SVP, Creative Technologies & Innovation
Position Purpose:
The SVP, Creative Technologies & Innovation plays a critical role for the 4A’s and its membership in the quickly evolving marketing industry. This role is responsible for helping 4A’s members track and understand the impact of existing and emerging technologies on the industry and identify opportunities for agencies. Additionally, the SVP, Creative Technologies & Innovation helps members understand how to implement new capabilities including new skills, roles, organizational models and a culture of innovation. Lastly, this role is a thought leader, a sought after voice in the industry, publishing content and participating in industry events.
Qualities that will help you thrive in this role:
- Excellent communication and consultative skills
- Passion for the marketing industry and the agency community
- Deep understanding of the changing dynamics of the agency business
- Deep understanding and curiosity of emerging technologies and trends
- Ability to connect disparate data points and form hypotheses
- Emotional intelligence
- Ability to collaborate with multiple stakeholders
- Member service mindset
Position Responsibilities:
Consultancy:
- Counsel member agencies and 4A’s communities on emerging technologies and their impact on agencies including implementing new services/capabilities, organizational structures and design, agency operations, talent/skills needed, etc.
- Provide insight on how current and emerging technologies can impact agency operations (e.g., automation/AI) as well as client business (e.g., data/analytics, creative development, media, etc.) and consumer behaviors.
- Able to bring perspective appropriate to a wide variety of agency specialties, sizes, and geography.
Guidance & Knowledge:
- Maintain ongoing dialogue with the technology, data and innovation practices within agencies to gather best practices, an understanding of various agency models and the challenges facing members.
- Aggregate and synthesize information from internal teams, agency members and other subject matter experts to develop publications, position papers, etc., that will assist members in understanding, managing and future-proofing their businesses.
- Maintain high-level awareness of industry activities and trends from trade and general business readings.
- Develop assessments of tools, new platforms and capabilities to help member agencies navigate the changing landscape and implement within their organizations.
- Collaborate with other practices within the organization that intersect with technology and innovation (e.g. media) or where to contribute valuable perspectives.
Industry Thought Leadership
- Author op-eds and be a source for media inquiries on trends and implications for the industry.
- Develop proposals for speaking engagements at 4A’s and other key industry events (e.g., SXSW, Advertising Week NYC, etc.)
- Develop webinars on key topics impacting the industry and members.
Community Leadership
- Lead, plan and administer the 4A’s CX Council of agency and industry leaders by connecting the group via regular meetings: recruit speakers and guests, organize agency tours, coordinate meeting agendas and ensure maximum participation and engagement. Working with the committee, identify opportunities for the group to create thought leadership, best practices and other products to enable the advancement of CX as a growing practice within agencies.
- Support the programming of other related communities such as Agency Operations & Business Transformation, and Gaming & Esports.
- Identify other opportunities to create community and knowledge exchange within the agency innovation community.
Qualifications & Position Requirements:
- 15+ years of advertising industry experience in a creative technologies, innovation or business transformation role
- Passionate interest in following the advances in technology and technology-driven culture
- Ability to travel for meetings and member engagement when needed
- Highly accountable to meet or exceed KPI’s
- Discipline to work autonomously while also recognizing the fast pace of the organization and expectations from members on deliverables
- Fluent with digital marketing practices and business transformation
- Comprehensive understanding of the advertising industry
- Heightened interest, passion, and curiosity in the industry overall
- Natural ability to initiate partnerships and collaboration within the 4A’s, member agencies, industry partners (AdTech/MarTech) and organizations (e.g. ANA)
- Excellent writing skills and ability to author documents on behalf of the 4A’s
- Strong project management skill set with the ability to manage multiple initiatives with both internal and external counterparts
- Strong presentation, public speaker & influencer skills with the ability to lead strategic discussions and drive industry initiatives with key stakeholders
- Comfortable working both independently and within a team
- Diplomatic, fair and inspiring to staff
About the 4A’s:
We focus on core values of Passion, Agility, Curiosity and Collaboration as we partner together to support and champion 4A’s members to help their business thrive as we also strive to move the industry forward.
Where We Work:
- Great team with a strong mission and incredible energy
- Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
- 401(k) program
- Company-paid: Life, Spousal Life, and Dependent Life Insurance; Disability coverage
- Generous PTO and company leave, including Summer Fridays, Volunteer Days
- Week off between Christmas & New Year Holidays
- Flexible work environment
- Enviable work/life integration
The 4A’s was established in 1917 to promote, advance, and defend the interests of our member agencies, employees and the advertising and marketing industries overall. We empower our members to drive commerce, spark connections, and shape culture through infinite creativity. With a focus on advocacy, talent and the value of creativity and technology to drive business growth and cultural change, the organization serves 600+ member agencies across 1,200 offices, which help direct more than 85% of total U.S. advertising spend. The 4A’s includes the 4A’s Benefits division, which insures more than 160,000 employees; the government relations team, who advocate for policies to support the industry; and the 4A’s Foundation, which advocates for and connects multicultural talent to the marketing industry by fostering a culture of curiosity, creativity and craft to fuel a more equitable future for the industry.
The 4A’s is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to a work environment that supports, inspires, and respects all individuals and in which personnel policies are applied without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, disability, national or ethnic origin, military service status, citizenship, or other protected characteristic.
