Associate Creative Director Design Jobs in California

Location: Rancho Santa Margarita, CA

Work Type: Hybrid (3 days onsite required)

FLSA Status: Exempt

Compensation: $110,000 to $135,000 annually, depending on experience and alignment with the role

At Clearly Filtered, we exist to help people, starting with the water they drink. We build high-performance filtration products backed by science and transparency, and we hold ourselves to a simple standard: every person who comes into contact with Clearly Filtered should be better off for it.

We’re based in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA and we’re building out our creative function as we scale. This is a chance to own something real at a brand that takes the work seriously.

We’re looking for an Associate Creative Director who leads by creating. This is a hands‑on role for a senior designer with deep DTC and e‑commerce experience who is ready for more ownership, greater influence, and a larger role in shaping how a brand comes to life.

The ACD owns creative across every customer touchpoint and personally designs, builds, and refines work across web, paid, social, email, and other digital channels. You’ll also lead and develop a small creative team, providing direction, feedback, and mentorship while maintaining a high bar for creative excellence.

This is a role for a maker, not just a manager. The right person combines strong creative instincts with strategic thinking and enjoys leading others while staying deeply involved in the work.

This role is based in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA with a minimum of 3 days in office per week. Candidates should only apply if they are able to meet this requirement.

Defines and continuously evolves Clearly Filtered’s creative expression, ensuring consistency and premium positioning across every customer touchpoint.

• Define and own the brand’s visual identity, creative standards, tone, and aesthetic, and be its most fluent practitioner, not just its gatekeeper
• Translate business strategies and marketing priorities into compelling creative concepts, then execute them personally
• Build scalable design systems and creative frameworks that support iteration and cross-channel deployment
• Maintain and evolve brand guidelines that keep the team aligned as output scales

Leads the creative development of all marketing initiatives from concept through final production, personally creating video, social, and campaign assets across every channel.

• Lead creative development for all initiatives including seasonal campaigns, product launches, promotions, partnerships, and brand moments
• Take a project strategy and translate it into a cohesive creative system across web, social, paid, and email; concept it, design it, deliver it
• Personally create and edit social media videos including Reels, TikTok, and paid video ads from raw footage or UGC through final cut
• Design social-first graphics, statics, and motion assets optimized for Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube, and emerging platforms
• Produce campaign assets end to end: photography direction, video editing, graphics, and copy-adjacent layout work

Designs conversion-focused creative across the e-commerce funnel and iterates based on performance data, treating results as creative feedback.

• Design conversion-focused creative for the e-commerce funnel: landing pages, PDP assets, homepage heroes, promotional site takeovers, and CRO tests
• Create and iterate paid ad creative for Meta, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Google in static, carousel, and video formats
• Design email and SMS campaign creative built for how subscribers actually read and click
• Treat performance data as creative feedback: iterate on winners, eliminate losers, apply learnings to the next round

Leads and develops the creative team, owns workflow and creative operations, and partners cross-functionally to ensure creative is integrated into every initiative from the start.

• Select exceptional creative talent and build a team that reflects the standard you hold
• Set clear expectations, coach and develop team members, and hold the bar without holding people back
• Own creative workflow, prioritization, and asset management across all projects
• Manage relationships with external freelancers, photographers, videographers, and production partners
• Partner closely with Marketing, Growth, and E-Commerce teams and get into the room early so creative shapes the work, not just executes it
• Continuously explore new formats, tools, and storytelling approaches including AI-assisted workflows to keep the brand creatively distinctive

• 8+ years of design experience with a portfolio that demonstrates craft and range across digital channels
• Deep DTC and e-commerce digital marketing experience; you’ve designed for conversion and know what performs on web, social, paid, and email
• Proven experience creating and editing social media videos as well as graphics; fluent in Premiere Pro, After Effects, or CapCut alongside expert-level Figma and Adobe Creative Suite
• Experience designing content for Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and Pinterest with a strong understanding of what makes creative perform on each
• Ability to receive a strategy and independently translate it into channel-right creative, not one asset resized four ways
• Experience building, evolving, or enforcing a brand system across a growing creative output
• A clear point of view: you can articulate why a piece of creative works, defend it, and change your mind when the data says to

• Packaging design experience: unboxing, product packaging, inserts, and retail-ready materials
• Print production knowledge including dielines, materials, and finishes
• Experience in health, wellness, or consumer products where trust and substantiated claims matter

• The Clearly Filtered brand is stronger, more consistent, and more distinctive across every channel
• Creative is delivering measurable performance results across paid, owned, and earned channelsnsoly; it's a placeholder? Let's correct: maybe we keep as
  • Creative is delivering measurable performance results across paid, owned, and earned channels
  • Campaign assets are delivered on time, on brief, and without requiring significant rework
  • The design system is documented, scalable, and being applied consistently across all touchpoints
  • Cross-functional partners describe Creative as a strategic, collaborative, and reliable partner
  • New formats, tools, and creative approaches are being tested on a regular cadence
  What We Offer
  • Hybrid work flexibility with 9am to 4pm working hours
  • Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance benefits
  • 401(k) with company match
  • Paid holidays, floating holiday, and PTO
  • The opportunity to be part of a growing brand focused on helping people live healthier lives
  Our Interview Process

  Our interview process is designed to help us get to know you beyond your resume while giving you a clear picture of the role, team, and our work environment.

  The process typically includes:

  • An initial video screen with a member of our People team
  • A portfolio review and video interview with the hiring manager, focused on your creative approach and technical expertise
  • A potential creative assessment to understand how you think and work
  • A final onsite interview with Clearly Filtered team members with cross-functional partners

  We aim to keep the process thoughtful, communicative, and respectful of your time.

  Clearly Filtered is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating an inclusive workplace for all employees and applicants. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.