Creative Director, Art (Health) - VML South Africa : Job Details

At VML, we are a beacon of innovation and growth in an ever-evolving world. Our heritage is built upon a century of combined expertise, where creativity meets technology, and diverse perspectives ignite inspiration. With the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, we have forged a new path as a growth partner that is part creative agency, part consultancy, and part technology powerhouse.

Our global family now encompasses over 30,000 employees across 150+ offices in 64 markets, each contributing to a culture that values connection, belonging, and the power of differences. Our expertise spans the entire customer journey, offering deep insights in communications, commerce, consultancy, CRM, CX, data, production, and technology. We deliver end-to-end solutions that result in revolutionary work.

About VML Health:

VML HEALTH is a global healthcare agency that partners with healthcare clients across a broad definition of health, from high science to wellness and everything in between. It operates fluidly within the VML agency, as a core group of health specialists (a ‘vertical') that has the benefit of autonomy in management, but with support of non-health expertise.

At the heart of health is the story of life – all the highs and lows, ambitions, and possibilities. But facing a health challenge can suddenly pull people away from these stories, knocking them off course.

Our purpose is to bridge this gap, bringing people closer to life and all its meaning. We gain a deeper understanding of Healthcare Professionals' and patients' needs, behaviors and lived experiences through what we call ‘radical empathy'.

VML Health creates connected brands that get to the heart, bringing people closer to the lives they want to live. Get to the heart. Connect for life.

What We're Looking For:

VML Health is actively seeking an experienced and conceptually driven Creative Director, Art, to be a go-to leader for our healthcare brand(s). You're a visionary with a passion for developing innovative and impactful visual solutions that solve client business challenges. You possess a strong understanding of design principles, visual communication, and the ability to inspire and direct a team of talented art directors and designers. You are a confident communicator, a skilled collaborator, and a champion for creative excellence.

What You'll Do:

• Be responsible for on-brand creative concepts for assigned projects, working closely with copy partner, and ensures consistency of concepts across tactics.
• Grasp the creative brief for core insight and ensures creative is aligned with strategy.
• Prepare designs for review with supervisor and internal teams and is able to present a variety of execution options.
• Conduct image searches and attend shoots to assist with pre-postproduction process.
• Show experience in developing mood boards, talent selection, client review and developing shot lists.
• Understand roles and responsibilities of different functions within the brand team.
• Take detailed notes for personal reference to ensure all feedback and direction are addressed.
• Stay up to date with latest industry trends, artists, film, CGI, photography, etc.
• Be able to present confidently to client and clearly communicate how creative work/design meets the strategic and business objective.
• Manage multiple assignments of diverse scope ensure all deadlines are met.

Who You Are:

• Able to drive the visual approach throughout the life of a project.
• Consistently respond to creative brief with a critical eye and able to create multiple interesting concepts for execution.
• Eager to collaborate with copy partner and cross-functional teams including Account, Strategy, Social and UX.

What You'll Need:

• Proficient knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite.
• A portfolio that demonstrates creative and conceptual thinking, preferably in the healthcare/pharma industry.
• 8-10+ years of equivalent experience with 5+ years of supervisory experience.

What We Offer:

• Passionate, driven people |We champion a culture of people that do extraordinary work.
• Consciously cultivated culture |We aim to embody the behaviors to build an inclusivecommunity that is in it together, bringing both positivity and active listening into the workplace as we simultaneously strive to empower creative bravery.
• Competitive benefits | What we offer full time hires ranges from the full spectrum of group health coverage options (medical, dental, vision) to a generous 401k match (100% dollar-for-dollar match, up to 5% of salary contribution), and a variety of paid time off offerings that reflect our investment in all aspects of your overall life balance and wellness.
• Growth-minded opportunities | We aim to nurture a culture of real-time feedback, growth-oriented mindset, and plenty of training opportunities through VML and WPP, so you can continue to grow personally and professionally.

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The base salary range for this position at the time of this posting is indicated below. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including location, business needs, level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package, click WPP Benefits for more details.

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$100,000 — $230,000 USD

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we've adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

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