual campaigns, launches and business priorities.

• Experience mentoring designers and art directors while raising the standard of conceptual thinking, systems thinking and visual craft.

• Experience building productive relationships with leading design studios, agencies, photographers, illustrators, typographers and creative talent.