Creative Director Jobs in California
Creative Director jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in advertising, entertainment, tech, and consumer brands, with openings at every level from associate creative director through executive creative director. Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego are the largest hiring metros, anchored by established employers like Disney, Apple, and Ogilvy. In-demand specializations include brand identity, UX and digital creative, and integrated campaign leadership. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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TEMP ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR – OLEHENRIKSEN
Reports to: Senior Creative Director, Design
ABOUT KENDO
Kendo Holdings, Inc. is a San Francisco-based beauty brand developer and wholesaler owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy - Louis Vuitton, the world’s largest luxury group. A play on the words “can do”, Kendo has become the hub of creativity and next generation beauty product development for global Sephora channels and selective retailers outside of Sephora.
Through original development, collaborations and acquisitions the Kendo stable of brands will always be creative, inspiring and innovative. A dynamic engine of speed, expertise and market-savvy, the Kendo team continues to redefine the beauty industry through great product, great storytelling, great retail and direct-to-consumer partnerships. This shows up in everything we do and in what we stand for:
- “Can Do” Spirit: We work together to make our wildest dreams a reality: As entrepreneurs, we embrace optimism and find creative ways to reach our goals
- Advocacy, Diversity, and Inclusion: We recognize and celebrate the full spectrum of personal identities. We create safe spaces so everyone’s voice is heard. We listen with humility and act with courage.
- Storytelling: We tell authentic stories like no, one else. It’s our key to inspire trust and build relationships, rallying, our people, partners, and consumers around our brands.
- Resilience: We embrace challenges as opportunities. Change is ever- constant, and agility is our strength. Product Excellence: We put the consumers first: We constantly raise the bar to create products of the highest quality that everyone just has to have.
The salary range for this temp position is $61.00 - $73.00 per hour. Offered salary is dependent upon experience and San Francisco location. This is a hybrid role based in our downtown San Francisco office – Tues through Thursday in-office, with Monday and Friday remote.
The Kendo house of brands currently includes: Fenty Beauty, Fenty Skin, Fenty Eau de Parfum, Fenty Hair, Ole Henriksen, Lip Lab.
SUMMARY
The Temp Creative Director holds the visual creative direction and brand vision specifically for OH, translating the overarching creative strategy into a distinct, consistent aesthetic that is right for that brand. Paired closely with the head of copy, they function as a creative duo: concepting together, briefing the execution layer together, and delivering together. This role understands creative’s role in the current marketing landscape, and is able to concept assets for traditional placements (in-store, print) as well as native-to-platform content (social). They are open to thinking differently and approaching creative content to meet the needs of the moment. They also bring management skills, and manage a team of five designers. This person is both a strong conceptual thinker and a hands-on maker.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Ole Henriksen creative direction—visual identity, campaign concepting, and brand expression across all touchpoints
- Creative concepting for all Ole campaign moments—major and minor—from initial territory through execution brief
- Art direction for Ole campaign shoots—shot lists, casting direction, set and prop direction in partnership with the Sr. CD
- Collaborates with head of copy—joint concepting, shared briefing, aligned delivery
- Campaign execution quality—ensures all design output across the execution layer meets the creative brief Direct reports include three designers; provide feedback and creative direction to their work
REQUIREMENTS
- 6+ years of design and art direction experience, with a strong beauty or lifestyle brand portfolio
- Demonstrated ability to hold a distinct brand visual world and voice across multiple campaign moments
- Demonstrated ability to produce work that resonates on social (Meta, Tiktok, Youtube)
- Strong understanding of native to platform art direction; ability to develop campaigns that are social first
- Experience working in a creative pairing model—knows how to co-lead with a copy partner
- Strong campaign concepting skills—able to generate original creative territories, not just execute briefs
- Comfortable functioning as both a director and an individual contributor
- Visual merchandising design experience a plus
TEMP ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR – OLEHENRIKSEN
Reports to: Senior Creative Director, Design
ABOUT KENDO
Kendo Holdings, Inc. is a San Francisco-based beauty brand developer and wholesaler owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy - Louis Vuitton, the world’s largest luxury group. A play on the words “can do”, Kendo has become the hub of creativity and next generation beauty product development for global Sephora channels and selective retailers outside of Sephora.
Through original development, collaborations and acquisitions the Kendo stable of brands will always be creative, inspiring and innovative. A dynamic engine of speed, expertise and market-savvy, the Kendo team continues to redefine the beauty industry through great product, great storytelling, great retail and direct-to-consumer partnerships. This shows up in everything we do and in what we stand for:
- “Can Do” Spirit: We work together to make our wildest dreams a reality: As entrepreneurs, we embrace optimism and find creative ways to reach our goals
- Advocacy, Diversity, and Inclusion: We recognize and celebrate the full spectrum of personal identities. We create safe spaces so everyone’s voice is heard. We listen with humility and act with courage.
- Storytelling: We tell authentic stories like no, one else. It’s our key to inspire trust and build relationships, rallying, our people, partners, and consumers around our brands.
- Resilience: We embrace challenges as opportunities. Change is ever- constant, and agility is our strength. Product Excellence: We put the consumers first: We constantly raise the bar to create products of the highest quality that everyone just has to have.
The salary range for this temp position is $61.00 - $73.00 per hour. Offered salary is dependent upon experience and San Francisco location. This is a hybrid role based in our downtown San Francisco office – Tues through Thursday in-office, with Monday and Friday remote.
The Kendo house of brands currently includes: Fenty Beauty, Fenty Skin, Fenty Eau de Parfum, Fenty Hair, Ole Henriksen, Lip Lab.
SUMMARY
The Temp Creative Director holds the visual creative direction and brand vision specifically for OH, translating the overarching creative strategy into a distinct, consistent aesthetic that is right for that brand. Paired closely with the head of copy, they function as a creative duo: concepting together, briefing the execution layer together, and delivering together. This role understands creative’s role in the current marketing landscape, and is able to concept assets for traditional placements (in-store, print) as well as native-to-platform content (social). They are open to thinking differently and approaching creative content to meet the needs of the moment. They also bring management skills, and manage a team of five designers. This person is both a strong conceptual thinker and a hands-on maker.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Ole Henriksen creative direction—visual identity, campaign concepting, and brand expression across all touchpoints
- Creative concepting for all Ole campaign moments—major and minor—from initial territory through execution brief
- Art direction for Ole campaign shoots—shot lists, casting direction, set and prop direction in partnership with the Sr. CD
- Collaborates with head of copy—joint concepting, shared briefing, aligned delivery
- Campaign execution quality—ensures all design output across the execution layer meets the creative brief Direct reports include three designers; provide feedback and creative direction to their work
REQUIREMENTS
- 6+ years of design and art direction experience, with a strong beauty or lifestyle brand portfolio
- Demonstrated ability to hold a distinct brand visual world and voice across multiple campaign moments
- Demonstrated ability to produce work that resonates on social (Meta, Tiktok, Youtube)
- Strong understanding of native to platform art direction; ability to develop campaigns that are social first
- Experience working in a creative pairing model—knows how to co-lead with a copy partner
- Strong campaign concepting skills—able to generate original creative territories, not just execute briefs
- Comfortable functioning as both a director and an individual contributor
- Visual merchandising design experience a plus
See All 84 Creative Director Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Creative Director JobsCreative Director Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Creative Director Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Marketing & Advertising
- Media & Entertainment
- Technology & Software
- Distribution & Wholesale
- Retail
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in creative director jobs across California.
- Bachelor's degree in graphic design, advertising, fine arts, or a related creative field
- Ten or more years of progressive creative experience with at least three in a leadership role
- Demonstrated portfolio showing brand campaigns, digital creative, or integrated marketing work
- Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, and current digital production workflows
- Experience managing and mentoring creative teams across multiple concurrent projects
- Strong client-facing presentation skills and ability to translate briefs into creative strategy
Creative Director Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a creative director in California?
Creative directors in California do not require a state-issued license or government credential. The standard path is a bachelor's degree in graphic design, advertising, communications, or fine arts followed by years of hands-on creative work building toward a leadership role. California employers, especially in Los Angeles and San Francisco, place heavy weight on portfolio strength, experience directing teams, and familiarity with brand, digital, and entertainment-driven creative output.
How much do creative directors make in California?
Creative directors in California earn a median of about $137,780 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $81,500 for the lowest 10% to over $249,210 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire creative directors in California?
Employers hiring creative directors in California right now include Meta, Amazon, and Apple, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. California's concentration of entertainment studios, major tech companies, and global consumer brands means demand for creative leadership is consistent across both agency and in-house environments.
Which California cities have the most creative director jobs?
Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Culver City have the most creative director openings in California. Los Angeles leads because of its density of entertainment studios, advertising agencies, and consumer brand headquarters, while San Francisco and San Jose reflect demand from major tech companies and venture-backed startups that build large in-house creative teams.
Are there remote creative director jobs in California?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 71% of creative director openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, reflecting how much of the work centers on strategy, concepting, and digital production rather than physical presence. Campaign and brand creative roles tend to be the most remote-friendly, while positions tied to photo or video production typically require on-site time.
How can I get hired as a creative director in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is landing an art director or senior designer role at a California agency or in-house team and building toward creative leadership from there. Large California employers in entertainment and tech, including studios and Silicon Valley companies, run associate creative programs and rotational design roles that are accessible without a full leadership background. A focused portfolio and experience in brand or digital creative will matter more than years of experience at this stage.
Where can I find and apply to creative director jobs in California?
You can find and apply to creative director jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings. Find the roles that fit your background and apply directly.
See All 84 Creative Director Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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