Associate Creative Director, Art - AbbVie

AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas – immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Tik Tok.

The Art ACD works in close partnership with the Copy ACD—together, they are responsible for shepherding creative output of multiple assigned brands, producing and overseeing work that is Brave, Authentic, and Inspiring. Partners closely with Copy, Account, and Studio, along with Creative Management to ensure that clients are satisfied with the quality of our creative work, the value of our services, and our responsiveness to their needs.

This is a hybrid role and requires the ability to commute to our Irvine, CA office at least 3 days per week.

Creative/Hands-on Work (60%)

• Helps develop and review creative briefs with Copy and Account partners
• Works with Copy partner to produce exceptional, strategically focused concepts and campaigns
• Takes on appropriate print, video, and digital projects as the lead art director
• Creates layouts and designs that are attention-grabbing, unique, and aligned with brand identity
• Works independently, often under tight deadlines, while juggling multiple brands/projects and managing other art directors
• Provides constructive feedback and clear direction to improve others’ work
• Provides direction to external vendors, including photographers, illustrators, and video producers
• Seeks new vendor leads to expand agency roster
• Actively participates in client meetings
• Leads design presentations; helps lead concept presentations
• Helps lead brand planning and new business efforts as required
• Attends market research as appropriate
• Understands that advertising is a service industry that sometimes requires extra time and effort to meet client commitments

Management (20%)

• Assigns art directors best suited for each project based on ability and workload
• Manages workloads to maximize productivity of the Art team, ensuring that everyone is billable
• Works closely with other team leads to ensure jobs stay on track with deadlines and budgets
• Guides creative execution with constructive feedback and clear direction
• Provides written and face-to-face feedback for annual performance reviews, as well as ongoing feedback throughout the year
• Identifies and interviews prospective creative candidates

Leadership (20%)

• Creative leader for assigned brands in partnership with Copy ACD
• Maintains excellent client relationships
• Works with Account partners to grow business with existing clients
• Works with Creative Management to address performance, workflow, and quality issues
• Leads art directors in development of award-worthy concepts and execution of all projects
• Assures that junior art directors are trained and mentored to maintain the expectations of the agency and the client, and to meet their own career goals
• Consistently demonstrates to clients an understanding of their brands and marketing challenges, and is responsive to their strategic and creative needs
• Represents the agency at client meetings; co-presents creative work with Copy partner

• 8+ years of experience in advertising agency (creative in pharmaceutical or healthcare industry preferred).
• BA degree preferred
• Proven leadership competencies to include setting vision and strategy, building teams, knowing the business, driving for results, and encouraging open exchange of ideas and knowledge.
• Strong, proven management experience across multiple functions including management of exempt personnel in fast-paced, service/team environment.
• Highly motivated change agent that can drive business-focused solutions.
• Experience with a wide array of media including print, video, online, events/displays.
• Proficient with design applications including In Design, Photoshop, Illustrator and PowerPoint as well as a thorough working knowledge of print production.
• Understanding of interactive media production.
• A proven track record of creative ability; highly successful client contact experience.
• An excellent presenter, collaboration skills, manager experience, exceptional marketing and strategic abilities; a deep understanding of science and healthcare; expert understanding of MLR (Medical/Legal/Regulatory review) requirements; and award-winning design skills in all media

Applicable only to applicants applying to a position in any location with pay disclosure requirements under state or local law: ​

• The compensation range described below is the range of possible base pay compensation that the Company believes in good faith it will pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual compensation paid within this range will depend on many factors including geographic location, and we may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future.​

• We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick), medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.​

• This job is eligible to participate in our short-term incentive programs. ​

Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, incentive, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole and absolute discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole and absolute discretion, consistent with applicable law. ​

AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives, serving our community and embracing diversity and inclusion.  It is AbbVie’s policy to employ qualified persons of the greatest ability without discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy), physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, status as a protected veteran, or any other legally protected group status.

US & Puerto Rico only - to learn more, visit https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/equal-employment-opportunity-employer.html 

US & Puerto Rico applicants seeking a reasonable accommodation, click here to learn more:

https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/reasonable-accommodations.html