VP, Group Creative Director

Job Description:

VP, Group Creative Director (GCD) — MKTG Sports & Entertainment

Location: New York City (required)

Work Model: Hybrid — 2 days/week in office (MKTG schedule)

Travel: Minimal

Team Scope: Leadership of a 6‑person Design team + Creative Strategy team (Director + Strategists)

Overview

MKTG’s Sports & Entertainment practice is seeking a visionary VP, Group Creative Director to lead big‑idea creative, visual design, and strategic storytelling across some of the world’s most influential brands. This leader will bridge creative, design, and strategy—elevating the work, the team, and the culture during an exciting phase of growth and evolution.

The ideal candidate is a hybrid thinker: part conceptual big‑idea generator, part refined design leader, part strategic storyteller. They thrive in fast‑moving environments, inspire teams, and bring a collaborative, ego‑light leadership style.

Core Responsibilities

• Lead end‑to‑end creative development across sports and entertainment marketing, from concept through design execution.
• Manage and mentor the Director of Creative Strategy and the broader strategy team.
• Partner closely with the design/studio team to ensure cohesive production of presentations, campaign concepts, decks, and visual assets.
• Craft, refine, and present high‑level client narratives, pitch materials, and strategic storytelling.
• Engage directly with top-tier clients including Marriott, Visa, Ally Bank, FedEx, Toyota, and P&G.
• Play a key role in pitching and new business, shaping winning creative approaches.
• Champion innovation and emerging technologies—including AI—within creative workflows and studio processes.
• Collaborate with global MKTG teams, particularly in London and Australia.
• Cultivate and elevate the creative culture, helping unify design + strategy following recent organizational restructuring.

Experience & Qualifications

• 8-10 years agency experience is required

• Must be passionate about sports, culture and the intersection of sports and culture

• Strong background in experiential, sponsorship, or sports/entertainment creative agencies
• Proven hybrid creative capability delivering both big ideas and high-quality visual design.
• Experience managing and mentoring both creative and strategic teams.
• A strong portfolio demonstrating:
  • Integrated campaign work
  • Sports + culture relevance
  • Experiential and activation concepts
  • Clear, compelling storytelling
  • Confident, polished presenter with experience working directly with senior clients.
  • Experience using insights, analytics, and data to inform creative work (a plus).
  • Familiarity with consumer activations (experiential) and hospitality/B2B event environments.
  • Deep understanding of sports culture (not stats—but cultural moments, fandom, crossovers, and cultural shifts).
  • Comfortable operating in fast-paced, pitch-heavy, client-facing environments.

Key Traits & Leadership Style

• High EQ, collaborative, approachable; low‑ego leadership style.
• Culturally fluent, with strong intuition for the intersection of sports + entertainment + culture (e.g., the “Taylor Swift effect”).
• Flexible, adaptable, and comfortable leading through change.
• Confident communicator and inspiring presenter.
• Ability to attract, grow, and retain top talent—potentially bringing a known strategist or creative partner along.

Additional Information

The anticipated base salary range for this position is $136,850 - $228,275. Placement within the salary range is based on a variety of factors, including relevant experience, knowledge, skills, and other factors permitted by law. 

Benefits available with this position include: 

• Medical, vision, and dental insurance, 

• Life insurance, 

• Short-term and long-term disability insurance, 

• 401k, 

• Flexible paid time off, 

• At least 15 paid holidays per year, 

• Paid sick and safe leave, and 

• Paid parental leave. 

Dentsu also complies with applicable state and local laws regarding employee leave benefits, including, but not limited to providing time off pursuant to the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, in accordance with its plans and policies. For further details regarding Dentsu benefits, please visit www.dentsubenefitsplus.com. 

To begin the application process, please click on the “Apply” button at the top of this job posting. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, and qualified candidates will be contacted for next steps.  #LI-RB1 #LI-Hybrid

At dentsu, we believe great work happens when we’re connected. Our way of working combines flexibility with in-person collaboration to spark ideas and strengthen our teams. Employees who live within a commutable distance of one of our hub offices, currently located in Chicago, metro Detroit, Los Angeles, and New York City, are required and expected to work from the office three days per week (two days per week for employees based in Los Angeles). Dentsu may designate other Hub offices at any time. Those who live outside a commutable range may be designated as remote, depending on the role and business needs. Regardless of your work location, we expect our employees to be flexible to meet the needs of our Company and clients, which may include attendance in an office.

Location:

Brand:

Time Type:

Contract Type: