Associate Director - Creative

📌 Core Information - Job Title: Associate Director - Creative - Company: Careem - Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Job Type: Full-time, Hybrid (4 days in-office, 1 day remote) - Category: Creative & Design - Date Posted: May 19, 2025 - Experience Level: 10+ years (3+ years in senior creative leadership) - Remote Status: On-site with remote flexibility 🚀 Job Overview Key aspects of this role include: - Leading the visual direction of Careem's brand across all platforms and services. - Overseeing a multi-disciplinary team of 15 creatives across design, brand, film, and motion. - Shaping the visual identity of Careem's masterbrand, individual services, and high-impact branding work. - Championing the use of AI tools for scalable, high-quality content generation. ASSUMPTION: This role requires a strategic and creative thinker who can balance craft with scalability, and is comfortable using emerging AI tools to enhance productivity and innovation. 📋 Key Responsibilities - Creative Leadership: Define and elevate Careem's visual identity and design systems across all brands and services. - Conceptual Thinking: Develop insight- and data-driven creative campaigns that deliver strong business results and stand alongside the best work on a global stage. - Team Management: Lead, mentor, and inspire a high-performing team of designers, art directors, motion artists, and content creators. - Art Direction: Guide the look and feel of campaigns and content across all platforms, online and offline, setting a high bar for executional excellence. - Design Oversight: Ensure all visual content aligns with Careem's brand principles, from campaign key visuals to UI design and motion graphics. - Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with product, marketing, comms, and growth teams to bring strategic initiatives to life through standout creative. - AI Innovation: Champion the use of generative AI tools to boost productivity and creative experimentation. - Quality Control: Be the final eye on all creative work going out the door, ensuring quality, consistency, and impact across all channels. - Brand Stewardship: Maintain and evolve the Careem brand in a way that is both globally consistent and locally relevant. ASSUMPTION: This role requires a hands-on creative leader with deep expertise in art direction and design, a sharp eye for visual storytelling, and a track record of building impactful brand expressions. 🎯 Required Qualifications - Education: Bachelor's degree in Design, Fine Arts, or a related field. - Experience: 10+ years of experience in design and art direction roles, with at least 3 years in a senior creative leadership capacity. - Required Skills: - Proven expertise in art direction and design. - Strong portfolio showcasing world-class design, 360 campaigns, and storytelling across brand, digital, and film. - Experience leading and scaling creative teams, ideally within an in-house studio or top-tier agency. - Deep understanding of visual systems, typography, color theory, layout, and motion principles. - Skilled in tools like Adobe Creative Cloud, Figma, After Effects, and emerging AI platforms (e.g., Midjourney, Runway, Adobe Firefly). - Impeccable taste, attention to detail, and the ability to balance craft with scalability. - Confident communicator and creative strategist, comfortable presenting to senior stakeholders. - Passion for building brands that matter, and a belief in the power of creativity to drive culture and business growth. - Preferred Skills: - Experience working in the Middle East or with Middle Eastern brands. - Familiarity with the transportation, technology, and logistics industries. - Knowledge of Arabic and/or other local languages. ASSUMPTION: Given the regional context and industry, candidates with experience in the Middle East or relevant industry knowledge may have an advantage. 💰 Compensation & Benefits - Salary Range: AED 45,000 - 60,000 per month (industry standard for a senior creative role in Dubai) - Benefits: - Healthcare benefits - Fitness reimbursements for health activities including gym, health club, and training classes - Unlimited vacation days per year - Work 4 days a week in the office and 1 day from home, with the option to work remotely from any country in the world for up to 30 days a year - Working Hours: Full-time (40 hours per week) ASSUMPTION: The salary range is estimated based on market research for senior creative roles in Dubai. Benefits are based on the information provided in the job description. 📌 Applicant Insights 🔍 Company Context - Industry: Software Development, focusing on transportation, technology, and logistics. - Company Size: 1,001-5,000 employees - Founded: 2012 - Company Description: Careem is building the Everything App for the greater Middle East, making it easier than ever to move around, order food and groceries, manage payments, and more. Careem is led by a powerful purpose to simplify and improve the lives of people and build an awesome organisation that inspires. Since 2012, Careem has created earnings for over 3.5 million ride-hailing and delivery captains, simplified the lives of over 75 million customers, and built a platform for the region’s best talent to thrive and for entrepreneurs to scale their businesses. Careem operates in over 70 cities across 10 countries, from Morocco to Pakistan. - Company Specialties: Transportation, technology, and logistics. - Company Website: www.careem.com ASSUMPTION: Careem is a well-established tech company in the Middle East, with a strong focus on innovation and growth. 📊 Role Analysis - Career Level: Senior leadership role in the creative department. - Reporting Structure: This role reports directly to the Head of Creative at Careem. - Work Arrangement: Hybrid, with 4 days in the office and 1 day remote, and the option to work remotely from any country in the world for up to 30 days a year. - Growth Opportunities: - Potential to grow into a leadership role within the creative department or expand into other areas of the business. - Opportunities to work on high-impact projects and campaigns that reach a wide audience in the Middle East and beyond. ASSUMPTION: This role offers significant growth potential for the right candidate, with opportunities to make a real impact on Careem's brand and business. 🌍 Location & Work Environment - Office Type: Modern, collaborative office space in Dubai Media City. - Office Location: Shatha Tower, Dubai Media City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. - Geographic Context: Dubai is a bustling, multicultural city with a thriving tech industry and a high quality of life. - Work Schedule: Full-time, with flexible remote work options. ASSUMPTION: Dubai offers a dynamic work environment with a mix of cultures and a strong focus on innovation and growth. 💼 Interview & Application Insights - Typical Process: Online application review, phone or video screen, in-person or virtual interview with the hiring manager, and final interview with the creative team. - Key Assessment Areas: Creative portfolio, art direction and design skills, leadership and management abilities, cultural fit, and strategic thinking. - Application Tips: - Tailor your resume and portfolio to highlight relevant experience and skills for this role. - Prepare a strong portfolio showcasing your best work, with a focus on art direction and design. - Be ready to discuss your creative process, inspiration, and how you approach briefs and challenges. - Research Careem and the Middle East market to demonstrate your understanding of the brand and the region. ASSUMPTION: Careem's interview process is designed to assess both creative skills and cultural fit, with a focus on finding the best candidate for the role. 🛠️ Tools & Technologies - Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects) - Figma - Sketch - InVision - AI tools (Midjourney, Runway, Adobe Firefly) ASSUMPTION: Careem uses industry-standard creative tools, with a growing focus on emerging AI platforms for content generation and design. 👔 Cultural Fit Considerations - Company Values: Simplify, Inspire, Build, and Care. - Work Style: Collaborative, innovative, and fast-paced, with a focus on delivering high-quality work on tight deadlines. - Self-Assessment Questions: - How do you align with Careem's values, and how have you demonstrated these values in your previous roles? - How comfortable are you working in a fast-paced, collaborative environment with tight deadlines? - How do you approach briefs and challenges, and how do you ensure your work is both creative and strategically sound? ASSUMPTION: Careem values candidates who are passionate about their work, collaborative, and able to thrive in a fast-paced, innovative environment. ⚠️ Potential Challenges - Challenge 1: Balancing the need for high-quality, innovative creative work with the demands of a fast-paced, growing business. - Challenge 2: Working in a multicultural environment with diverse perspectives and communication styles. - Challenge 3: Adapting to emerging technologies and AI tools, and integrating them into the creative process. - Challenge 4: Managing a team of creatives with varying levels of experience and expertise. ASSUMPTION: These challenges are inherent in a fast-growing, innovative company like Careem, and successful candidates will be able to navigate them effectively. 📈 Similar Roles Comparison - Comparison Point 1: This role is similar to a Senior Art Director or Creative Director role in a top-tier agency or in-house creative department, but with the added responsibility of managing a team and driving the visual direction of a major brand. - Comparison Point 2: The Middle East market presents unique challenges and opportunities, with a diverse audience and a strong focus on storytelling and cultural relevance. - Comparison Point 3: This role offers significant growth potential, with the opportunity to make a real impact on Careem's brand and business, and to grow into a leadership role within the creative department or expand into other areas of the business. ASSUMPTION: This role is unique in its scope and impact, offering a rare opportunity to shape the visual identity of a major brand in a dynamic, growing market. 📝 Sample Projects - Rebranding Careem's masterbrand and individual services to reflect the company's evolution and expansion into new markets. - Developing a comprehensive visual identity system that ensures consistency and coherence across all touchpoints, from digital platforms to out-of-home advertising. - Creating high-impact branding campaigns for Careem's Captain branding and Careem Foundation initiatives. - Collaborating with product and marketing teams to bring strategic initiatives to life through standout creative, from launch campaigns to ongoing content series. ASSUMPTION: These projects are representative of the types of challenges and opportunities this role presents, and successful candidates will be able to demonstrate their ability to tackle similar briefs and deliver exceptional results. ❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview - What are the biggest creative challenges facing Careem in the next 12-24 months, and how can this role help address them? - How does Careem support the professional development and growth of its creative team members? - What are the key priorities for this role in the first 30-60-90 days? - How does Careem approach collaboration and communication with other departments, such as product, marketing, and growth? - What are the most rewarding aspects of working at Careem, according to current team members? ASSUMPTION: These questions are designed to help candidates better understand the role, the company, and the creative team, and to demonstrate their interest in and understanding of the opportunity. 📌 Next Steps for Applicants To apply for this position: - Submit your application through this link. - Tailor your resume and portfolio to highlight relevant experience and skills for this role. - Prepare a strong portfolio showcasing your best work, with a focus on art direction and design. - Be ready to discuss your creative process, inspiration, and how you approach briefs and challenges. - Research Careem and the Middle East market to demonstrate your understanding of the brand and the region. - Follow up with the hiring manager one week after submitting your application to express your interest and reiterate your qualifications. ⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.