Creative Director Digital (on site - Hamburg)

OKTOPODS turns brand clarity into connected experiences that drive measurable growth.
OKTOPODS is a brand-led transformation partner for companies whose brand, marketing and digital experience need to work as one. Our three hearts—OKTObrand, OKTOtech and OKTOcreative—connect brand strategy, digital experiences and creative communication.
We’re looking for a Creative Director with strong ideas, sharp narrative thinking, excellent craft and the ability to lead people.
You’ll lead a focused creative team, combining human creativity and judgment with the speed and possibilities of AI. You’ll own creative direction and quality, guide the narrative, and help the team turn business challenges into compelling solutions.
You stay actively involved in concepts, storytelling and design. You also know how to use available AI tools and internal systems to explore ideas, visualise directions, prototype experiences and accelerate execution. Throughout that process, you keep the work strategically clear, coherent and distinctive.
You’ll lead creative pitches, advise clients and share responsibility for growth and successful delivery.
Aufgaben
* Develop strong creative ideas. Translate brand positioning, business objectives and client briefs into distinctive concepts, narratives, campaigns and digital experiences.
* Own the narrative and creative direction. Define what the work should communicate, how it should feel and what it should achieve. Carry that direction consistently from the first idea to final delivery.
* Stay close to the craft. Contribute directly to key concepts, presentations, storytelling and design decisions, helping the team strengthen and finish the work.
* Use AI confidently throughout the creative process. Work with existing online tools and internal systems for research, exploration, visualisation, prototyping and production. Choose the right approach for the task.
* Guide and refine AI output. Provide clear briefs, context and references; judge the results; and steer iterations toward the intended solution. Combine generated material with human refinement to meet the creative standard.
* Lead and develop a team of three. Establish clear ownership, give useful feedback and coach people. Help the team combine creative skill, practical AI use and efficient collaboration.
* Set and uphold quality standards. Lead creative reviews and take responsibility for the relevance, originality, consistency and execution of the work.
* Connect brand, experience and communication. Collaborate across strategy, design, content and technology so the brand promise carries through every touchpoint.
* Lead creative pitches and client conversations. Develop persuasive recommendations, present ideas clearly, handle feedback and build confidence in the work.
* Share responsibility for growth and delivery. Develop relevant client opportunities with client service, agree realistic scope and timing with project leads, and make informed decisions about effort, budget and quality.
* Make our work visible. Help turn projects into compelling cases that explain the challenge, creative contribution and results.
Qualifikation
* Substantial experience in creative direction, brand and digital work, including team leadership.
* Strong conceptual and narrative skills, supported by a portfolio of distinctive ideas and excellent execution.
* Hands-on strength in your creative discipline and sound judgment across design, storytelling, motion and interactive experiences.
* Practical experience using AI tools within real creative projects, with the ability to brief, evaluate and refine their output.
* Good understanding of digital experiences and development workflows, enabling confident collaboration with technical colleagues.
* Experience leading pitches, advising clients and connecting creative recommendations to business objectives.
* Clear leadership, constructive feedback and the ability to develop a small team.
* Native German for client conversations, selling ideas and pitches, and very strong English for international collaboration.
Benefits
* An international team, ambitious projects and global clients.
* Real influence over creative direction, team development and agency growth.
* A focused team combining creative expertise, AI speed and human control.
* Competitive senior-level compensation, with performance incentives linked to agreed goals.
* Training, conferences, creative tools and leadership development.
* Short decision paths, skilled colleagues and a dog-friendly Hamburg office.
* A permanent contract and 30 days of annual leave.
We’re not hiring for a seat-filler.
We’re hiring a storm.
Someone who can see around corners, turn ideas into action, and chaos into clarity.
Show us work with a clear idea, strong craft and a meaningful result. Tell us what you created, what you led and how you brought the work to life—including how you used AI within your creative process.