📌 Core Information
🔹 Job Title: Associate Creative Director, Marketing
🔹 Company: Anchour
🔹 Location: Lewiston, Maine, United States
🔹 Job Type: Full-Time, Hybrid
🔹 Category: Marketing Services
🔹 Date Posted: April 9, 2025
🔹 Experience Level: 6+ years
🔹 Remote Status: Hybrid (primarily remote with regular in-office collaboration days)
🚀 Job Overview
Key aspects of this role include:
- Leading and mentoring a team of marketing designers
- Driving creative strategy and execution for marketing campaigns
- Building strong client relationships through clear communication and collaboration
- Championing creative operations and driving innovation
- Supporting agency growth through case studies, awards submissions, and creative pitches
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a balance of strategic thinking and hands-on execution, with a strong focus on mentoring and team development.
📋 Key Responsibilities
✅ Lead Campaign & Marketing Design: Set the creative vision for campaign work—emails, ads, landing pages, digital campaigns—and ensure it’s bold, effective, and on-brand.
✅ Be a Hands-On Creative: Actively concept, design, and refine work alongside your team—including motion/animation for campaigns and social.
✅ Mentor & Grow a Talented Team: Manage and develop a team of 4+ marketing designers. Provide structured feedback, career coaching, and creative direction that helps them do the best work of their careers.
✅ Build Client Trust: Serve as a creative lead in client meetings—presenting ideas, gathering feedback, and shaping strong relationships through thoughtful, clear communication.
✅ Drive Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with copywriters, marketers, developers, and strategists to deliver integrated creative solutions that connect with audiences and meet client goals.
✅ Champion Creative Operations: Collaborate with project management to plan resources, set timelines, and manage priorities—ensuring you and your team stays focused and supported.
✅ Push Innovation: Lead the integration of new tools, especially AI, into creative workflows. Encourage curiosity and experimentation to keep our work sharp and future-focused.
✅ Support Agency Growth: Help craft compelling case studies, awards submissions, and creative pitches that showcase the impact and originality of our work.
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a high level of organization, strong communication skills, and the ability to balance multiple projects and deadlines.
🎯 Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor's degree in Design, Marketing, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
Experience: 6+ years of experience in an agency or in-house team, with a strong portfolio of digital marketing work (campaigns, ads, email, landing pages, etc.)
Required Skills:
- Proven team leadership experience, including direct management of creatives and a strong track record of mentorship and team development
- Deep passion for marketing design and a strong understanding of what makes performance creative succeed across channels
- Expertise in tools like Figma, Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. Bonus points for motion/animation skills (After Effects, etc.)
- Exceptional communication skills—both internally and with clients
- Strategic thinking and executional excellence—you can zoom out to align creative with business goals and zoom in to finesse the final details
- A humble, collaborative mindset. You bring leadership and confidence without ego—and thrive in a roll-up-your-sleeves culture.
Preferred Skills:
- Experience with AI-driven creative tools
- Knowledge of the Maine marketing landscape
ASSUMPTION: Candidates with experience in a similar role or industry will have a strong advantage.
💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: $80,000 - $120,000 per year (based on experience and industry standards for the role and location)
Benefits:
- Competitive Salary & Profit Sharing
- Hybrid Work Flexibility
- Retirement. Savings plan with a 4% company match
- Premium Insurance. Premium health, dental, vision, and life insurance with generous coverage for our US-based team members
- Optional HSA. An optional health savings account (HSA) for employees to set aside money on a pre-tax basis for medical expenses
- Home Office Setup. Get a laptop + 50% reimbursement for home office equipment
- Paid & Floating Holidays. 12 paid holidays throughout the year, including three floating holidays
- Paid Time Off. Minimum three weeks of paid time off per year
- Paid Leaves. Paid parental, medical, bereavement, and other types of leave
- Flexible & Summer Fridays. Half-day Fridays throughout the summer, and a get-it-done-and-go mindset year-round
- Lifelong Learners Fund. Cash for professional development (books, conferences, courses), and team bonding fun times
- Baby Bonding Bucks. $500 bonus to cover diapers, meals, or other baby-related expenses for any employee welcoming a new child
Working Hours: Full-time, with regular in-office collaboration days
ASSUMPTION: The salary range provided is an estimate based on industry standards for the role, experience level, and location. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as skills, experience, and performance.
📌 Applicant Insights
🔍 Company Context
Industry: Marketing Services. Anchour specializes in helping ambitious brands unlock their full potential through a unique blend of brand strategy, innovative design, digital experiences, and marketing.
Company Size: 11-50 employees. As a mid-sized agency, Anchour offers a supportive work environment with opportunities for growth and collaboration.
Founded: 2013. Anchour has been helping brands thrive in competitive markets for over a decade.
Company Description:
- Results-driven creative agency focused on driving sustainable growth for clients
- Partnership-based approach, combining strategic insight with creative execution
- Services include branding, design, digital experiences, marketing, strategy, web development, and advertising
Company Specialties:
- Branding
- Design
- Marketing
- Web development
- Strategy
- Digital Marketing
- Web Design
- Advertising
Company Website: http://www.anchour.com
ASSUMPTION: Anchour's focus on results-driven creativity and partnership-based approach sets it apart in the marketing services industry.
📊 Role Analysis
Career Level: Mid-level to senior. This role offers opportunities for growth and leadership within the agency's marketing design team.
Reporting Structure: Reports directly to the VP of Growth and works alongside digital marketers, strategists, copywriters, and developers.
Work Arrangement: Hybrid. Primarily remote with regular in-office collaboration days.
Growth Opportunities:
- Mentoring and developing team members
- Expanding creative skillset through hands-on work and AI-driven tools
- Contributing to agency growth through case studies, awards submissions, and creative pitches
ASSUMPTION: This role offers significant growth opportunities for the right candidate, both in terms of personal development and career advancement.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: Hybrid. Primarily remote with regular in-office collaboration days at the Lewiston, Maine headquarters.
Office Location(s): 199 Lisbon St, Suite A, Lewiston, Maine 04240, US
Geographic Context:
- Lewiston, Maine is a mid-sized city with a growing arts and culture scene
- Close proximity to Portland, Maine, offering easy access to urban amenities
- Maine's natural beauty and outdoor recreation opportunities
Work Schedule: Full-time, with regular in-office collaboration days
ASSUMPTION: The hybrid work arrangement offers a good balance between remote flexibility and in-person collaboration and connection.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process:
- Initial phone or video screen with the HR team
- Creative challenge or portfolio review with the hiring manager
- Final interview with the VP of Growth and other team members
Key Assessment Areas:
- Creative portfolio and problem-solving skills
- Communication and presentation skills
- Leadership and mentoring abilities
- Alignment with Anchour's company values and culture
Application Tips:
- Tailor your resume and portfolio to highlight relevant marketing design experience and skills
- Prepare a strong cover letter that demonstrates your passion for marketing design and alignment with Anchour's mission
- Be ready to discuss your creative process, mentoring approach, and strategic thinking during the interview
ATS Keywords: Marketing design, creative direction, team leadership, client communication, cross-functional collaboration, project management, innovation, Figma, Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, motion design, strategic thinking, mentorship, performance creative, collaboration, executional excellence
ASSUMPTION: Anchour's interview process is designed to assess both creative skills and cultural fit, with a focus on the candidate's ability to lead and mentor a talented team.
🛠️ Tools & Technologies
- Figma
- Illustrator
- Photoshop
- InDesign
- After Effects (bonus)
- AI-driven creative tools (emerging)
ASSUMPTION: Familiarity with industry-standard design tools and a willingness to explore emerging AI-driven creative tools are essential for this role.
👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values:
- Results-driven
- Collaborative
- Innovative
- Growth-oriented
- Client-focused
Work Style:
- Hands-on and strategic
- Collaborative and open-minded
- Detail-oriented and quality-focused
- Adaptable and curious
Self-Assessment Questions:
- How do you balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution in your creative process?
- Can you provide an example of a time when you mentored a team member to help them improve their skills or achieve a specific goal?
- How do you approach learning and integrating new tools, especially AI-driven creative tools, into your workflow?
ASSUMPTION: Anchour values candidates who are results-driven, collaborative, innovative, growth-oriented, and client-focused, with a strong work ethic and a commitment to continuous learning and improvement.
⚠️ Potential Challenges
- Managing and mentoring a team through periods of growth and change
- Balancing multiple projects and deadlines while maintaining a high level of quality and creativity
- Adapting to a hybrid work environment and maintaining strong communication and collaboration with both remote and in-office team members
- Keeping up with emerging trends and tools in the marketing design industry
ASSUMPTION: These challenges can be overcome with strong leadership, effective communication, and a commitment to continuous learning and improvement.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
- Unlike other marketing design roles, this position requires a strong balance of strategic thinking and hands-on execution, with a heavy emphasis on team leadership and mentoring
- Anchour's focus on results-driven creativity and partnership-based approach sets it apart in the marketing services industry
- This role offers significant growth opportunities for the right candidate, both in terms of personal development and career advancement
ASSUMPTION: This role is well-suited for candidates with a strong background in marketing design, proven leadership experience, and a passion for mentoring and developing talent.
📝 Sample Projects
- Conceptualizing and executing a high-performing email marketing campaign for a retail client
- Collaborating with a cross-functional team to develop a comprehensive branding strategy for a financial services client
- Leading a team to create a suite of engaging social media graphics and animations for a professional services client
ASSUMPTION: These sample projects illustrate the hands-on, collaborative, and strategic nature of the role, as well as the opportunity to work with a diverse range of clients and industries.
❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- How does the team currently approach creative strategy and execution for marketing campaigns, and how can I contribute to and improve this process?
- Can you describe the team's dynamic and how my leadership style can complement and enhance it?
- How does Anchour support the professional development and growth of its team members, particularly in the marketing design department?
- What are the biggest challenges facing the marketing design team currently, and how can I help address them?
- How does Anchour measure the success of its marketing design work, and how can I help drive continuous improvement in this area?
ASSUMPTION: These questions demonstrate a candidate's curiosity, strategic thinking, and commitment to driving results and growth within the team and the agency as a whole.
📌 Next Steps for Applicants
To apply for this position:
- Submit your application through this link
- Tailor your resume and portfolio to highlight relevant marketing design experience and skills
- Prepare a strong cover letter that demonstrates your passion for marketing design and alignment with Anchour's mission
- Be ready to discuss your creative process, mentoring approach, and strategic thinking during the interview
- Follow up with the hiring manager one week after submitting your application to express your continued interest in the role
⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.
