Associate Director of Creative, AI

Join to apply for the Associate Director of Creative, AI role at Darkroom . About Darkroom Darkroom is the leading next‑generation growth marketing firm engineering the brands of tomorrow. Founded in 2017, we set out to redefine what a modern agency could be, by replacing the inertia of legacy advertising behemoths with a model built for speed, intelligence, and measurable impact. At our core, Darkroom is a human services company powered by Matter , a universal AI commerce layer that integrates executive‑level strategy with proprietary agentic technology. This fusion enables our teams to deliver outsized returns by enhancing creative output, operational efficiency, and revenue generation across every stage of the customer journey. Our track record speaks for itself: billions in attributable revenue driven across e‑commerce marketplaces, media networks, DTC ecosystems, and social commerce platforms. Thanks to our proprietary data infrastructure, we accelerate growth, improve margins, and compound results across our client portfolio. Darkroom has evolved from a boutique design studio to one of the fastest‑growing private companies in America (Inc. 5000) and among the most effective performance media agencies of the 2020s (Varos) . Our founders were recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 for advancing the intersection of technology, marketing, and advertising. About The Role We are looking for an experienced Associate Director of Creative who will act as a player/coach, leading a pod of designers and delivering AI‑powered creative direction, marketing design, and UI/UX projects. The role requires deep experience in integrating AI tools such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Midjourney to drive creative efficiency and quality. Reporting to the Director of Creative, you will advocate for design processes and supervise junior designers across paid ads, emails, landing pages, and e‑commerce web design. Your first 60 days will focus on integrating ChatGPT and AI into the creative workflow and building training programs. Management Responsibilities Manage a team of designers, initially 1–2 direct reports, providing strategy, project management, design feedback, performance evaluation, and escalation handling. Conduct weekly one‑on‑ones to assess client health, offer feedback, and oversee career development. Ensure high‑quality output, focusing on visual craft, UX expertise, and deadlines. Collaborate with marketers, strategists, developers, and clients to develop project plans, understand business objectives, and address client issues. Refine internal client work processes in coordination with the Director of Creative and provide training and feedback. Senior Individual Contributor Responsibilities Champion AI‑powered work, leading trainings on best practices and building efficient workflows with the Director of Creative. Lead creative direction engagements that transform paid or organic marketing channels with deliverables such as content calendars, creative briefs, and strategic proposals. Lead 1–2 UI/UX engagements focused on branded e‑commerce websites, emphasizing conversion‑focused UX and clarity. Present design and creative direction work to clients, explaining choices based on UX principles. Manage design projects independently from discovery to hand‑off, adhering to timelines and collaborating with developers. Develop component systems and maintain design guidelines for consistency. You Should Apply If This Sounds Like You 3–6+ years of senior‑level design experience, with at least 1 year of people‑management experience preferred; experience in creative direction, marketing design, or responsive web design. Digital portfolio showcasing web, marketing, and branding skills; color theory, hierarchy, composition, typography. Self‑motivated, proactive, detail‑oriented with a strong sense of ownership. Experience working with AI tools and producing client‑ready assets powered by AI outputs (required). Experience collaborating with developers and documenting designs for hand‑off. Comfortable with client‑facing responsibilities in English, including leading discovery calls and resolving feedback. Capable of providing constructive internal feedback and guiding direct reports. Ability to tackle ambiguous problems, design solutions, and execute effectively. Proficiency in Figma (Auto Layout, Components, Variants) essential. Experience with Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator) required. Working at Darkroom Darkroom is built for A‑players. We move fast, think deeply, and expect every team member to bring rigor. We hold a high bar for performance but support each other relentlessly. We believe in autonomy with accountability , truth over comfort , and outcomes over optics . If you want to build and win alongside some of the smartest people in business, you’ll thrive here. Remote‑First Culture Live remote; employees in New York or Lisbon (opening 2026) adopt hybrid with weekly in‑office appearances. Hub locations include Bay Area, Philly, São Paulo, and Barcelona. Parental leave: flexible benefits to support new parents. Endless growth opportunities: cross‑functional collaboration beyond job description. Location: fully remote (EST timezone); open to Brazil, Mexico, Portugal, and Spain. Equal Opportunity Statement Darkroom is an equal‑opportunity workplace—dedicated to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national orientation, 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. #J-18808-Ljbffr