Associate Creative Director (AI Design)

Kepler executes engineered marketing, where every message and ad delivered helps create a more personalized and productive relationship between brands and their consumers. We do this by acting as clients’ agency of record, as their in-house team, or some hybrid of the two – and by harnessing data and technology across all paid digital media and data-driven CRM channels.

Kepler prides itself on being a great place to work. In fact, we’re proud to share that AdAge recognized Kepler among the Best Place to Work in 2022, validating our investment in our team and our clients.

• We're transparent with our employees. You'll hear updates on company financials, how we're performing against bonus goals, and how we're responding to challenges we face.
• We're growing. For you, that means unparalleled growth opportunities and a role in shaping the direction of the company.
• We're fun. You'll work with and learn from the smartest people in the industry and have a blast doing it.

This role operates within Kepler’s collaborative ecosystem, partnering closely with Marketing and Business Development teams to ensure creative output aligns with strategic objectives and supports company growth.

The Associate Creative Director, AI Design leads the fusion of graphic design mastery and next-generation AI creativity. This role is for a multidisciplinary design leader who excels in concept development, brand design, motion, and visual systems while leveraging advanced AI tools to push creative boundaries. The ACD will direct design across digital platforms, social, and video while helping shape new workflows that combine human taste with AI precision. This position requires a deep foundation in traditional design craft and hands-on expertise with modern AI tools across image, video, audio, and 3D production.

The ideal candidate is a nimble, self-motivated, and highly detail-oriented creative who thrives in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. They are proactive in exploring new technologies and ideas, able to independently develop prototypes and concepts that push the boundaries of creativity and technology. They bring a can-do attitude, a deep sense of curiosity, and a passion for collaboration—someone who contributes energy, positivity, and creative excellence to a close-knit, multi-disciplinary team. This individual should be equally comfortable discussing creative concepts with clients as they are refining details with designers and engineers. Strong communication—both written and verbal—is essential, especially when working remotely across distributed teams.

Beyond creative direction, this role helps define how emerging AI technologies are integrated into Kepler Creative’s workflows, shaping new ways of creating, testing, and scaling ideas with speed and precision. The ACD will contribute to the broader creative transformation at Kepler by developing repeatable AI systems, maintaining brand integrity across AI-generated outputs, and ensuring responsible and transparent use of generative tools. They will guide how design, automation, and creativity intersect, serving as both a practitioner and thought partner in evolving Kepler’s creative practice.

What You Will Do

• Contribute ideas and insights to Kepler’s broader innovation initiatives, including Focus Forum and Kip tools, reinforcing the company’s culture of creativity and experimentation.
• Lead design and art direction across campaigns, digital content, and video creative for global brands.
• Use generative AI tools to prototype concepts, create visual variations, and accelerate creative exploration.
• Design and oversee internal assets such as marketing materials, case studies, pitch decks, and websites.
• Collaborate closely with data scientists, AI engineers, copywriters, and animators to develop AI-augmented workflows and creative tools.
• Build and refine repeatable AI-based creative workflows, prompt libraries, and design systems for scalable output.
• Ensure brand standards and creative excellence through human review and quality control of AI-generated content.
• Proactively explore new technologies, design approaches, and creative prototypes to expand team capabilities.
• Present ideas and visual strategies to clients and internal stakeholders with clarity and confidence.
• Communicate AI capabilities clearly to non-technical collaborators and clients to build understanding and trust.
• Mentor designers on integrating AI safely, ethically, and effectively into their work.

Desired Skills and Experience

• Comfortable using performance metrics and iterative improvement methods, understanding how creative data informs refinement and optimization of design work.
• 5+ years of experience in professional design and art direction across digital, social, and video platforms.
• Expert-level proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects), Figma, and related design platforms.
• Strong foundation in design principles: typography, composition, layout, color, and brand systems.
• Skilled in using generative AI tools such as Midjourney, Imagen, Veo, Firefly, Runway, and emerging image or video generators.
• Familiarity with node-based AI workflow platforms (e.g., Flora, ComfyUI, Weavy) and automation frameworks.
• Experience incorporating AI-driven text, voice, or 3D tools (e.g., ChatGPT, ElevenLabs, Spline, Kaedim) into creative development.
• Strong understanding of motion graphics principles and how to direct AI-augmented animation or video production.
• Exceptional attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple projects while maintaining quality and consistency.
• Excellent communication, writing, and presentation skills for remote collaboration and client-facing conversations.
• Self-starter who takes initiative, actively seeks feedback, and contributes to a culture of learning and innovation.
• Commitment to responsible and transparent use of AI in creative production.
• Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, Fine Arts, or related field preferred.
• Outstanding online portfolio demonstrating contemporary design, creativity, and mastery of AI-augmented workflows required.

Transparency is fundamental to Kepler’s culture. Our compensation strategy is designed to attract, reward, and retain the talented employees that drive Kepler’s growth and success. We aim to offer competitive direct compensation and a rich indirect compensation program that demonstrates the value we place on our employees and their wellbeing.

Total Compensation:

• Base Salary: $134,000 - $155,000
• Target Annualized Discretionary Bonus: 5% ($6,700 - $7,750)
• Target Total Cash: $140,700 - $162,750

Benefits:

• Healthcare/Dental/Vision
• Unlimited PTO
• RRSP Contributions
• $75/mo Wellness Stipend
• $100/mo Mobile Phone Stipend
• $50/mo Internet Stipend
• $500/yr Annual Learning Stipend
• $2,000/yr Annual Tuition Stipend
• One-time $200 New Hire Home Office Equipment Stipend
• Parental Leave - 16 week primary caregiver / 6 week secondary caregiver leave
• Annual Work From Anywhere 4 weeks per year

Kepler is a people first organization. If this role piques your interest but you may not check every box, we still encourage you to apply! Studies show that imposter syndrome can prevent women and people of color from applying unless they meet every single qualification. We welcome all who are interested to apply, you just might be a great candidate for this role or others.

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