Creative Director Technology & Industrial Practice (Fractional / Contract)
About COACT COACT is a global creative marketing agency that brings bold ideas to elevate businesses and brands. Our collaborative approach blends diverse perspectives to create dynamic, culturally relevant campaigns that spark growth and leave a lasting impact for our clients and partners. We believe in fostering a strong sense of community within our industry, and we're seeking an experienced Creative Director to join our team. Job Description 1) The engagement We lead global creative for a technology manufacturer across data center cooling, microelectronics, and power. The work is technically demanding, high in volume, and speaks to engineers, facility leaders, and procurement teams who can spot a vague claim instantly. The creative capability is already here: three Art Directors, each leading a pod of designers and copywriters, producing at scale. What we're adding is senior judgment at the front of the process. Too much work used to start before it was properly framed, which cost us rework, speed, and margin. This engagement exists to fix that — permanently and foundationally. This is an embedded role, not an advisory one. You'll be in the room, on the briefs, and in front of the client. 2) How your time is structured 60% — Strategic framing and concept leadership. Interrogating briefs before anything enters production. Defining the problem, the audience insight, and the creative territory. Leading big-idea development on major campaigns and launches. 30% — Creative review and Art Director coaching. Reviewing pod output against the brief, raising the quality bar on technical storytelling, and building the Art Directors' own strategic instincts. 10% — Client partnership. Presenting and defending thinking directly to the client's VP of Global Marketing and holding the line on process when timelines compress. Day-to-day production, adaptation, and localization sit with the pods. You are not the production engine. You are the reason production starts from a defensible position. 3) Decision rights So that this role has teeth rather than opinions, the engagement carries explicit authority: Brief approval. No project enters production without your sign-off on the brief. This is a hard gate in our traffic system, not a courtesy. Review gate. You approve what goes into client review. Escalation path. When there's pressure to skip strategic stages, you escalate directly to [VP, Client Services] rather than absorbing the compromise. Resourcing input. You have a voice in which pod takes which work and when freelance support is added. 4) What the engagement is accountable for A measurable reduction in rework cycles on the account within the first two quarters A documented, repeatable intake and briefing standard that our teams can run without you Demonstrably stronger concept work for Tier 2 and Tier 3 technical audiences Three Art Directors who are materially better at strategic framing at the end of the term than at the start 5) What we're looking for 10+ years in creative leadership, with time at Creative Director level or above Fluency in technical, regulated, or engineering-led B2B categories — data center, semiconductor, HVAC, power, industrial, or adjacent A track record of installing process in organizations where you didn't own the headcount Range across big-idea campaign work and high-volume systems thinking Composure with demanding, fast-moving senior clients, and the ability to disagree without damaging the relationship An instinct for documenting method rather than holding it in your head 6) What we're not looking for Corporate brand and C-suite reputation work as a primary background. Pure design leadership without strategic framing experience. Anyone who needs a long runway to get credible in a new technical category — you'll need to hold your own with the client within 30 days. 7) Terms Commitment: MF Professional Hours Weekly Availability, minimum of 30 hours a week Rate: $10k-$15k per month, negotiated based on experience Term: 90-day initial term, renewable in 180-day increments Notice: 30 days, either party Exclusivity: No concurrent work for competing data center cooling, microelectronics, or power brands during the term