Associate Director, Talent Acquisition

We're looking for an Associate Director, Talent Acquisition to lead how we find, attract and hire the best creative talent across our North American agencies. You'll own a portfolio of business-critical creative searches. You'll partner closely with Creative leads, and help shape our creative strategy that keeps our agencies first in line for the industry's most sought-after creative minds.

What will you be doing?

• Leading creative searches: Personally run a portfolio of creative searches, from entry to senior. Own each search from approval to offer.
• Partnering with creative leaders: Be a trusted advisor to ECDs, CD's and agency leadership on creative team structure, talent gaps and the shape of the creative market – local and national. Push back with confidence and bring a point of view.
• Building creative talent strategy: Work with our creative recruiters to help design and run sourcing strategies for creative disciplines, including art direction, copywriting, design, social and content, creative technology and craft roles. Continue to partner keeping up-to-date talent maps of top creatives and teams at competitor agencies, independents and in-house studios.
• Spotting and assessing talent: Review portfolios with a critical eye and judge creative quality, range and fit for each agency's creative culture. Help hiring teams run fair, consistent creative interviews and assessments.
• Engaging the creative community: Build and keep a strong network across the creative industry. Grow our presence at awards shows and industry events (such as Cannes Lions, The One Show and ADC), and build partnerships with portfolio schools and creative programs (such as VCU Brandcenter, Miami Ad School and ArtCenter).
• Building inclusive creative pipelines: Champion programs that open doors to underrepresented creative talent, including internships, early-career residencies and community partnerships.
• Shaping our employer brand: Work with agency marketing and creative teams to tell a compelling story about why the best creatives should choose our creative agencies.
• Leading and developing others: Coach and support TA Partners and coordinators working on any creative hiring, sharing your market knowledge and raising the quality of creative recruiting across the team. Work across the COE's as partners.
• Using data and insights: Track search performance, pipeline health and market trends such as compensation, availability and movement between agencies. Use them to advise leaders and inform hiring decisions.

Ideal experience

• 8+ years of recruitment experience, with at least 5 years focused on creative talent within advertising agencies, holding companies or creative recruitment firms
• A strong track record of filling creative roles, including but not limited to Writers, AD's, ACD's and CD's
• An established network across the North American creative community, plus a strong feel for the reputations, cultures and creative output of top agencies
• A trained eye for creative work and confidence assessing portfolios, reels and case studies
• Experience advising and influencing senior creative leaders, with the credibility to hold your own with creative leadership
• Excellent relationship-building, negotiation and closing skills, especially for competitive senior offers
• Strong technical recruiting skills, including LinkedIn Recruiter, Workday using AI tools safely and critically at work
• A genuine passion for creativity, advertising and the people who make great work