Associate Creative Director (Art/Design) - Virtual Creative Production

In AKQA’s Amsterdam studio, this role offers the opportunity to inspire and lead a team to craft visually striking concepts and executions across CGI, motion design, and interactive media. With a foundation in art direction and deep expertise in production, you will direct specialized CGI artists and guide cross-disciplinary teams to create cinematic, technically precise, and emotionally resonant work. From large-scale digital platforms and motion-led brand systems to experimental storytelling powered by emerging tools, you’ll push the boundaries of what’s possible in digital creativity.

You’re a visionary creative leader who thinks like a filmmaker, builds like a technician, and creates like a storyteller, bringing together craft, innovation, and strategy to shape work that influences culture and elevates global brands.

As part of the AKQA team in Amsterdam, you’ll work closely with the Creative Director and collaborate with team leads across the studio to inspire, innovate, and deliver work of the highest standard.

Role requirements

• Deliver and lead award-winning work that meets client needs while influencing culture, blending art direction, design craft, and innovative use of technology.
• Direct and lead autonomous teams to bring cinematic vision, technical precision, and emotional storytelling into every project — thinking like a filmmaker, building like a technician, and creating like a storyteller.
• Establish and direct creative foundations in concepting art directions for production and motion graphics, ensuring ideas are strategically sound and visually compelling.
• Direct specialised CGI artists across animation, modelling, rigging, lighting, and compositing to maintain creative cohesion and quality.
• Apply craft knowledge across CGI workflows, including modelling, lighting, animatics, grading, and retouching.
• Provide hands-on expertise in retouching, compositing, grading, and finalising large-scale projects, guiding teams through complex production pipelines.
• Implement advanced workflows such as EXR and ACES to ensure colour accuracy, consistency, and creative control.
• Contribute to and lead the development of creative briefs, collaborating with clients and strategists to define opportunities and deliver visionary outcomes.
• Collaborate across disciplines — including design, UX, and development — to integrate creativity, craft, and strategy seamlessly into final outputs.
• Creatively lead new business pitches, presenting ideas and executions with confidence and clarity to global clients.
• Explore and implement AI-assisted workflows, including ComfyUI with open-source models, LoRa training, Google partnerships, and other emerging AI generation tools, to push creative boundaries.
• Demonstrate proficiency in editing with Adobe Premiere and After Effects, as well as motion retouching in DaVinci.

Qualities and characteristics

• Proven experience at Associate Creative Director level or in a comparable art/design hybrid leadership role, with a strong background in both concepting and execution.
• A demonstrated track record of leading award-winning creative work across European and global markets, showcasing the ability to deliver at scale and on an international stage.
• Experience with AI production using state-of-the-art models, including understanding the strengths and limitations of each, selecting the right model for the task, using JSON-based prompting, and combining outputs effectively.
• Strong foundation in art direction and motion graphics, coupled with advanced CGI production knowledge across the full pipeline, from modeling to post-production.
• Hands-on craft expertise in compositing, grading, retouching, and finishing, with the ability to dive into details and elevate the final quality of work.
• Sharp eye for art direction, visual storytelling, and design excellence, ensuring all work meets the highest aesthetic and conceptual standards.
• Experienced in building and maintaining client relationships, growing partnerships through trust, creativity, and consistent delivery of exceptional results.
• Exceptional communicator with the ability to craft and deliver compelling presentations, clearly articulating creative vision, rationale, and executional guidelines.
• Recognised for representing your agency publicly through talks, mentorship, or thought leadership, and inspiring both peers and the next generation of creatives.

About AKQA and WPP

AKQA’s creative teams bring together artistry, craftsmanship, strategic insight, and multidisciplinary collaboration to transform client challenges into design-led solutions. As part of WPP, the company combines creativity, production, data, media intelligence, and strategic expertise to support leading global brands.