Monks is hiring: VP Group Creative Director in Los Angeles

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About The Role

As a Group Creative Director, you’ll be responsible for managing, guiding and creating the communication layer of a brand’s vision. This is a leadership role within the agency, with accountability for the health of both the brands you manage and the agency at large. In this role, you must inspire the creativity and strategic thinking of both your team and those around you. You should strive to bring experimentation where it’s fitting and act as a teacher of curiosity. This role also requires you to be highly involved with clients, pitching work and presenting the capabilities of the department. You should be proficient in understanding how to align client needs with the agency’s model. Under your purview is the entire creative team, but you will have a smaller subset of direct reports. While you might partner with another GCD, Head of Design, or Head of Strategy at the agency, you’re mainly responsible for the creative direction.

Responsibilities

• Creative Steward – Be the creative steward for the brands in your portfolio. This includes working with the internal brand and strategy team to set the tone and vision for the brand, and monitoring & spot-checking all creative work that will ultimately go to the client.
• Storytelling – Help tell stories for clients, internal teams and your own creative teams. Clarity is key; you are the last line of defense before the client/brand teams.
• Present to clients – Present core ideas, support work, and lead presentations to develop client relationships.
• Develop client relationships – Foster relationships that build trust, encouraging text‑based communication within a year of interaction.
• Lead hiring decisions on Art or Copy candidates, overseeing mentoring and growth of agency talent.
• Foster an environment of creativity and inspire team members to participate in internal creative endeavors.
• Advise on team composition, promotions, job openings and growth opportunities.
• Influence creative‑led thinking across the business and groups.
• Lead concept development in relation to design and creative work.
• Partner with the Head of Production, Head of Design & Craft and the CCO to develop programs that improve the team’s capabilities.
• Provide perspective on agency‑wide improvements to make Monks the best place to work.
• Ensure creative projects are delivered on agreed timelines and budgets to ensure commercial success.
• Provide quality control over your team’s output.

About You

The essentials

• Minimum of 4 years in a Creative Director or equivalent role, including hands‑on concept development and direct client interaction.
• Proven experience leading creative teams of 6 or more with empathy and leadership.
• A strong track record of building high‑performing teams and pushing ideas to their fullest potential.
• A well‑developed creative point of view and the ability to identify strong ideas and executions.
• Patience and attention to detail in all aspects of the creative process.
• Strong knowledge of layout design, graphic fundamentals, and typography.
• Ability to steer campaign writing.
• Be a storyteller—one who compels people to want to hear more.
• Need to be able to take work delivered by teams and turn it into a sellable idea.

Not a Must, But a Plus

• Collaborate with strategic, brand, creative and production partners.
• Deep awareness of creative culture, trends, and evolving platforms.

Benefits

What We Offer

• Excellent, full coverage medical, dental, and vision insurance with employer‑paid HRA
• Generous PTO and 15 company‑wide holidays
• 401k with company contribution
• Paid parental leave
• Work‑life balance with an emphasis on personal well‑being
• Career growth in a disruptor space & entrepreneurial opportunities within the Monks network
• A globally diverse & inclusive culture with employee resource groups such as S4 Melanin, Pride.Monks, Cultura.Monks, and more!
• Authentic commitment to DEI efforts and sustainable growth. (Why Sir Martin Sorrell signed The Climate Pledge here!)

At Monks, we believe in fostering an environment where a diversity of perspectives can thrive. We proactively work to design hiring processes that promote equity and inclusion while mitigating bias. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building a team that reflects the communities we serve. We welcome and encourage qualified applicants, from all backgrounds, who are excited to contribute to our mission.

This role is subject to our Return to Office (RTO) policy. If you reside within a commutable distance of one of our office locations, you will be expected to work from the office a set number of days per week. The specific details, including the number of required office days, will be in accordance with the company’s then‑current RTO policy, which is subject to change from time to time.

Monks has provided a compensation range that represents its good faith estimate of what Monks may pay for the position at the time of posting. Monks may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on job‑related factors, but not based on a candidate’s sex or any other protected status.

Salary Range $200,000—$250,000 USD

About Monks
Monks is the global, purely digital, unitary operating brand of S4Capital plc. With a legacy of innovation and specialized expertise, Monks combines an extraordinary range of global marketing and technology services to accelerate business possibilities and redefine how brands and businesses interact with the world. Its integration of systems and workflows delivers unfettered content production, scaled experiences, enterprise‑grade technology and data science fueled by AI—managed by the industry’s best and most diverse digital talent—to help the world’s trailblazing companies outmaneuver and outpace their competition.

Monks was named a Contender in The Forrester Wave™: Global Marketing Services. It has remained a constant presence on Adweek’s Fastest Growing lists (2019‑23), ranks among Cannes Lions' Top 10 Creative Companies (2022‑23) and is the only partner to have been placed in AdExchanger’s Programmatic Power Players list every year (2020‑24). In addition to being named Adweek’s first AI Agency of the Year (2023), Monks has been recognized by Business Intelligence in its 2024 Excellence in Artificial Intelligence Awards program in three categories: the Individual category, Organizational Winner in AI Strategic Planning and AI Product for its service Monks.Flow. Monks has also garnered the title of Webby Production Company of the Year (2021‑24), won a record number of FWAs and has earned a spot on Newsweek’s Top 100 Global Most Loved Workplaces 2023.

We are an equal‑opportunity employer committed to building a respectful and empowering work environment for all people to freely express themselves amongst colleagues who embrace diversity in all respects. Including fresh voices and unique points of view in all aspects of our business not only creates an environment where we can all grow and thrive but also increases our potential to produce work that better represents—and resonates with—the world around us.