Associate Design Director

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Associate Design Director

Company: Klick

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Creative & Media / Art & Design / Marketing / Healthcare / Management & Leadership

Date Posted: August 19, 2026

Experience Level: 7-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Establish and drive the visual direction and overarching design strategy for significant healthcare campaigns and client initiatives, ensuring brand consistency and impact.

• Lead and mentor a team of designers, fostering a collaborative environment for creative excellence and skill development within the operations framework.

• Manage the end-to-end execution of complex, multi-asset design projects from conceptualization through to final delivery, adhering to strict healthcare brand guidelines and regulatory constraints.

• Bridge the gap between high-level creative strategy and practical design execution, ensuring visual solutions are not only aesthetically compelling but also strategically aligned with client objectives and audience engagement.

• Present design concepts and strategies to internal stakeholders and external clients, effectively articulating rationale and managing feedback loops for successful project progression.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within Klick's "Creative Craft" division, which emphasizes storytelling, design, and experience. The "Associate Design Director" title, coupled with the responsibility for establishing visual direction and mentoring teams, indicates a mid-to-senior level role focused on both strategic design leadership and hands-on execution oversight within the specialized context of healthcare marketing. The emphasis on bridging creative strategy with design delivery and managing complex projects suggests a strong need for operational efficiency and process management within the creative workflow.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and articulate the visual direction and comprehensive design strategy for major healthcare campaigns, including the development of robust design systems and style guides to ensure cohesive brand execution across all touchpoints.

• Lead and guide design teams through the entire creative process, translating strategic imperatives and creative briefs into polished, on-brand visual assets for print, digital, and experiential platforms.

• Provide mentorship, conduct design reviews, and uphold rigorous design quality standards, balancing creative innovation with the unique constraints and compliance requirements inherent in the healthcare sector.

• Collaborate closely with Art Directors and Creative Strategists to craft compelling visual narratives that effectively support client positioning, differentiate brands, and resonate with target audiences.

• Present design solutions and strategic rationale to clients, confidently articulating the vision, managing feedback, and overseeing the iterative process through to final approval and implementation phases.

• Oversee the development and maintenance of design systems, ensuring scalability, consistency, and efficiency across diverse campaign assets and digital platforms.

• Stay abreast of emerging design trends, technologies (including generative AI), and best practices within the healthcare industry to continually enhance creative output and operational effectiveness.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities heavily lean into project management, team leadership, and strategic oversight, all critical components of operations within a creative agency. The emphasis on "design systems," "guidelines," and managing "complex, multi-asset projects" points to a need for structured processes and efficient workflow management.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong foundation in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, or a related field is implied. Candidates with formal education in these areas will possess a strong theoretical understanding that complements practical experience.

Experience: 7-10 years of progressive experience in graphic design or digital design, specifically within advertising, marketing, or creative agencies, with a proven track record of leadership and successful project delivery. A significant emphasis on digital design expertise is highly preferred, indicating a need for proficiency in modern digital design workflows and platforms.

Required Skills:

• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) for comprehensive design creation and manipulation.

• Advanced proficiency in Figma for collaborative design, prototyping, and design system management.

• Demonstrated ability to establish and articulate a clear visual direction for brands and campaigns.

• Proven experience leading design teams, providing direction, and conducting constructive design reviews.

• Expertise in developing and implementing design systems and comprehensive guidelines for consistent brand application.

• Strong understanding of creative strategy and its translation into impactful visual solutions.

• Experience collaborating with Art Direction and Creative Strategy teams.

• Proven ability to present design work effectively to clients and stakeholders, managing feedback and approvals. Preferred Skills:

• A portfolio featuring award-winning work or recognized design contributions.

• Experience with Design Thinking methodologies to foster user-centered design solutions.

• Familiarity with UX (User Experience) methodologies to inform design decisions from a user-centric perspective.

• Understanding of digital production workflows, including asset optimization and cross-platform compatibility.

• Knowledge of accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) to ensure inclusive design practices.

• Experience with responsive design principles across various digital channels.

• Exposure to emerging creative technologies, particularly generative AI tools for ideation, asset creation, and concept development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required and preferred skills highlight a need for both technical design expertise and strong leadership/management capabilities. The emphasis on Figma, design systems, and digital production, alongside preferred knowledge of AI and UX, indicates a forward-thinking role focused on efficient, scalable, and modern design operations.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing a strong ability to establish and execute a distinct visual direction for brands and campaigns.

• Evidence of leadership in managing design teams and overseeing the execution of multi-asset projects from concept to completion.

• Integrated creative examples demonstrating successful application across multiple channels (print, digital, experiential), with a clear emphasis on digital execution.

• Case studies that illustrate the strategic thinking behind design decisions, highlighting problem-solving and the achievement of client objectives.

• Demonstrations of proficiency with core design tools such as Adobe Creative Suite and Figma, including examples of design systems or style guides. Process Documentation:

• Case studies that detail the process of developing and implementing design systems, including how guidelines were established and maintained for consistency.

• Examples of how complex projects were managed, outlining the workflow from brief to final delivery, including any process optimizations implemented.

• Documentation or examples of how design reviews were conducted and how feedback was incorporated into the design process.

• Showcasing experience with digital production workflows, accessibility standards, and responsive design implementation, demonstrating an understanding of operationalizing design.

📝 Enhancement Note: For an Associate Design Director role, the portfolio is critical for demonstrating not just creative talent but also the ability to manage processes, lead