Creative Manager (Fixed-Term Contract) - Markham

Responsibilities

The Creative Manager I is responsible for leading creative initiatives across digital and product platforms. They manage design delivery, mentor junior talent, and collaborate cross-functionally to ensure brand consistency and user-focused design. This role remains current with industry trends.

Qualifications

• A relevant Tertiary qualification
• 8+ years' experience as a Creative Lead, Creative Manager or Creative Director role.
• Proven experience in managing and developing creative teams.
• Able to perform effectively in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment, with a strong understanding of workflow management and online traffic coordination.
• Prior retail experience is essential
• Ideally have experience leading teams within premium creative agencies or established retail environments
• Capable of both producing high-quality design work and managing a team

Skills

• Managing studio workflow, traffic and team capacity.
• Ensuring briefs are strategically and creatively sound before entering production.
• Leading creative reviews and maintaining quality standards across all work.
• Conducting creative audits and identifying opportunities to strengthen the brand's creative output.
• Mentoring and developing designers within the studio.
• Personally contributing to campaign development, design execution and creative delivery when required.
• Supporting the team during peak workload periods and helping ensure projects are delivered on time and to a high standard.

Behaviours

• Being Resilient - rebounding from setbacks and adversity when facing difficult situations.
• Building Effective Teams - forms, develops and leads a group of individuals toward the achievement of a common team objective
• Builds Networks - establishes and nurtures internal and external relationships in order to create robust, and mutually beneficial, partnerships
• Cultivates Innovation - creates an environment that fosters and nurtures a culture of creativity which drives success
• Decision Quality - consistently makes timely, well-rounded and informed decisions
• Drives Engagement - inspires, motivates and empowers individuals to go above and beyond for the benefit of the team and the organisation
• Ensures Accountability - takes accountability and ensures others are held to account on agreed upon performance targets
• Manages Complexity - interprets and simplifies complex and contradictory information when resolving organisational problems
• Organisational Savvy - understands and navigates dynamics created by processes, systems, and people
• Situational Adaptability - effectively adjusts their behaviour, approach, and decision-making based on the situation
• Strategic Mindset - thinks and plans strategically, focusing on the long-term goals and objectives of the organisation.

Preference will be given, but not limited to candidates from designated groups in terms of the Employment Equity Act.

Requirements

• 8+ years' experience as a Creative Lead, Creative Manager or Creative Director role.
• Proven experience leading and mentoring creative teams within a fast-paced retail, fashion, lifestyle, or agency environment.
• Strong conceptual thinking and ability to develop compelling campaign ideas from brief through to execution.
• Advanced design capability with a portfolio demonstrating original conceptual work and high-quality execution across multiple channels.
• Ability to personally contribute to design work, campaign development, creative problem-solving, and art direction as part of the studio workload.
• Strong understanding of typography, layout, visual communication, branding, and integrated campaign development.
• Experience managing studio traffic, workflow planning, resource allocation, and project prioritisation.
• Ability to unpack, challenge and refine briefs before they enter the studio workflow.
• Strong operational mindset with the ability to build structure, accountability, and delivery discipline within a creative environment.
• Ability to conduct creative audits and identify opportunities to elevate brand communication, campaign effectiveness, and creative standards.
• Experience working across retail marketing, digital, social media, content, print and campaign production.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Experience using Monday.com or similar workflow management platforms.