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Creative Director Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Omnicom

Creative Director

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

Creative Direction CREATIVE DIRECTOR - COPY At Critical Mass, the Creative Director - Copy sets the bar. You're the sharpest point of view in the room, and you have the standards to prove it. You ...

Vesync

Creative Director

Tustin, CA · On-site

The Creative Director at VeSync is a senior individual contributor who serves as the creative authority for Cosori and the connective tissue between Creative Services and the broader marketing ...

Anywhere Real Estate

Creative Director

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

Eightfold is hiring a Creative Director to lead brand and creative company-wide - from visual identity to campaign execution to video production out of our HQ studio. This isn't a role that directs ...

Full Swing Golf Inc

Creative Director

Carlsbad, CA · Hybrid

$140K - $190K/yr

We are seeking a visionary Creative Director to lead the strategic and creative development of the Full Swing brand across all touchpoints. This role will drive the creative vision, ensuring all ...

loanDepot

CA · On-site

$70K - $120K/yr

... direct-report creative professionals. Responsibilities : * Understands the fundamentals of loanDepot's origination and servicing business and translates understanding and company objectives into ...

Liquid I.V.

Creative Director

El Segundo, CA · Hybrid

The Creative Director is responsible for defining and scaling Liquid I.V.'s creative vision, brand identity and creative operating model. This leader will establish the systems, talent, agency ...

Navan

Creative Director

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$143K - $318K/yr

Navan's Marketing team is looking for a Creative Director to lead a talented, high-output creative studio that balances the prestige of a world-class brand with the relentless speed of a social-first ...

Liquid I.V.

Creative Director

El Segundo, CA · On-site

The Creative Director is responsible for defining and scaling Liquid I.V.'s creative vision, brand identity and creative operating model. This leader will establish the systems, talent, agency ...

Asianart

Creative Director

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$110 - $120/hr

The Creative Director leads the visual and conceptual direction of the museum's branding, marketing campaigns, and products, integrating design with the museum's mission, vision, and audience ...

New

Crown + Conquer

Creative Director

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

Job Overview The Creative Director at Crown + Conquer is a visionary leader responsible for shaping the creative voice of the agency and driving bold, culturally relevant work across brand ...

Gamma

Creative Director

San Francisco, CA · On-site

As Creative Director, you'll build and lead Gamma's creative function while staying deeply hands-on as a designer yourself. Your mandate is to take Gamma's brand from beloved prosumer tool to a ...

loanDepot

Creative Director

Mission Viejo, CA · On-site

$70K - $120K/yr

... direct-report creative professionals. Responsibilities : * Understands the fundamentals of loanDepot's origination and servicing business and translates understanding and company objectives into ...

loanDepot

Creative Director

Costa Mesa, CA · On-site

$70K - $120K/yr

... direct-report creative professionals. Responsibilities : * Understands the fundamentals of loanDepot's origination and servicing business and translates understanding and company objectives into ...

Vesync

Creative Director

Tustin, CA · On-site

$136 - $184/hr

The Creative Director at VeSync is a senior individual contributor who serves as the creative authority for Cosori and the connective tissue between Creative Services and the broader marketing ...

Vesync

Creative Director

Tustin, CA · On-site

The Creative Director at VeSync is a senior individual contributor who serves as the creative authority for Cosori and the connective tissue between Creative Services and the broader marketing ...

Vesync

Creative Director

Tustin, CA · On-site

The Creative Director at VeSync is a senior individual contributor who serves as the creative authority for Cosori and the connective tissue between Creative Services and the broader marketing ...

Omnicom

Creative Director

Los Angeles, CA · Hybrid

Creative Direction CREATIVE DIRECTOR - COPY At Critical Mass, the Creative Director - Copy sets the bar.You'rethe sharpest point of view in the room, and you have the standards to prove it. You push ...

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Showing results 21-40

All JobsCreative JobsCreative Director JobsCreative Director Jobs in California

Creative Director information

See California salary details

$42.4K

$127.6K

$213.7K

How much do creative director jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 3, 2026, the average yearly pay for creative director in California is $127,637.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $98,200.00 and $150,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a creative director do?

A Creative Director is responsible for leading the creative vision and direction of a company, project, or campaign. They oversee the work of designers, copywriters, and other creative professionals to ensure that all creative output aligns with the brand and meets business objectives. Creative Directors often guide brainstorming sessions, approve concepts, and present ideas to clients or stakeholders. Their role requires a combination of leadership, artistic insight, and strategic thinking.

What does a creative director do?

A creative director guides, directs, and approves all creative projects for marketing, graphic design, advertising, and other firms. Also, a creative director strategizes a company’s artistic direction, accepts design samples, devises marketing plans, and leads teams in creating unique fashion, art, music, game, or film concepts. A core duty of a creative director is to collaborate with designers, writers, and marketing associates to develop visuals that align with the company brand and mission.

What skills and qualifications are needed to thrive as a creative director?

To thrive as a Creative Director, you need a strong background in visual design, branding, and concept development, often supported by a degree in design, marketing, or related fields. Proficiency with industry-standard tools like Adobe Creative Suite, project management software, and familiarity with digital marketing platforms is typically required. Exceptional leadership, communication, and vision are crucial soft skills that help guide creative teams and inspire innovative solutions. These skills ensure cohesive brand storytelling, effective team collaboration, and successful execution of creative projects.

How does a creative director balance creative vision with client or stakeholder expectations?

A Creative Director often acts as the bridge between the creative team and clients or stakeholders, ensuring that the final output aligns with both artistic vision and business objectives. This involves interpreting briefs, leading brainstorming sessions, and providing clear feedback to maintain consistency with the brand message. Regular communication and presentations help manage expectations and incorporate feedback, while strong leadership ensures that the team remains motivated and focused. Balancing creativity with practicality is a key challenge, but it’s also what makes the role dynamic and rewarding.

What is the difference between Creative Director vs Graphic Designer?

AspectCreative DirectorGraphic Designer
CredentialsBachelor's degree in design, marketing, or related field; extensive portfolioBachelor's degree in graphic design or related field; strong portfolio
Work EnvironmentLeads creative teams, oversees projects, collaborates with clientsDesigns visual content, works independently or in small teams
Industry UsageUsed across advertising, media, branding agencies, and large corporationsCommon in marketing firms, publishing, advertising, and freelance work

The main difference is that a Creative Director oversees the entire creative process and manages teams, while a Graphic Designer focuses on creating visual content. Creative Directors have broader responsibilities and strategic input, whereas Graphic Designers execute specific design tasks.

Are creative directors paid well?

Creative directors typically earn high salaries due to their leadership role in overseeing creative projects and teams. Salaries vary by industry, experience, and location but generally range from $80,000 to over $200,000 annually, with senior positions and those in large companies earning more.

Is a creative director a good career?

A creative director is a senior role responsible for overseeing the visual and conceptual aspects of projects in advertising, media, or design industries. It often requires strong leadership, creative skills, and experience, with opportunities for high-level influence and compensation. Career growth depends on industry demand, portfolio quality, and networking.

What qualifications do you need to be a creative director?

A creative director typically needs a bachelor's degree in design, marketing, or a related field, along with several years of experience in creative roles such as graphic design, advertising, or branding. Strong leadership, communication skills, and proficiency with design tools like Adobe Creative Suite are also important, and some roles may require a portfolio demonstrating previous work.
More about Creative Director jobs

What are the most commonly searched types of Creative jobs in California?

The most popular types of Creative jobs in California are:

What are popular job titles related to Creative Director jobs in California?

For Creative Director jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Creative Director jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Creative Director jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Creative Director jobs?

Cities in California with the most Creative Director job openings:

Creative Director jobs near you
Infographic showing various Creative Director job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 83% Full Time, 14% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $127,637 per year, or $61.4 per hour.

Creative Director

Omnicom

Los Angeles, CA • On-site

Full-time

PTO

Posted 9 days ago

Job description

Agency:
Critical Mass
Job Function:
Creative
Job Subfunction:
Creative Direction
Job Description:
CREATIVE DIRECTOR - COPY
At Critical Mass, the Creative Director - Copy sets the bar. You're the sharpest point of view in the room, and you have the standards to prove it.
You push work until it's original enough to matter. You sell it with conviction, and you don't back down when it's worth defending. That instinct extends everywhere - the work, the culture, the brief that needs to be challenged.
Your taste is deep, built from a genuine curiosity about art, culture, and the world. Craft isn't a checkbox for you; it's close to an obsession, and it shows in everything you touch.
You Will
Ideas & Creative Direction
  • Lead the creative vision for your accounts, setting a point of view that's original, unexpected, and impossible to ignore
  • Actively use and teach AI tools across your team, ensuring they elevate craft rather than replace it
  • Lead and inspire multidisciplinary teams, guiding creatives, strategists, and account partners toward a single, cohesive vision
  • Challenge stakeholders - clients and internal teams alike - when the work or the thinking deserves better
  • Oversee high-visibility projects from concept through delivery, protecting the idea at every stage

Selling & Communication
  • Be the creative voice on your accounts. Present, defend, and sell ideas with clarity and conviction, and have the confidence to challenge senior stakeholders when the work demands it
  • Lead new business efforts, pitching ideas that win and set the tone for future work

Craft & Execution
  • Set and protect the creative standard across every account you touch, ensuring nothing ships that isn't up to it
  • Own final creative quality across brand and campaign work, from big idea to finished execution
  • Bring storytelling instincts to every brief, understanding how to build narratives that connect emotionally and culturally

Account & Project Leadership
  • Serve as point of escalation for both clients and internal teams. Find the right path forward without compromising the work
  • Balance ambition with pragmatism, knowing when to push and when to protect timelines and budgets

Team & Culture
  • Inspire a culture of ambition and craft, where good is never good enough
  • Mentor creatives at every level, developing the next generation of creative leaders
  • Represent Critical Mass in the industry - through award recognition, speaking opportunities, and creative reputation

You Have
  • 6+ years of creative leadership experience, ideally in an agency or equivalent environment
  • A portfolio that shows strong conceptual thinking and craft across brand and campaign work
  • A sharp, informed aesthetic sensibility, shaped by deep engagement with culture, art, fashion, film, music, and the world
  • Experience leading and mentoring multidisciplinary creative teams
  • Proven experience presenting, selling, and defending creative work to senior clients and stakeholders
  • Hands-on experience with AI creative tools, with the ability to teach and guide others in using them well
  • Experience leading or contributing significantly to new business pitches
  • A genuine passion for the craft, and the relentlessness to protect it

What We Offer:
  • Global maternity and parental leave.
  • Competitive benefits packages.
  • Vacation, compassionate leave, personal/sick days, and flex days.
  • Access to online services for families and new parents.
  • Early Dismissal Friday's (off at 3:00 PM local time every Friday).
  • 12 affinity groups.
  • Internal learning and development programs.
  • Enterprise-wide employee discounts.

Our new hires & employees are the future of our organization, and we want to set you up for long-term success. In an effort to do so, we expect our team to work from an office a minimum of 3 days a week.
Los Angeles: $175,000-$230,000
Omnicom's policy requires employees to work in the office for a minimum of three days a week, unless additional in-office days are directed by their agency or manager. Our objective is to increase this requirement over time, and many of our agencies as well as Omnicom's corporate group already require five days of in-office attendance.
Omnicom is committed to hiring and developing exceptional talent. We agree that talent is uniquely distributed, and we're focused on developing inclusive teams that can bring the best solutions to everything we do. We strongly believe that celebrating what makes us different makes us better together. Join us-we look forward to getting to know you. We will process your personal data in accordance with our Recruitment Privacy Notice.
Link to Recruitment Privacy Notice: https://www.omc.com/privacy-notice
For US Job Seekers:
It is the policy of Omnicom and any of its affiliates to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, ethnic origin, gender, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, disability, or any other basis prohibited by applicable federal, state, or local law. EOE/AA/M/D/V/F.

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