ABOUT US
tms unites technology, marketing, and sourcing to drive transformational change for the world’s leading brands. With more than 1,400 employees across 28 countries., we offer an impressive range of solutions – from inspiration and innovation to category management and delivery.
Operating as a creative agency, a strategic consultancy, a sourcing business, and a technology provider, we engage with over 110 million customers every single day for our clients, including Conair, McDonald’s, T-Mobile, O2, Starbucks, and adidas.
Most importantly, we're a place where you can achieve great things, and be recognized as the best.
WHAT MATTERS THE MOST
Breakthrough, business-driving ideas come from extraordinary people with the freedom to be their most authentic selves at work. Authenticity and diversity are critical elements of our business. They can only be realized when we create access and equity for all. We foster a culture of inclusion and belonging and aspire to be ever-evolving.
tms is a place where brilliant people are better together. If you want your ideas to be heard and to contribute to a culture of inclusion and authenticity, bring us your voice! Visit us at tmsw.com.
WHY WE THINK YOU WILL LOVE THIS ROLE
As Creative Director, Culinary, you’ll lead the creative vision and day-to-day direction for how the brand shows up across campaigns, launches, retail, e-commerce, and a digital- and social-first content ecosystem. Reporting to the Sr Director of Creative, you’ll oversee a team of creatives and set the bar for appetizing culinary storytelling—balancing inspiration with clear education (recipes, techniques, and how-to) and strong product demonstration. This is a role for a hands-on creative leader who can inspire teams, partner cross-functionally, and translate business goals into compelling, modern creative that drives consideration and conversion.
WHAT YOU WILL BRING TO THE ORGANIZATION
Creative Direction & Team Leadership
- Own and evolve the creative vision for the brand—bringing it to life through appetizing, modern culinary storytelling that highlights product performance, ease, and inspiration
- Lead, mentor, and develop a team of creatives (art directors, designers, copywriters and/or content creators as applicable); set clear briefs and elevate the bar for craft, clarity, and consistency
- Direct creative across key deliverables—campaign concepts, product launches, recipes/how-to systems, social content, retail/e-commerce assets, and brand toolkits
- Create an inclusive, collaborative environment where teams do their best work under fast timelines and changing priorities
Creative Strategy, Digital/Social-First & Channel Excellence
- Translate brand and product strategy into channel-ready creative that is digital- and social-first—grounded in food/recipe storytelling and clear demonstration of product benefits
- Lead concepting and creative development across launches and always-on content—defining culinary narratives, recipe/how-to content systems, and seasonal programming that scale across formats
- Ensure creative is platform-native and performance-aware (e.g., hooks, pacing, thumb-stopping food visuals, creator-forward thinking, versioning, and testing/learning)
- Guide teams to deliver cohesive creative across e-commerce and retail channels (PDP imagery/video, feature callouts, education, comparison content, and retailer guidelines) to support consideration and conversion
Cross-Functional Leadership & Stakeholder Partnership
- Partner with brand marketing, product/innovation, social, e-commerce, sales, and retail teams to align creative direction to culinary category goals, channel needs, and launch timelines
- Present creative work with clear rationale; incorporate feedback while protecting the core idea and ensuring the work remains on-brief, on-brand, and appetizing
- Collaborate with internal and external partners (e.g., studios, food stylists, photographers, chefs/creators, agencies) to deliver best-in-class culinary creative within timelines and budget considerations
Process, Quality & Best Practices
- Establish clear creative standards, reference points, and review cadences to improve quality, consistency, and speed across deliverables
- Ensure craft excellence across design, copy, motion, and content—guiding teams on composition, typography, messaging, tone, and brand guidelines
- Lead with a test-and-learn mindset: use insights and performance signals to refine creative systems, optimize content, and inform future work
- Support efficient ways of working across the creative org (briefing clarity, version control, and documentation) in partnership with production and operations teams
Client & Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Report into the Sr Director of Creative and act as the day-to-day creative lead for the client—bringing clarity, direction, and momentum across culinary-focused workstreams
- Align teams and stakeholders on priorities, deliverables, and creative direction; escalate risks early and propose solutions
- Be a strong creative partner across the organization—balancing brand ambition with practical execution across timelines, channel needs, and production realities
SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO HAVE
- 10+ years of creative experience with at least 3–5 years in a Creative Director (or senior creative leadership) role, ideally within culinary/food, kitchen appliances, CPG, or consumer lifestyle brands
- Demonstrated experience leading and developing creative teams across disciplines (design, art direction, copy, motion/content), including setting direction and giving actionable feedback
- A portfolio that shows strong culinary craft and concepting—from campaign ideas to social-first executions, recipe/how-to storytelling, e-commerce/retail assets, and brand systems
- Deep understanding of digital and social best practices (platform-native storytelling, creator/UGC ecosystems, content systems, versioning, and test-and-learn approaches)
- Strong brand stewardship: ability to define and enforce visual identity, tone of voice, and creative standards across channels, with a sharp point of view on food visuals and appetite appeal
- Experience partnering closely with production (photo/video), food styling, e-commerce, retail, and marketing teams; comfortable guiding creative through real-world constraints like timelines, budgets, and channel specs
- Confident presenter and communicator—able to influence stakeholders, navigate ambiguity, and make clear recommendations that move work forward
- Strong collaborative mindset, high taste level, and a bias toward action—able to raise the bar while keeping teams motivated and aligned
And we’d love you to… Bring proven experience shaping creative for culinary/food brands—balancing appetite appeal with education (how-to), product truth, and seasonal relevance for the client.
- Be fluent in digital- and social-first campaigns and tactics (e.g., recipe series, creator/chef partnerships, paid social assets, short-form video, and always-on content toolkits), with strong e-commerce instincts for PDP storytelling, retailer requirements, and conversion-minded creative.
Any of the following would be a plus (culinary/food + digital/social + e-commerce)
- Prior experience in culinary/food or kitchen appliance categories—especially with product launches, seasonal moments (holidays, grilling, back-to-school), and education-driven storytelling (how-to, tips, recipes, techniques).
- Hands-on familiarity with social and digital-first creative ecosystems, including paid social toolkits, creator/chef partnerships and UGC, short-form video, and e-commerce/retail execution (e.g., Amazon PDPs and key retailers) with an understanding of specs, content standards, and performance levers.
Starting hourly between $135-$145
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
We are an equal opportunity employer, and we value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
RECRUITING AGENCIES
tms does not accept agency resumes submitted by third-party vendors unless a valid agreement has been signed and the tms Talent Acquisition Team has granted authorization for submissions for a specified position. Please do not submit or forward resumes to our site, tms employees, or any other company location. tms is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.
