Associate Director of Creative, Acquisition

Overview

Associate Director of Creative, Acquisition - Talent Pool at Darkroom. This role leads creative direction for acquisition marketing, focusing on AI-powered creative direction for paid media assets.

Responsibilities

• Management responsibilities: Manage a team of 2-4 designers focused on paid ad creative, with room to grow the team over time; provide creative direction, actionable feedback, and career support through regular 1:1s and project reviews; oversee creative quality ensuring assets align with brand identity, platform best practices, and campaign objectives; partner with performance marketers and strategists to develop and iterate on high-performing ad campaigns; help refine internal processes, establish creative standards, and lead collaborative sessions to drive creative innovation.
• Senior individual contributor responsibilities: Lead concept development and execution for paid media campaigns across Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and display platforms; translate client’s marketing strategy and performance data into clear, compelling ad concepts; design and direct a range of assets including static ads, animations, mobile-first videos, and storyboards for short-form content; present creative work to stakeholders and clients with clarity, confidence, and strategic rationale; monitor performance data in collaboration with the marketing team to inform creative iterations and improve results over time.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of senior-level design experience, with at least 1 year of people management experience preferred. Must have experience designing ad creatives for paid media campaigns across Meta, TikTok, YouTube, or similar platforms.
• A digital portfolio showcasing performance-focused ad creative—including static ads, motion graphics, and short-form video—with a strong understanding of visual hierarchy, composition, and platform-specific best practices.
• Knowledge of how to incorporate AI software into workflows to increase efficiencies and output, including ChatGPT, Midjourney, Perplexity, Icon, and more.
• Self-motivated, proactive, and detail-oriented with a strong sense of ownership and accountability to performance results.
• Skilled at working with performance marketers and creative strategists to write briefs, incorporate feedback, and iterate based on ad performance data.
• Comfortable communicating in English with internal teams and clients, including presenting creative work and responding to feedback clearly and professionally.
• Confident giving constructive feedback to other designers and supporting their growth through clear direction and mentorship.
• Able to take ambiguous campaign goals and turn them into creative concepts that are visually engaging and conversion-focused.
• Proficient in Figma for ad design workflows; knowledge of Auto Layout, Components, and asset handoff is essential.
• Experience using Adobe Creative Suite (especially Photoshop and Illustrator) for asset creation and layout design.
• Bonus: Experience designing high-performing ads for e-commerce brands, familiarity with motion design tools (After Effects, Premiere), or working with UGC creators and editors.

What it’s like to work at Darkroom

We’re building the future of advertising and seek the best—from our clients to our people. Our team is our most sacred asset, and we offer highly competitive salaries and the following perks:

• Darkweek, Unlimited Vacation Policy, and Holidays: a flexible vacation policy, an annual “Darkweek” summer break, and 10 holidays throughout the year.
• Phantom Equity Incentive Plan—a long-term, seniority-based cash bonus that vests over five years and pays out if the company is sold.
• 401k with company match, equity incentives, and profit-sharing opportunities after one year with Darkroom.
• Opportunities for growth through cross-functional collaboration and broader exposure beyond your niche.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Darkroom is an equal opportunity workplace—we are dedicated to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

Seniority level

• Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Business Development and Sales

Industries

• Advertising Services

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