Global Executive Creative Director, WPP Beauty Collective

WPP is the creative transformation company. We use the power of creativity to build better futures for our people, planet, clients, and communities.

Working at WPP means being part of a global network of more than 115,000 accomplished people in 110 countries. WPP has headquarters in New York, London and Singapore and a corporate presence in major markets worldwide.

We create transformative ideas and outcomes for our clients through an integrated offer of communications, experience, commerce, and technology.

WPP and our award-winning agencies work with most of the world's biggest companies and organisations – from Ford, Unilever and P&G to Google, HSBC, and the UN. Our clients include 61 of the FTSE 100, 307 of the Fortune Global 500, all 30 of the Dow Jones 30 and 62 of the NASDAQ 100. WPP are the leader in the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index and 20th in the FTSE 100 rankings for Women on Boards.

WPP Beauty Collective is seeking a visionary and inspiring Global Executive Creative Director to work in collaboration with our agencies in developing groundbreaking and culturally relevant campaigns for our diverse portfolio of beauty brands. This role demands a strategic thinker with a keen eye for emerging trends, a passion for pushing creative boundaries, and a deep understanding of how to leverage data and technology to drive growth – all within the framework of the client’s specific philosophies and methodologies. The ideal candidate will be a natural leader with a proven track record of influencing high-performing teams to deliver exceptional, commercially successful work that elevates our brands and resonates with consumers worldwide.

Location: London preferred

Reporting to: Global Client Lead with dotted line into Global CCO/Ogilvy

Role Requirements:

Leadership & Team Management:

• Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence grounded in the client’s brand-building principles and "6 Ps" framework (Proposition, Packaging, Pricing, Placement, People, Planet). This includes championing a data-driven approach to creativity, leveraging the client's "Data Lab" and AI capabilities to inform creative decisions and measure impact.
• Ensure the agency creative teams are composed possess a strong understanding of data-driven creativity, social-first strategies, and THE CLIENT’S 's brand-building philosophy.
• Inspire and motivate creative teams to develop breakthrough creative solutions for client marketing challenges, pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation.
• Direct any creative strategy or execution needs for new business pitches, showcasing the agency's creative capabilities and alignment with THE CLIENT’S 's vision for "unmissable brand experiences" that drive market share growth.

Creative Strategy & Execution:

• Evangelize the creative vision and beliefs within the WPP Beauty Collective creative community, ensuring alignment with business challenges and marketing objectives. This includes championing a "social-first" mindset, with a deep understanding of how to engage audiences on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

• Foster a  creative culture of continuous improvement that aligns with THE CLIENT’S 's data-driven approach and emphasis on AI-powered solutions.
• Partner with client teams as a leader and individual contributor, providing strategic creative direction and hands-on involvement in key projects, ensuring deep integration with the client's internal teams, processes, and data resources.
• Ensure that creative projects meet agreed-upon timelines and budgets, adhering to THE CLIENT’S 's rigorous standards and timelines.
• Provide senior-level direction in production process, ensuring consistency and quality across all media platforms, with a particular focus on THE CLIENT’S 's "social-first" strategy and emphasis on TikTok and Instagram.
• Ensure the senior team informs and drives synergy across communication platforms, successfully translating ideas into various media (web, direct mail, showroom, print, TV, and promotions) while maintaining a cohesive brand experience across all touchpoints and adhering to THE CLIENT’S 's brand guidelines.

Client & Stakeholder Management:

• Participate as a member of the executive management team, contributing to strategic decision-making, demonstrating a deep understanding of THE CLIENT’S 's business objectives, "6 Ps" framework, and commitment to data-driven creativity.
• Maintain strong relationships with senior client partners in conjunction with the Global Client Lead, ensuring client satisfaction and building long-term partnerships based on trust, transparency, and shared goals, aligning with WPP's collaborative approach.
• Understand and be aware of local cultures when solving client business challenges,  while remaining aligned with THE CLIENT’S 's global strategic direction.
• Partner effectively with all departments to ensure the delivery of on-time, high-quality deliverables that address client challenges, demonstrating a willingness to collaborate and integrate with THE CLIENT’S 's internal teams and processes.
• Communicate findings and recommendations in a clear and compelling manner in written, oral, and presentation forums, tailoring communication style and content to THE CLIENT’S 's specific needs and preferences.

Desired Skills and Experiences:

• 15+ years of experience in a creative leadership role within a global advertising agency or in-house creative department, with a strong focus on beauty care brands, ideally with experience working on global brands at scale.
• A proven track record of developing and executing award-winning, culturally relevant, and impactful creative campaigns across multiple platforms, demonstrating a clear understanding of how to drive business results through creativity.
• Exceptional leadership skills with the ability to inspire, motivate, and manage high-performing creative teams, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence within a fast-paced and demanding environment.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate with clients and internal stakeholders at all levels, across a matrixed global environment.
• Deep understanding of the global beauty landscape, including emerging trends, consumer insights, and competitive dynamics, with a keen eye for identifying opportunities to differentiate client's brands.
• A passion for creativity and innovation, with a constant drive to push boundaries and explore new ideas.
• Strong understanding of production processes across various media, including digital, print, and broadcast, with experience managing budgets and resources effectively.

We offer:

• The opportunity to lead creatively in partnership with a world-renowned client, working on some of the most iconic brands in the beauty industry.
• A dynamic and challenging work environment with exposure to a diverse portfolio of brands and the opportunity to make a real impact on THE CLIENT’S 's global business.
• Competitive salary and benefits package.

Who you are:

You're open: We are inclusive and collaborative; we encourage the free exchange of ideas; we respect and celebrate diverse views. We are accepting: of new ideas, new partnerships, new ways of working.

You're optimistic: We believe in the power of creativity, technology and talent to create brighter futures or our people, our clients and our communities. We approach all that we do with conviction: to try the new and to seek the unexpected.

You're extraordinary: we are stronger together: through collaboration we achieve the amazing. We are creative leaders and pioneers of our industry; we provide extraordinary every day.

What we'll give you:

Passionate, inspired people – We promote a culture of people that do extraordinary work.

Scale and opportunity – We offer the opportunity to create, influence and complete projects at a scale that is unparalleled in the industry.

Challenging and stimulating work – Unique work and the opportunity to join a group of creative problem solvers. Are you up for the challenge?

WPP is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion or belief, sex, age, national origin, citizenship status, marital status, military/veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental disability. We believe in creating a dynamic work environment that values diversity and inclusion and strives to recruit a diverse slate of candidates to help us achieve that goal.

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