Job In Creative Advertising Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

Smartly is looking for a Creative Director to join our Brand & Content team and help shape how our brand comes to life across campaigns, content, events, digital experiences, and marketing initiatives. Reporting to the SVP of Brand & Content, this role combines creative leadership, people management, and conceptual thinking to create work that is distinctive, effective, and aligned with our business goals.

You’ll lead a team of designers, develop strong creative concepts, and partner across the business to bring Smartly's story to life. This role is ideal for someone who began their career in design, has evolved into a conceptual art director, and enjoys helping creative teams produce their best work.

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of designers, creating an environment where people can do their best work and grow their careers
• Develop creative concepts and campaigns that strengthen Smartly's brand and connect with target audiences
• Provide clear creative direction and feedback throughout the creative process, from brief through final execution
• Partner with Brand, Content, Product Marketing, Communications, and other stakeholders to translate business objectives into compelling creative solutions
• Elevate the quality, consistency, and effectiveness of Smartly's visual identity across all channels and touchpoints
• Review and approve creative work, ensuring it meets strategic objectives, brand standards, and quality expectations
• Help establish and refine creative processes, workflows, and ways of working that enable the team to scale its impact
• Stay current on design, advertising, and cultural trends, bringing fresh thinking and new approaches to the team's work

• Experience leading and developing creative teams, including direct people management responsibilities
• Strong background in graphic design, brand design, visual communication, or a related creative discipline
• Experience as a conceptual Art Director, with a portfolio that demonstrates strong campaign thinking and creative problem-solving
• Ability to translate strategy, messaging, and business goals into engaging creative concepts and visual storytelling
• Strong design craft and a deep understanding of typography, layout, visual systems, and brand identity
• Experience partnering with cross-functional stakeholders and navigating feedback from multiple audiences
• Excellent communication, presentation, and collaboration skills
• Ability to balance creative excellence with practical business outcomes
• Experience working with consumer-facing brands or B2C marketing is preferred, but not required
• Experience working in technology, SaaS, or high-growth environments is a plus

Five weeks paid time off (PTO), 11 company paid holidays, unlimited sick days

Generous healthcare packages & mental health benefits

401K plus matching & equity grants for all new Smartlies

Wellness benefit & learning reimbursement opportunities

Volunteer time off days & company donation matching opportunities

The base pay range for this position is as mentioned below per year, plus an annual performance bonus. We take into consideration an individual’s background, expertise, and experience in determining final salary. In addition to annual salary, Smartly’s total rewards provide employees with stock options, medical/dental/vision insurances, retirement savings benefits, parental leave, 5 weeks vacation, unlimited sick days, life insurance, and disability benefits. This information is provided in accordance with applicable law. Base pay information is based on market location.

Salary in USD: 120,000-150,000

Curious what it's like to work at Smartly? Visit our Careers page to see how we grow, collaborate, and make impact together.

Smartly is the AI-powered advertising technology company transforming ad experiences for brands and their consumers. Our comprehensive advertising platform seamlessly integrates the capabilities of media, creative, and intelligence to power more than 800 billion impressions and generate more than 300 billion creatives annually, delivering tangible business outcomes for brands and advertisers.

Smartly is the only company in the industry recognized as a Leader in The Forrester Wave: Creative Advertising Technologies with PwC validating the results it delivers for brands. We manage creative and media for 700+ brands worldwide and $6B in ad spend across the largest media platforms, including Facebook, Google, Instagram, Pinterest, Snap, and TikTok. Our end-to-end technology, unmatched access to media platforms and exceptional customer service help Fortune 500 brands to reach and engage consumers and learn what performs best. Smartly is a multinational and diverse team of 750+ Smartlies from 60+ nationalities, working in 13 countries. Together, we want to create and maintain an inclusive environment where everyone feels respected and heard. Our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion approach is at the heart of it.

Visit Smartly to learn more.

The processing of your information is described in our Candidate Privacy Notice.