Onward Search is a specialized staffing and talent solutions company that helps professionals find top jobs with the nation’s leading brands. We’re hiring an Executive AI Creative Director for a hybrid opportunity in Los Angeles, California. This is a full-time, direct hire role.

This Executive AI Creative Director role is a senior-level opportunity for a visionary leader who thrives at the intersection of creativity and technology. You'll drive bold, culture-shaping campaigns that blend award-winning creativity with emerging AI technologies. Reporting to the Chief Creative & Innovation Officer, you’ll oversee and mentor a team of Creative Directors, while delivering best-in-class campaigns across digital, social, experiential, and traditional platforms.

The role requires both strategic vision and hands-on execution, with a strong focus on innovation, cultural fluency, and brand-building at scale. The schedule follows regular business hours in a hybrid work environment, with a salary range of $180,000 to $230,000 depending on experience.

There is no application deadline for this role.

Executive AI Creative Director Responsibilities:

• Lead creative development across high-profile accounts, with a focus on integrating emerging technologies and AI into campaigns.

• Partner with the Chief Creative & Innovation Officer to translate vision into bold, award-worthy campaigns that drive engagement, earned media, and cultural relevance.

• Manage, mentor, and inspire a team of 5 to 6 Creative Directors, embedding AI-driven creativity into daily workflows.

• Deliver big, cross-platform ideas that scale across digital, social, experiential, and traditional channels.

• Evaluate and adopt new AI tools and technologies to enhance creative ideation, production, and presentation.

• Present creative work with authority and inspiration to senior clients and internal stakeholders.

• Lead and participate in new business pitches, agency-wide initiatives, and innovation workshops.

• Build and maintain client confidence, positioning yourself as a trusted senior creative leader.

• Foster a culture of experimentation, growth, and excellence within the creative department.

• Consistently raise the creative bar, ensuring campaigns earn attention, awards, and measurable results.

Executive AI Creative Director Qualifications:

• 15+ years of creative leadership experience with a strong record of award-winning, national campaigns.

• Bachelor’s degree in advertising, marketing, communications, or related field.

• Proven ability to lead big ideas from concept through execution with measurable cultural and business impact.

• Portfolio showcasing headline-worthy, culturally fluent, and tech-forward work.

• Deep understanding of the full creative process across platforms, channels, and campaign types.

• Familiarity with generative AI tools (Runway, Sora, ChatGPT, 11Labs, Gemini, etc.) and experience embedding them into consumer-facing work.

• Strong background in QSR and automotive campaigns (preferred).

• Demonstrated success managing, mentoring, and upskilling diverse creative teams.

• Excellent storytelling, client presentation, and senior stakeholder engagement skills.

• Comfortable driving innovation in fast-moving, high-visibility environments.

Perks & Benefits:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance.

• Life Insurance.

• 401(k) Program.

• Commuter Benefit.

• eLearning & Ongoing Training.

• Education Reimbursement.

*Eligibility requires working over 30 hours per week on an assignment lasting at least 10 weeks.

If you meet the qualifications and are excited about this opportunity, apply today! Our team will connect with you to discuss next steps, support you through the interview process, and advocate for your success.

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About Onward Search

Onward Search is a nationwide staffing agency and talent solutions provider specializing in creative, marketing, and technology professionals. We work with our nationwide clients to continuously pipeline and fill specialized roles. As such, not all jobs contain an application deadline.

Equal Opportunity Employment

We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other protected category. Candidates must be at least 18 years old to be considered for employment.
EOE/M/F/D/V/SO

Inclusive Hiring Practices

We’re committed to making every part of our hiring process accessible and inclusive. If you need any accommodations or adjustments to support you during the application or interview process, please contact us at inclusivehiring@onwardsearch.com.

Employment Eligibility

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired must verify their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. We are unable to support 1099 / Corp-to-Corp / Independent Contractor arrangements. All freelancers will be hired as W2 employees.

Benefits

We offer medical, dental, and vision insurance as well as a 401(k) retirement plan to all eligible full-time temporary employees. Onward Search is a drug-free workplace.

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Virtual Interview Process

To help streamline the hiring process and ensure a more flexible and accessible experience for all candidates, we’ve partnered with Apriora, a virtual interviewing platform. For select job openings, you may receive an invitation to interview with Alex, our virtual interviewer, via email at alex@onwardsearch.com.

Alex will guide you through a brief set of questions to help us better understand your background and interests. The virtual interview can be completed on your own time, and your responses will be reviewed by our recruiting team as part of the screening process.

To learn more about the platform, visit Apriora’s website.

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Job Seeker Scam Alert

We’ve become aware of fraudulent recruiters impersonating Onward Search representatives to collect personal or financial information from potential job seekers. Please be vigilant and always protect your information. Learn more about potential threats and how to protect yourself by visiting our job seeker scam alert page.