Creative Director, Brand

About the Team The Customer Experience (Marketing) team works to showcase our brand through the lens of expertise and love. They work to provide a personalized experience for our consumers backed by best-in-class, data-driven marketing capabilities. The Customer Experience team focuses across 4 departments including, Marketing, Creative, Communications, and our Loyalty & CRM team. Everyone brings their own point of view to create a unique experience for the pets and pet parents. About the Location Collaborative Work Environment: At PetSmart, teamwork and connection are core to how we thrive. This role is based at our Phoenix Home Office, with an expectation of working a minimum of four days in the office each week. In a standard work week, associates may work up to one remote flex day (with leader approval). Our hybrid approach is designed to foster strong collaboration while also supporting flexibility and individual success. About the Job Were a powerhouse retail Creative Team driving bold brand transformation across digital and physical experiences. We think big, move fast, and deliver strategically inspired work that connects with pet parents and drives real business results. Our mission: to be an in-house creative force that blends storytelling, data, and innovation to grow PetSmarts brand and impact. The Role This is not a sit-back-and-direct roleits a roll-up-your-sleeves, lead-from-the-front opportunity to reshape how a national brand thinks, works, and creates. Youre a visionary and a doerequal parts storyteller, strategist, and operator. You turn ambiguity into action, chaos into clarity, and big ideas into work that inspires. Youll translate complex business objectives into breakthrough creative across every channelwhile motivating the creative team to dream bigger, work smarter, and execute flawlessly. You thrive in a fast-paced, constantly evolving environment where strategy, craft, and agility collide. You balance the high bar for creativity with operational discipline and strong cross-functional partnership. Youre unafraid to reinvent the process, challenge assumptions, and lead changebecause you know the best creative happens when boundaries are pushed. What Youll Do Lead and elevate the creative vision for PetSmarts omni-channel ecosystemdefining the look, feel, and storytelling that drive connection and conversion. Translate complex business goals into clear, inspiring creative strategies and executions. Direct, coach, and grow designers, art directors, and creative talentbalancing creative with accountability to deliver exceptional work. Concept, oversee, and approve brand and seasonal campaigns, as well as photo and video content that brings brand campaigns and seasonal moments to life across store and digital channels. In addition, youll lead the Digital Creative team that creates content for Emails, Web, App, Mobile executions. Champion and evolve PetSmarts brand identitybuilding distinctive creative systems while protecting brand integrity. Partner across Creative, Marketing, Visual Merchandising, Product Merchandising, eCommerce, and Loyalty to build cohesive, high-performing campaigns. Use insights and data to measure creative performance and continually optimize for impact. Drive innovationleveraging AI, automation, and new production models to build content faster, smarter, and more efficiently. Present creative work confidently to senior leadership, connecting storytelling to strategy and results. Professionally and positively collaborate closely with the Copy Lead, Store Creative Leads, and Creative Operations Lead to create seamless, integrated work. Build and inspire an inclusive culture of curiosity, accountability, and creative couragewhere great ideas thrive and people love coming to work. You connect teams and make everyone feel a part of something together. Expect a lot from yourself and your teamand model the leadership, clarity, and drive that raise the bar for everyone. Shape and structure your team for maximum impact, including hiring great talent and redefining how the team operates to meet the demands of a fast-moving retail brand. Who You Are Youre energized by challenge. This is a big, complex, high-visibility roleand you see that as an opportunity to make lasting impact. Youre a buildersomeone who can design better systems, create and elevate consistent creative standards, and unite teams around a shared vision. Youre an incredibly kind and collaborative, ego?free leader who values relationships, accountability, and results in equal measure. You have 10+ years of experience in retail or lifestyle creative environments, leading brand and digital work with deep expertise in photo and video production. Youve led creative teams for 8+ yearsmentoring designers and art directors across multiple channels. Youre fluent in storytelling through imagery, typography, motion, and design, with an instinct for what resonates with modern audiences. You embrace technology and innovationcomfortable with Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, and photography platforms and more importantly, you have experience in or are working to be fluent in AI?driven creative workflows. Youre experienced leading shootscasting, styling, lighting, budgeting, editingand thrive in the details that make creative shine. You are budget?conscious and always looking for the scrappiest way to pull off great work. Youre methodical and organizedsomeone who brings structure, documentation, and process to the creative chaos.And above allyou love pets. Deeply. You bring that same passion, empathy, and joy to every campaign, because you know when PetSmart wins, our furry friends do too. Reports To Vice President, Executive Creative Director Additional Job Considerations This role requires collaboration, teamwork, and face?to?face interaction with colleagues, leaders, and/or clients. Being in the office ensures access to leaders, cross?functional partners, and resources necessary to make timely decisions and drive results. On?site presence in accordance with our FlexSmart policy supports our culture of innovation, mentorship, and engagement, which is integral to our success in developing the best team. * This is not intended to be an all?inclusive, exhaustive list of all essential job functions for this position. PetSmart retains the right to change or assign other required job duties to this position. About the Culture At PetSmart, Anything for Pets begins with our people. Every associate plays a vital role in creating meaningful experiences for pets and their families, and we empower our teams with the tools, resources, and opportunities to grow and succeed. Were more than a workplace, were Team PetSmart. Together, we grow, collaborate, and challenge ourselves to be the best in all we do. Our culture is built on belonging and shared purpose, where every voice and experience matters. Guided by our values, we strive to do whats right, lead responsibly, and bring our passion for pets to life every day. Not sure if you meet 100% of the position requirements and whether you should apply? Wed still like to hear from you and encourage you to apply with us You might be the right fit for this role or another opportunity across Team PetSmart. Our home office offers outstanding amenities in a fun and rewarding workplace including: Pet-friendly environment, bring your pets to work and enjoy the on?site dog park On?Site Events & Adoptions, enjoy community?building opportunities, including pet adoption days, seasonal celebrations, family events, art events, & holiday festivals Top Dog gym with equipment, fitness classes, massage therapists, personal trainers, and wellness spaces Sit & Stay Caf serving fresh breakfast and lunch options, snacks, & more Lil Paws NAEYC-accredited onsite childcare facility providing high-quality early education Paid Volunteer Opportunities to spend time doing good for causes close to heart Print Center and Business Services, Dry Cleaning, Mothers Rooms, Sustainable Infrastructure & more PetSmart provides an equal opportunity for all associates and job applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or other legally protected characteristics. #J-18808-Ljbffr