Austin, TX, US Hybrid Employment

Idea Peddler is hiring a Creative Director

Responsibilities

  • Set the creative direction across client accounts, from the first brief through final delivery.
  • Turn strategy into clear concepts and integrated campaigns across digital, social, print, outdoor, presentations and experiences.
  • Invest real time in developing creative talent. Mentorship here means more than just leading by example. It means getting into the work, sharpening their craft and helping them reach the next level.
  • Inspire the team and dazzle prospective clients during the RFP process with presentations that are sincere, seriously smart and, of course, memorably creative.
  • Stay close to the work. Write, design, edit and/or art direct. Your involvement will make it stronger.
  • Give team members clear direction and practical feedback that helps them move forward.
  • Set the standard for concept, craft and execution, and hold that standard when timelines or feedback put pressure on the work.
  • Manage multiple projects, deadlines and shifting priorities without losing momentum or lowering the quality of the work.
  • Work closely with account and project management to balance creative ambition with timelines, budgets and team capacity.
  • Help improve how work moves through the agency, from briefing and concept development through review and delivery.
  • Make clear decisions, raise issues early and keep the team focused when projects get tight.
  • Advocate for your ideas, your team and the resources needed to deliver the work.
  • Step up during the natural peaks of agency life, including pitches, launches, production trips and tight deadlines.
  • Lead and develop a team of staff and freelance creatives across disciplines.
  • Give clear direction and useful feedback that makes the work better and helps people grow.
  • Create accountability without creating fear, confusion or unnecessary drama.
  • Build a culture of curiosity, ownership, collaboration and no B.S.
  • Protect the team, address problems directly and keep the energy constructive when the work gets hard.

Requirements

  • At least 10 years of creative agency experience, including leading integrated campaigns across multiple clients.
  • A portfolio that shows strong ideas brought to life across digital, social, print, outdoor, presentations and experiential work.
  • A background in design or art direction, with the ability to write, edit and improve work across disciplines.
  • Experience leading staff and freelance creatives from concept through final delivery.
  • Confidence in presenting ideas, handling feedback and working directly with senior clients.
  • Strong working knowledge of Figma and Adobe Creative Cloud.
  • The ability to manage scope, timelines, budgets and resources without losing sight of the work.

Nice to Have

  • Experience with tourism, hospitality, hotels, resorts, attractions or travel brands.
  • Experience helping emerging brands define their voice and build integrated campaigns.
  • Practical fluency with AI tools and modern creative workflows.

Benefits

  • health, vision and dental benefits
  • 401k matching
  • generous paid time off
  • tech kit
  • health club stipend
  • cell phone credit
  • catered weekly meal
  • recurring educational opportunities

Work Arrangement

Hybrid

Required Skills
FigmaHospitality
About company
Idea Peddler

Idea Peddler is an independent, full-service advertising agency headquartered in Austin, Texas with a second office in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Since 2014, we’ve combined big-agency expertise with boutique service for brands in travel, hospitality, tourism, financial services, CPG, and advocacy — from Taos Ski Valley and New Mexico True to Visit Austin and the City of Palm Desert.

Our work spans media strategy and buying, creative and content production, brand strategy, consumer research, and performance marketing. As an independent agency, we have no holding-company media commitments — every dollar goes where the data says it should.

And as travelers shift from Google to AI assistants like ChatGPT and Gemini, we help brands stay discoverable there too, through our AI visibility practice built for resorts, hotels, and destinations.

What we do: Media planning & buying · Brand strategy · Creative & content production · Performance marketing · Consumer research · AI visibility & search optimization.

All jobs at Idea Peddler Visit website
Job Details
Department Creative
Category management
Posted 17 days ago