Job Description

Creative Director

We’re hiring! AFCFC is seeking a highly motivated Creative Director to join our team!

About Us

Since 1986, we’ve been redefining fresh and convenient dining as North America’s largest franchisor of supermarket-based food service counters featuring sushi and other authentic Asian-inspired cuisine. Our well-loved brands, ZENSHI Handcrafted Sushi and Wild Blue Sushi , are trusted names that bring flavor and freshness to communities every day.

With thousands of locations across the U.S. and Canada, we’ve built our reputation on quality, consistency, and innovation. Every dish we serve is freshly prepared with premium ingredients carefully packaged and designed for today’s on-the-go lifestyle.

As the industry leader, we’re passionate about delivering the perfect balance of taste, quality, and convenience. But what truly sets us apart is our people, the dedicated teams who bring our mission to life each day.

If you’re looking to grow with a company that values innovation, teamwork, and continuous improvement, we invite you to join us and shape the future of fresh dining.

About the role

We are seeking an experienced, strategic Creative Director to lead our creative team and elevate brand experiences. The ideal candidate will drive the development and execution of compelling content across channels and bring 10+ years of progressive creative leadership experience. They should have strong brand strategy capabilities, hands‑on content writing skills, and proven experience managing a team of designers and leading cross‑functional teams. Experience executing across print and digital platforms and a strong attention to detail are essential. This role reports to the Director of Marketing.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire the creative team to produce high‑quality work across print, digital, social, and experiential projects. Manage a team of internal and external designers.
• Develop and own creative vision and strategy across multiple brands and product lines. Ensure consistent brand voice and visual identity across all channels.
• Oversee concept development from brief through execution- provide clear creative direction, constructive feedback, and perform rigorous quality control.
• Create and approve creative assets for:
• Print: posters, menus, packaging, in‑store signage, shelf‑talkers, and other retail collateral with attention to production specs and vendor coordination.
• Websites: page design, landing pages, UX‑aligned visual concepts, site-map, content hierarchy, imagery direction, and CMS‑ready assets.
• Website creative development: collaborate with cross-functional teams to provide art direction, asset attainment, content strategy, and QA for visual fidelity and performance.
• Social: campaign concepts, social ads, organic posts, short‑form video/story content, and platform‑specific creative variations.
• Digital advertising: display, programmatic, and paid social ad formats with CTA optimization and A/B testing support.
• Produce, edit, and approve content (copy and creative) for campaigns, websites, email, social, and other channels; contribute hands‑on writing and refinement when needed.
• Ensure brand consistency and executional excellence across platforms by establishing and enforcing brand guidelines, templates, and best practices.
• Collaborate with marketing, product management, operations, R&D, and executive stakeholders to align creative work with business goals, campaign objectives, menu launches, and customer experience.
• Support menu development and product launch projects — provide visual and content direction for menus, launch campaigns, product photography briefs, and in‑store promotional materials (experience in food/menu development a plus).
• Manage project timelines, resource allocation, vendor relationships, and budgets to deliver projects on schedule and within scope; enforce approval flows and asset management.
• Thrive under pressure, prioritize tasks, and consistently meet tight timelines.
• Mentor and develop team members — set performance objectives, conduct reviews, and create professional growth plans.
• Ensure meticulous attention to detail in all deliverables: proofreading, layout, color, accessibility, and technical specifications.
• Measure creative performance, review analytics, and iterate on creative approaches based on results and stakeholder feedback.
• Other job tasks as assigned by manager.

Qualifications

• BA in Design, Communications, Advertising, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 10+ years of creative experience with a strong track record of leading creative teams and delivering integrated campaigns across digital and traditional channels.
• Prior supervisory experience managing at least two designers.
• Demonstrated expertise in brand strategy, identity development, and multi‑platform execution (print, web, social, and digital advertising).
• Proven hands‑on content writing skills and strong editorial judgment.
• Experience in website creative development and working closely with UX and development teams to deliver CMS‑ready assets.
• Interest in food and menu development preferred.
• Strong attention to detail and quality assurance instincts.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet tight timelines.
• Experience using Smartsheet and Trello or other project management tools.
• Strong understanding of creative workflows, production processes, and approval flows.
• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite, Figma (or Sketch), CMS platforms, and project management tools.
• Strong communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.

Nice to have

• Agency and in‑house experience.
• Video production background.
• Familiarity with accessibility standards, SEO copywriting, GA4, and performance marketing metrics.

Compensation & benefits:

What’s On the Menu for You? (Compensation & Benefits)

We don’t just serve fresh sushi, we serve fresh opportunities!

Here’s a taste of what you can expect:

• Competitive Pay Package (see salary range listed)
• Annual Bonus Opportunity (Discretionary) – up to 10% of base salary
• Competitive Health & Wellness Package (Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance -100% covered by AFC for you and all eligible dependents. Yes, seriously!)
• 401(k) with Company Match
• Paid Time Off & Paid Holidays including a Floating Holiday to celebrate your birthday
• Special Employee Anniversary Milestone Gift
• Other Employee Discounts
• Employee Referral Bonus
• A friendly & positive work culture which inspires collaboration, recognizes accomplishments, and fosters continuous growth, creating not just a workplace, but a community where people truly thrive.

To apply Please submit your resume, portfolio demonstrating strategic and executional work across print, web, and social, and 2–3 writing samples (campaign copy, menu descriptions, or editorial pieces). Include links to relevant website work.

Location: On-site

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