Creative Director ANZ

About DARKHORSE

DARKHORSE is a specialist experience agency serving iconic brands with offices in New Zealand, Australia, and Singapore. We are an integrated team highly knowledgeable in our markets, offering expertise in campaign creation, brand experiences, PR, influencer marketing, social media, and content production. Our focus lies in thoughtful, precise work that earns a prized place in cultural conversations.

As part of Project Worldwide, a global alliance of 13 independent agencies spanning 42 markets across 6 continents, we benefit from diverse skills in strategy, media, design, and technology, amplifying impactful brand work internationally.

Role overview

We seek a Creative Director to lead the creative vision, excellence, and ambition of DARKHORSE's output across Australia and New Zealand. Based in Auckland or Sydney, this leadership role on the ANZ Leadership Team collaborates closely with our APAC Executive Creative Director in Singapore. You will oversee the creative standard for all disciplines, clients, and markets, driving the core ideas behind major platforms, integrated campaigns, brand experiences, and new business proposals.

This position requires a hands-on leader who integrates Strategy, Experiential, PR, Social, Content, and Client Service teams, acting as a trusted creative advisor for senior clients and contributing to agency growth.

Candidate profile

• Extensive experience as a Creative Director or senior creative lead in integrated, experiential, advertising, or communications agencies, managing creative output across multiple teams, clients, and markets.
• A compelling portfolio showcasing exceptional conceptual thinking and expansive integrated ideas executing across experiential, PR, social, content, and campaigns.
• Direct leadership in ideation and creative development from initial brief through completion, coupled with strong production knowledge to safeguard the integrity of creative ideas.
• Strategically focused with a clear grasp of how insight informs idea development and execution, collaborating closely with Strategy to ensure culturally relevant, on-message work.
• Skill in providing clear, constructive, and motivational creative direction and mentoring creative talent and cross-functional teams.
• Confident public speaker and storyteller, adept at presenting, selling, and defending creative concepts to senior clients and stakeholders.
• A strong growth mindset, leading new business creative pitches and proactively suggesting ideas to current clients.
• Commercial acumen balancing creative aims with project scope, budgets, and profitability considerations.
• A collaborative leadership style fostering strong partnerships internally across disciplines, offices, the APAC region, the Project network, and with external creative and production collaborators.
• A keen cultural awareness with passion for creativity, branding, technology, AI, and emerging trends.

What we offer

• A passionate and supportive team who value collaboration and exemplary output
• A modern, inspiring office situated in a top location
• An impressive client roster featuring prestigious luxury, beauty, and lifestyle brands
• A wellness-focused work environment prioritizing employee wellbeing
• Travel opportunities within Australia and New Zealand
• Competitive remuneration
• Access to a worldwide network of elite agencies through Project Worldwide
• Flexible working arrangements