Creative Director, Experience, North America

Job Description

The Mill Experience is The Mill's immersive experience team. We imagine, design, and build pinnacle immersive experiences for the world's most ambitious brands.

We are world renowned visual storytellers-master crafters of simulated, elevated, and extended realities. For over 30 years we have led the evolution of computer graphics from the linear stories of the screen to real-time fantasies in virtual spaces and incredible interactions in real places, perfecting our interactive craft in step with emerging real-time technologies.

With our global team of world class developers and creative technologists we work across the range of immersive experiences: location-based entertainment, augmented reality, virtual reality, and real-time character animation.

The Mill is looking for a Creative Director to join its Experience team. As Creative Director, you'll lead the concept, the vision, and the approach to cutting-edge VR and AR (Augmented Reality) experiences, games, and experiential design for an amazing roster of clients. In the top creative role at the project-level, you'll be a critical-thinker and a problem-solver able to make assertive recommendations that impact the entire team. Ensuring creative content is authentic to the franchise, on-brand, on-story, and in-theme will be one of your top priorities. As Creative Director, you'll be a charismatic, persuasive communicator confident in presenting ideas to clients, executives, and multidisciplinary teams.

As a Creative Director on the Experience team, you'll be more than an ''idea person'' or ''consultant'' by possessing several artistic skills at an expert level. Your expert-level skills might include understanding of art direction, immersive storytelling, VR or AR creation, game design, UX design, illustration, 3D art, and graphic design. These skills include tasks that you would be just as comfortable doing on your own as you would be directing others to do the same task. You'll know when to step in and course-correct if the project is veering off-course, and when to stand back to allow the team some creative freedom.

You'll be a team-player and a people-person, always cool under pressure, as you break new ground with the Experience team in pushing the boundaries of innovative experiences that rarely have familiar road maps. Ideally, you're an assertive, self-starter that speaks up and conveys your professional opinions in a clear, collaborative way. While this is a role for a seasoned creative professional, we'd expect you to always be hungry to learn and share new and exciting skills as you grow with the company. This career path is a lot of fun too!

Your Responsibilities
• Responsible and accountable for the concept, the vision, and the approach to innovative VR and AR experiences, games, and experiential design for an amazing roster of clients
• Must be able to articulate a creative vision and see it through from concept through completion with oversight from the Executive Creative Director
• Spearhead pitches, leading a team in crafting beautifully designed proposals which follow the client's objectives, but push the envelope in creative execution and innovation
• Ensure creative content is authentic to the franchise, on-brand, on-story, and in-theme
• Confidence in directing a multidisciplinary team of artists, writers, developers, producers, animators, and installation designers.
• Lead brainstorming sessions with internal and external teams
• Keep a cool head and positive attitude when changes and conflict arise and continue to support the client and the team, striking the perfect balance between ambition and facilitation
• Drive and support innovation in R&D initiatives while keeping to a scope, schedule, and budget
• Travel occasionally when necessary to attend project kick-offs, installations, or industry events
• Clearly explain your rationale, based on business needs, innovation and clever design, for creative choices both internally to our project teams and externally to clients.
• Provide regular, constructive feedback ensuring that the creative vision is still on track

Qualifications
• • 8+ years' experience in a studio environment preferably in a leadership position (director, manager, or lead)
• Strong ability to grow client relationships
• In depth understanding of immersive location-based experiences, VR, AR, and real-time animation (both the possibilities and the limitations)
• Proven experience leading successful immersive, experiential projects with measurable results
• A breadth of experience and understanding covering UI, UX, visual design, strategy, concepting, art, design, and storytelling with an expert-level mastery of several of these skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Exceptional presentation skills with the ability to win a room over, clearly articulating your vision and your rationale behind it. Evoke excitement and passion with your recommendations!
• Ability to work collaboratively with multi-disciplinary teams on multiple projects with oversight from the Executive Creative Director
• Confidence in all facets of the creative process, with the ability to transform your knowledge of current and future trends in design and technology into thoughtful, creative concepts
• Strong leadership and organizational skills
• Ability to travel when necessary
• Sense of humor-The Mill Experience team should be a great place to work with happy, respectful employees!

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-req2n1-3-134-102-182-42 in your application.