Associate Creative Director, Design

Kettle Open · verified Sep 13, 2026

San Francisco New York Full-time Director Creative

Leadership Creative role at Kettle. San Francisco · full-time · $160,000–$190,000 base.

SalaryStated by Kettle

$160,000 – $190,000

Base salary for this role, in USD per year, as published in the posting.

This role, from KettleOur estimate for the market: $177,500–$263,250

Below the market median of $205,750 for lead creative roles in San Francisco.

Worked out from 19 postings that stated pay, median $205,750. Last updated Sep 12, 2026.

Role brief

Growth Roles summary, based on the employer's posting.

What you'll do

You'll lead end-to-end website delivery for an embedded client engagement
You'll develop precise digital concepts and polished execution within product standards
You'll guide designers and art directors through feedback and career development
You'll present work to clients and align teams around a clear creative direction
You'll help set priorities and resources with cross-functional leads

What you bring

Substantial experience in digital design and art direction
Pixel-precise execution paired with inventive thinking in a demanding product setting
Clear collaboration with design, copy, motion, production, and account teams
Client relationship management and presentations to senior stakeholders
Experience mentoring designers across levels through reviews and growth planning

Who this fits

You'll suit a hands-on creative lead who can work directly with clients while supporting designers and art directors. The role is based in San Francisco and requires onsite work five days per week for specific projects lasting two to three months. At other times, the team works remotely

From the employer

Kettle is a team of passionate, fearless creatives focused on delivering great products, redefining best-practices, and providing new opportunities for our clients.

We are hiring an Associate Creative Director, Design, to oversee end-to-end digital website project execution for one of our largest clients, a Bay Area based creative tech company. In this embedded role, you’ll partner directly with our clients to design world-class digital experiences that both adhere to established standards and push the creative in new directions. You’ll be hands-on in the work as an experienced designer, while guiding other Designers and Art Directors in your pod as a project lead. If the term conceptual digital design resonates with you, along with detailed execution, then this role may be a fit.

These roles require team members to be onsite 5 days per week, for 2-3 months at a time, for specific projects. At other times during the year, the team is remote.

Candidates should have:

Significant experience in digital design and art direction, and the ability to create pixel perfect designs while innovating work within a rigorous product environment
Excellent collaboration and communication skills with cross-functional partners, including design, copy, motion, production, and account partners
Excellent client collaboration and management skills, with the ability to present design work internally and to senior level clients
Experience managing or mentoring junior to senior level designers, including formal and informal reviews and other talent development areas
While not required, bonus if you have experience with similar global creative tech clients

We’d like to know that you can:

Understand and challenge your clients’ needs across the board to ensure the integrity and excellence of our work
Be the person the client looks up to be inspired and to get their creative questions asked. Help them understand the team’s perspective and align on the creative North Star
Explore multiple unique, on-brand creative solutions to answer the brief and encourage your team to do the same
Guide your team to create own-able experiences for the client through simple and relevant concepts, clear innovative UX, beautiful art direction and on-point tone & voice
Work with cross-functional leads to prioritize work and resources across engagements based on short and long-term needs
Consistently demonstrate an expertise in the competitive landscape from a creative standpoint, and stay abreast of design culture and best-in-class creative across channels
Manage and mentor designers of all levels, helping them chart their career path and provide opportunities to grow
Embrace challenges, not afraid to get your hands dirty and solution with fellow teammates and clients

The target range of base compensation for this role is $160k - 190k. Actual compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, and location.