Lead creation of performance-focused static, animated, and video ad creative across major paid platforms. Develop high-impact concepts, adapt assets to platform specs, manage projects end-to-end, collaborate with account teams, mentor growing creatives, and apply trends (including generative AI) to optimize creative for clicks and conversions.
Optimal is looking for a conceptual, strategic, and data-driven Senior Performance Creative Designer to join our fast-paced creative team. This is not a typical design job. You’re a perfect fit if you share our obsession with ideating, designing, and executing performance-oriented advertisements that drive measurable results.
As a Senior Performance Creative Designer, you will be a leader on the team, developing high-impact ad concepts and delivering pixel-perfect assets that drive clicks, conversions, and client success. This is a rare opportunity to help build a creative function from the ground up. You’ll join at the earliest stage of our performance creative team, working closely with our creative lead to establish how we ideate, design, and ship high-performing work and deliver on our promise of purposeful growth for our clients. As we scale, you’ll be instrumental in shaping the department by mentoring and growing the team around the standards you help set now.
Optimal is a performance marketing agency on a mission, bringing together the best data, technology, and people to achieve our clients’ marketing goals. Brand, campaign, or cause: we maximize performance at every moment.
We are not only digital media strategists – we’re award-winning industry leaders, with deep knowledge spanning all things digital: from advertising and paid media to marketing and communications, to audience data and analytics, we deliver for our clients.
Everyone at Optimal has the opportunity to learn, grow, and progress. Through our proprietary training programs, we provide our team members with the personal and professional development they need to achieve advancement at any stage in their careers.
We’re always looking for exceptional people to join our team. If this sounds like you, please apply!
Key Responsibilities:
- Design and Execution: Design and produce high-quality static, animated (GIFs, motion graphics), and video creative assets.
- Multi-Platform Expertise: Expertly design for and adapt creative across all major paid media platforms (Meta, TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube, Google Display Network, CTV, DOOH, etc.), understanding the unique specs, user behaviors, and digital ad trends of each.
- Brand Stewardship: Uphold and push client brand guidelines, ensuring all creative fits the client's brand, speaks to their brand pillars, and drives traffic.
- Collaboration & Workflow: Communicate and assess creative needs with our account teams. Collaborate seamlessly with creative strategists and account managers to define creative strategy, scope, and estimated turnaround times.
- Project management: Manage creative projects from end-to-end with minimal oversight, anticipating potential challenges and managing stakeholder expectations to meet all internal and external deadlines.
- Creative Leadership: Regularly assess developing trends in digital media, including developments in generative AI, and apply that knowledge to creative decision-making
- 5+ years of professional design experience, ideally with a background in paid media, performance marketing, or an agency environment
- Excellent attention to detail with a drive to deliver great work and a willingness to accept constructive and collaborative feedback
- A performance-focused portfolio that showcases your ability to create high-volume ad creative across multiple platforms. Your portfolio must demonstrate strong design skills in typography, layout, color theory, and visual hierarchy.
- Expert proficiency in the Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, and Premiere Pro) and Figma
- Proficient in video editing and motion graphics ideation and execution
- Experience with generative AI tools like ElevenLabs, Sora, Veo, ChatGPT Image Gen, Adobe Firefly, etc.
- Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate the "why" behind your design decisions to internal teams and clients.
- Excellent time management and organizational skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks and manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
Preferred Skills:
- HTML5/Adobe Animate experience
- Advanced video editing and motion graphics skills (e.g., 3D, complex character animation)
- Prior experience mentoring or managing junior creatives
- Experience designing and prototyping high-fidelity landing pages (UI/UX)
- Flexible Time Off
- Paid Leave for New Parents
- Health insurance (including dental and vision)
- Flex Spending Plan
- Employee Assistance Program
- 401K with company matching
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Professional development opportunities
- Rewards and recognition programs
This role is based out of our Austin office. Our team works on a hybrid basis, working three days a week in the office and two days from home. Work hours are consistently 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., Monday - Friday, with the expectation that evening and weekend work will be required as necessary.
Optimal (formerly Effective Spend) Austin, Texas, USA Office
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Our office is walkable to some of the best spots that East Austin has to offer, including Sour Duck Cafe, Bennu coffee shop, Juiceland and The Wheel bar. The office is also a short distance from the popular Mueller development and the some of Austin's favorite local eateries along Manor Rd.
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