Creative Development Specialist Jobs in Reston, VA

Please note: This role is contingent upon a contract award. While it is not an immediate opening, we are actively conducting interviews and extending offers in anticipation of the award.

At ICF Next, we are fearless in finding new ways to solve problems, relentless in making sure it pays off for our clients, and committed to making a positive change in the world. Join our community of mission-driven creatives, communicators, strategists, and technologists to challenge the status quo.

ICF Next is seeking an experienced Senior Creative Director / Co-Creative Director to lead the creative strategy, concept development, and execution of integrated public health communication campaigns for a major federal health client. This role is responsible for establishing the creative vision for large-scale behavior change campaigns, translating formative research and audience insights into compelling creative concepts, and guiding multidisciplinary creative teams to deliver high-impact communications across paid, earned, owned, and digital channels.

The Senior Creative Director / Co-Creative Director will oversee creative development from initial strategy and concept generation through production across television, video, digital, social media, print, radio, web, and out-of-home channels. This individual will collaborate closely with strategists, researchers, writers, designers, producers, media specialists, and client leadership to develop integrated creative solutions that inspire action, improve public health outcomes, and meet federal communications requirements.

Location

Hybrid in the Washington, DC area with commute as needed to client and ICF offices. Required travel to the Atlanta, GA area for meetings, workshops, and presentations as needed.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the creative vision, strategy, and execution of integrated public health communication and behavior change campaigns across multiple media channels.
• Translate formative research, audience insights, behavioral science, and communication strategy into compelling creative concepts that motivate action.
• Lead development of audience profiles, creative briefs, messaging frameworks, and integrated campaign concepts aligned with campaign objectives.
• Partner with strategists, researchers, account teams, media specialists, and clients to transform research findings into innovative creative approaches.
• Oversee the development of campaign messaging, storyboards, scripts, visual concepts, production deliverables, and creative presentations.
• Direct creative development across television, radio, digital, social media, print, video, web, and out-of-home communications.
• Guide multidisciplinary creative teams, including art directors, copywriters, designers, producers, editors, photographers, and external production partners.
• Provide creative leadership through concept development, testing, refinement, production, and campaign launch.
• Lead creative reviews, workshops, and presentations with client stakeholders, incorporating feedback while maintaining strategic and creative integrity.
• Collaborate with production teams during photo shoots, video production, post-production, and asset development to ensure creative excellence across all campaign materials.
• Partner with digital, social media, and paid media teams to ensure integrated campaign execution across all communication channels.
• Ensure creative products comply with federal branding standards, accessibility requirements, plain language guidance, and Section 508 requirements.
• Evaluate campaign performance and apply testing results, audience feedback, emerging trends, and best practices to continuously strengthen creative effectiveness.
• Mentor creative professionals and foster a collaborative, innovative, and high-performing creative culture.

Basic Qualifications/Experience:

• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance.
• U.S. Citizenship required (required by the federal government for this position).
• Bachelor's degree in advertising, graphic design, communications, marketing, fine arts, or a related discipline.
• 15+ years of professional creative experience developing integrated advertising, branding, or communications campaigns.
• 7+ years leading multidisciplinary creative teams on large, complex communications or marketing programs.

Preferred Qualifications/Experience:

• Master's degree in communications, design, marketing, public health, or a related field.
• Experience supporting HHS, CDC, FDA, NIH, or other federal health agencies.
• Experience developing national public health, health education, social marketing, or behavior change campaigns.
• Demonstrated experience leading creative strategy from concept development through production across multiple communication channels.
• Experience leading integrated campaigns across television, video, digital, social media, print, radio, web, and out-of-home communications.
• Experience working within highly regulated or complex client environments requiring extensive stakeholder review and approval.
• Familiarity with federal branding standards, accessibility (Section 508), and plain language requirements.
• Prior award-winning creative work is highly desirable.

Professional Skills:

• Exceptional creative leadership with the ability to inspire multidisciplinary teams and cultivate innovative thinking.
• Strong strategic thinking with the ability to connect audience insights, behavioral science, and campaign objectives to compelling creative solutions.
• Excellent presentation, storytelling, facilitation, and client communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead collaborative creative development across strategy, research, account management, media, production, and digital disciplines.
• Ability to balance creativity with business objectives, schedules, budgets, and federal compliance requirements.
• Experience mentoring creative professionals and building high-performing integrated creative teams.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Commitment to delivering high-quality work that advances meaningful public health outcomes while maintaining the highest standards of creative excellence.

Working at ICF

Pay Range - There are multiple factors that are considered in determining final pay for a position, including, but not limited to, relevant work experience, skills, certifications and competencies that align to the specified role, geographic location, education and certifications as well as contract provisions regarding labor categories that are specific to the position.

The pay range for this position based on full-time employment is: