Associate Creative Director Jobs in Phoenix, AZ (NOW HIRING)

When Bad Birdie started, we gave golfers something they’d never seen before: a bold printed polo designed to disrupt tradition and invite more people into the game. Today, we’re proud to create premium golf apparel that’s colorful, confident, and playfully rebellious, built so every player can feel good and have a hell of a good time on the course. As we grow, we’re committed to keeping that original energy alive, continuing to challenge what’s possible in golf while respecting the game and welcoming everyone to play their way. We started bold. We’re staying bad. And we’ll keep showing golfers what the game can be.

Reports to: Head of Brand
Location: Scottsdale, AZ HQ
Schedule: Full-time, on-site

• Bad Birdie’s creative output across campaigns, social, eComm, retail, and partnerships has a clear, consistent point of view. Everything looks and feels like us, and it’s getting sharper.
• The Graphic Designer and Videographer have clear creative direction, honest feedback, and a leader who is actively building their capability, not just reviewing their work.
• Agency and vendor relationships have structure. Briefs are tight, expectations are clear, and the work coming back is better for it.
• The Head of Brand trusts that the creative vision is being held and executed without constant oversight. Creative decisions are being made well below the escalation line.
• Visual identity is owned and protected. Brand guidelines are a living tool: used, enforced, and evolved with intention.

• Own the creative vision for Bad Birdie across all consumer touchpoints: campaign, social, eComm, retail, product launches, and partner activations.
• Translate brand strategy and briefs from the Head of Brand into precise, compelling creative direction that the internal team and external partners can execute against.
• Set and enforce the visual and tonal standard. You are the creative decision-maker for everything that goes out the door.
• Lead concepting for seasonal campaigns and tentpole moments, from initial brief through final delivery.

• Own Bad Birdie’s visual identity system. Keep brand guidelines current, enforce them consistently, and evolve them intentionally as the brand grows.
• Ensure every touchpoint, digital, print, retail, packaging, and partner activations, reflects the identity with precision and care.
• Partner with the Sr. Brand Manager to maintain consistency across channels where brand and creative intersect.
• Lead and develop the Graphic Designer and Videographer. Set clear expectations, give real feedback, and build their capability over time.
• Build a creative culture on the team that values craft, clarity, and accountability.
• Model what good looks like. The team should be able to make better decisions because of how you operate.
• Own the agency relationship. Brief, direct, and evaluate the work with clarity and a high bar.
• Manage external photographers, stylists, production vendors, and any other creative partners. Build relationships that consistently produce better output.
• Oversee production budgets and timelines for creative projects in coordination with the Brand Operations Manager.

• Partner with eComm on PDP creative, landing page direction, and content standards.
• Support retail and wholesale with brand-aligned creative assets and guidelines.
• Work closely with the Design and Product teams to translate new product into compelling creative, serving as the bridge between what we make and how the customer experiences it.
• Serve as the creative voice in cross-functional planning, ensuring brand integrity is represented early, not just at the review stage.

• 5–8 years in creative roles at consumer, lifestyle, or apparel brands, with early or emerging experience in a creative leadership position. You have owned or co-owned a creative vision for a brand, not just execute someone else's
• A portfolio that demonstrates range and point of view: campaign concepting, art direction, visual identity, and digital content. The work should speak for itself before the conversation starts.
• 3-5 years of experience managing or mentoring creative talent. You have given real feedback, set a high bar for quality, and understand that developing people is part of the job.
• Proven experience managing creative agencies. You know how to brief an agency, evaluate the work honestly, push back when it misses the mark, and build a relationship that consistently raises output.
• Comfort directing external production vendors, photographers, stylists, and creative partners. You get better work out of the relationships you manage.
• Enough operational discipline to match your creative instincts. You can manage a production calendar and make decisions under a deadline without sacrificing quality.
• A communication style that is direct, clear, and built for cross-functional trust. You can articulate why something is right or wrong, and people respect the call even when they disagree.

• You have spent time on the agency side. You know what it feels like to be briefed, to fight for an idea, and to deliver under client pressure, and that experience makes you a sharper creative partner and a better client.
• You have worked at a premium golf, outdoor, or action sports brand. You understand what it means to protect a brand identity that people are genuinely attached to, and what it costs to drift from it.
• You have experience contributing to or building a visual identity system. You know how to codify what a brand is and make it executable across a team.
• You golf. You have been in a pro shop, you follow the culture, and you understand why Bad Birdie matters to the people who wear it. That context shows up in the work.
• You have a strong point of view on how creative and brand strategy interact. You have been in the room where briefs are built and brought the creative perspective early, not just at the execution stage.

• Competitive compensation commensurate with experience
• Generous PTO and sick time
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, plus HSA and 401(k) with company match
• Heavily discounted Bad Birdie apparel

This role is based in our Scottsdale, AZ office, full-time, on-site.

We’re a brand with real momentum, genuine personality, and a product people are genuinely excited about, and we’re still in the early chapters of what this company can be. You will sit at the table, your creative vision will shape what millions of people see and feel, and the standards you set now will define what Bad Birdie looks like for years to come.

We didn’t come here to lay up. If you didn’t either, let’s talk.