Creative Director, Art, Animal Health at Fwd People

OVERVIEW: FWD People is a full-service strategic marketing agency delivering meaningful and measurable results in the Human Health and Animal Health sectors. We are our clients’ trusted strategic partner, staying ahead of the curve and helping them navigate change with clarity, creativity, and conviction. We approach every challenge with innovation, excellence, and empathy, and we seek the same qualities in our team. As a fast-growing senior leadership group, we’re excited to welcome forward-thinking creative leaders who will help us drive growth, shape industries, and elevate the standard of work across our portfolio. As Creative Director, Art for Animal Health, you are responsible for setting the visual and creative vision across our Animal Health accounts. You will lead with bold visual thinking, exceptional design craft, and sharp strategic instincts- ensuring every campaign, brand system, and client deliverable reflects both breakthrough creativity and rigorous strategic grounding. WHAT YOU’LL DO: Set creative vision & raise the bar - Define and drive the overarching visual and art direction vision across Animal Health and in support of the overarching FWD vision. - Ensure creative work is visually breakthrough, strategically aligned , and consistently best-in-class. - Elevate standards for design craft, visual storytelling, and conceptual rigor across the division. - Proactively track design trends and technology advancements- including AI-assisted tools- infusing a modern, forward-looking perspective into every project. Lead major accounts (Animal Health focus) - Serve as the senior creative lead on key Animal Health clients, shaping brand platforms, product launches, 360 campaigns, and long-term visual creative roadmaps. - Own visual identity systems, design languages, and art direction frameworks that scale across campaigns and channels. - Ideate, concept, and art direct across all media including digital, print, social, video, and motion, from brief through final delivery. - Direct video storyboarding and motion graphics animation, ensuring seamless integration across campaign systems. Drive strategic creative development - Lead concept development from brief to execution, ensuring ideas are rooted in insight, differentiated positioning, and client objectives. - Facilitate client creative workshops and visual direction sessions, guiding brand positioning and visual territory exploration. - Translate complex therapeutics, diagnostic tools, and technology solutions into compelling, visually resonant campaigns. - Apply systems thinking across brand architecture, user journeys, product ecosystems, and multi-channel campaign design. Senior client & internal partnership - Co-lead the Animal Health creative division alongside the Copy CD, bringing both macro vision and hands-on engagement, shaping the Art discipline while partnering with Strategy and Account leadership to deliver fully integrated, cohesive creative solutions. - Act as a trusted creative advisor to senior-level and C-suite clients, building confidence and long-term relationships. - Confidently present, defend, and refine creative work in high-stakes environments from internal reviews to executive client presentations. - Anticipate creative and strategic challenges; proactively guide conversations toward strong outcomes. - Facilitate in-person client workshops and collaborative sessions involving senior stakeholders. Mentor & build the team - Manage and mentor ACDs, Art Directors, and contractors, providing clear direction and actionable feedback. - Develop team members’ craft and creative thinking — building the next generation of design leaders at FWD. - Brief internal teams and inspire them to create best-in-class identity systems, digital content, print, video, and experiential work. - Help shape agency processes and creative workflows to support scale, quality, and excellence. Contribute to agency growth - Provide active Creative leadership across pitches and RFPs, helping articulate FWD’s point of view and grow the agency’s profile in Animal Health. - Partner with executive creative leadership on agency-wide creative initiatives and standards. WHAT YOU’LL LOVE ABOUT THIS ROLE: - Creative ownership. You’ll shape the visual direction for high-impact Animal Health brands- influencing positioning, launches, and campaigns that drive real-world change in companion care and veterinary medicine. - Strategic influence. You won’t just execute creative- you’ll define it. You’ll guide clients and internal teams toward ideas that are visually distinctive and strategically unforgettable. - Leadership & growth. You’ll join a collaborative senior creative team during a period of meaningful organizational expansion. You’ll help shape the evolution of our creative function and the next generation of talent within it. - The team. Be part of a close-knit, talented group of senior professionals who excel at delivering best-in-class work with forward-thinking creativity and design craft. This is a team that takes the work seriously and has fun doing it. WHAT YOU’LL BRING: - 12+ years of agency-based brand and campaign creative experience, with at least 3+ years in a senior creative leadership role, ideally gained across multiple companies. - Animal Health or Healthcare experience is highly valued. Comfort navigating regulated, science-driven industries with creativity and rigor. Experience in DTC and B2B a plus. - Exceptionally high standards for design craft and creative output, with meticulous attention to detail alongside the ability to push creative boundaries. - Deep expertise in visual brand systems, campaign art direction, and multi-channel design execution including digital, print, social, video, and motion. - A critical thinker and visual storyteller with a strong point of view and the ability to sell ideas compellingly across audiences. - Demonstrated experience leading senior-level client relationships and presenting to executive stakeholders with confidence. - Proven ability to lead and develop multidisciplinary creative teams while maintaining a hands-on presence in the work. - A reputation for high standards, sharp creative thinking, and raising the bar for those around you. - NYC-based and energized by in-person collaboration and the energy of a senior creative team. - You are both visionary and rigorous. You care deeply about the work and about the people creating it. WORKING AT FWD PEOPLE We are a senior team that champions integrity, adaptability, excellence, and growth. Here, you’ll collaborate with solution-focused colleagues to advance both our clients and our teams. Our office is located in Brooklyn Heights, and we offer a flexible hybrid work schedule. We value in-person collaboration and connection but also understand the importance of offering the flexibility to work from home. We are dedicated to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome differences in race, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, and more. We believe that diversity drives innovation and success, and we are committed to ensuring equal opportunities and fostering a culture of respect and collaboration. BENEFITS & COMP At FWD, we believe in supporting our team both personally and professionally. We offer excellent benefits, including 25 days off per year +16 paid holidays, matching 401(k), medical, dental & vision, paid parental leave, home office setup, yearly team retreats, and a comprehensive professional development program including executive coaching and a yearly professional development stipend. As we continue to grow, we enhance our benefits package to meet the needs of our team. The salary range for this role is $175,000 - $215,000 with a preference for contract-to-permanent candidates to ensure a mutual fit. However, full-time candidates are also welcome and encouraged to apply. This role is based in NYC (Brooklyn) with a flexible hybrid work schedule.