Associate Creative Director (Consultant/Part-Time)

About Near

Near is an award-winning, socially-led creative agency specializing in social media marketing, influencer strategy, and standout content creation. Built on a "people-first" approach, Near connects top-tier brands with audiences by combining strategic content planning with real human stories and key opinion leaders (KOLs). From social-first campaign strategies to full-funnel execution, Near helps brands cut through marketing noise with cultural relevance, clear strategy, and creative ideas that move audiences and drive measurable results.

Visit Near's website to learn more: https://nearcreatives.co/our-team

About This Role

• Job Title: Associate Creative Director (Art-Based)
• Contract Type: Consultancy Arrangement (approx 20 hrs a week, 2-month contract extendable based on performance)
• Reports To: Creative Director (CD)
• Time Allocation & Work Breakdown: 20 Hours/Week (2-month contract, extendable based on performance)

Role Overview

The Associate Creative Director (Art-Based) bridges high-level creative direction with hands-on craft. Responsible for driving visual excellence across new business pitches, upselling account campaigns, and creative development, you will lead art-focused ideation, set up big-idea campaign strategies, and design compelling decks and mockups.

You will partner closely with the Creative Director, strategists, writers, and creators to elevate visual standards, establish strategic creative setups, and mentor creative designers—ensuring ideas move culture while staying aligned with commercial objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Ideation Leadership: Lead brainstorms and set the visual conceptual direction for pitches, campaign extensions, and content development. Partner with the CD to craft campaign strategy setups and articulate the "big idea" visually.
• Craft Deck Design & Mockups: Hands-on creation of visually compelling pitch decks, mood boards, key visuals (KVs), content mockups, and visual design systems across social, digital video, and influencer campaigns.
• Platform & Cultural Mastery: Monitor emerging trends, platform best practices, and KOL ecosystems to craft authentic, culturally relevant creative executions.
• Creative Strategy Articulation & "Big Idea" Setup: Partner with the CD to translate complex strategic insights into a crystal-clear, visually compelling "Big Idea" narratives
• Team Guidance & Business Continuity: Act as a back-up for creative designers, translating higher-level creative direction into clear, actionable feedback and task breakdowns for junior team members.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work alongside writers, strategists, account managers, and production teams to keep creative momentum high and ensure smooth campaign execution.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Senior Art Director level with 3–5 years of agency experience (network agency background is a strong plus).
• Proven track record of art-directed integrated campaigns, strong deck design, key visuals, and content ideation for top-tier brands.
• Solid understanding of platform best practices, social content formats, and creator/KOL ecosystems.
• Preferrably with a Bachelor’s degree in Advertising Arts, Visual Communications, Fine Arts, Multimedia Arts, or a related field.