M

Microsoft

Builds workplace software, PCs and cloud services

Group Creative Director - Art & Film

Full-Time
$142.8k - $331.2k/yr
Expert
Bachelor's, Certification
Seattle, WA, USA+1 moreMore locations: Mountain View, CA, USA
In Person
Creative Production
Company Historically Provides H1B Sponsorship

About the job

Requirements
  • A Bachelor's Degree or Certificate in Design, Fine Arts, Human Computer Interaction, Visual Communications, or a related art field, plus 8 or more years of experience in art design or a related art field working on computer games or entertainment, or equivalent experience.
  • Five or more years of people-management experience, such as serving as a Lead Artist, Art Manager, or Creative Director.
Responsibilities
  • Set the creative ambition for major Windows, Surface, and Services advertising campaigns, launches, and cultural moments, leading work from brief and insight through concept, script, production, and final delivery.
  • Originate and shape breakthrough ideas with Copywriters, Art Directors, Creative Directors, and agency partners, creating work that can extend across film, social, digital, out-of-home, digital out-of-home, retail, and emerging formats.
  • Lead the creative development of film and moving-image storytelling across live action, animation, motion design, and visual effects, using a sophisticated understanding of story, performance, cinematography, production design, and visual storytelling.
  • Apply filmmaking judgment to narrative structure, shot selection, editorial rhythm and pacing, color and grade, music, sound design, and finishing, understanding how each decision shapes a story's emotional impact.
  • Partner with creative production leadership to identify and engage directors, production companies, cinematographers, editors, visual effects artists, animators, composers, and sound designers, bringing together talent suited to the creative ambition.
  • Lead creatively through production and post-production, protecting the idea while seeking opportunities to make the work more distinctive, surprising, and carefully crafted.
  • Hold the work to a high standard for ideas, storytelling, and execution, recognizing when craft can elevate an idea and when simplicity and restraint will make it stronger.
  • Understand modern viewing behavior across broadcast, streaming, YouTube, social, and emerging platforms, and create stories designed to earn and sustain attention.
  • Use audience-retention curves, drop-off points, completion rates, qualitative research, and other creative-performance signals to understand how audiences experience the work.
  • Translate audience and performance signals into creative hypotheses about openings, narrative clarity, pacing, product integration, and emotional payoff.
  • Balance evidence with creative instinct, using data to sharpen creative judgment rather than replace it.
  • Lead and mentor Creative Directors, Editors, and Motion Graphics artists.
  • Be hands-on in the work, giving clear, specific creative direction that materially improves the idea and its execution.
  • Build a culture of rigorous critique in which teams understand what should change and why.
  • Develop talent with expertise in advertising, filmmaking, art direction, and motion storytelling.
  • Champion ambitious ideas while recognizing when subtraction, restraint, and simplicity will strengthen the work.
  • Partner with creative leaders across copy, design, production, strategy, integrated marketing communications, and advertising to create work where idea, story, craft, and brand expression reinforce one another.
  • Collaborate with Creative Strategy to translate customer, cultural, and business insight into creative opportunity.
  • Work with creative production leadership throughout development, production, and post-production to realize the creative ambition at a high level of craft.
  • Partner with Integrated Marketing, Advertising, Media, Product Marketing, Social, Retail, and Communications to turn ideas into connected customer experiences.
  • Present and defend creative work with senior leaders, clearly articulating the central idea and reasoning behind key executional decisions.
Desired Qualifications
  • At least 12 years of experience in advertising, creative direction, art direction, film, or related creative disciplines, including significant experience at Creative Director, Group Creative Director, or Executive Creative Director level.
  • An exceptional portfolio of advertising and filmmaking demonstrating outstanding ideas and command of filmmaking craft, including storytelling, performance, cinematography, editorial judgment and pacing, color and grade, music, sound design, and finishing.
  • A body of work demonstrating the ability to turn creative ideas into crafted films that hold attention, create emotion, and leave a lasting impression.
  • Deep experience developing integrated campaigns for globally recognized consumer brands.
  • Demonstrated creative leadership across the filmmaking process, from concept and script through production, editorial, and finishing.
  • Experience collaborating directly with directors, production companies, cinematographers, editors, visual effects studios, composers, sound designers, and other specialist creative partners.
  • Ability to give precise, constructive creative direction across disciplines while protecting the central idea.
  • Strong understanding of contemporary culture, entertainment, social platforms, and changing audience behavior.
  • Experience at a creatively recognized advertising agency, production-led creative company, or equivalent in-house creative organization.
  • A portfolio that includes recognized, culturally resonant, or category-defining advertising and film work.
  • Experience leading creative for technology, entertainment, gaming, consumer electronics, or other highly competitive consumer categories.
  • Fluency in interpreting creative-effectiveness research and behavioral signals, including audience-retention data and attention patterns, and distinguishing meaningful creative insight from optimization noise.
  • Experience with emerging production techniques and artificial-intelligence-assisted creative workflows across ideation, pre-visualization, production, and post-production.
  • Strong relationships across the advertising and film-production community.
  • A track record of attracting, developing, and inspiring exceptional creative talent.

About the company

Microsoft builds workplace software, operating systems and cloud infrastructure for consumers, businesses and government agencies, from small organizations to global enterprises. Microsoft 365 combines Word and Excel with Teams communication and Copilot AI features, while Windows runs PCs and Surface supplies the company's own computers. Azure rents computing capacity, storage and databases to build and run web applications. Microsoft also sells Xbox consoles and games, collecting revenue through software licenses, subscriptions, usage charges and product sales. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington.

Company Size

10,001+

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

Redmond, Washington

Founded

1975

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • US corporate staff receive education support: eligible, approved graduate coursework qualifies for up to $10,000 annually.
  • Cloud demand expands: July 2026 results showed Azure and other cloud services revenue grew 43% year-over-year in fiscal Q4.
  • Investment has an earnings cushion: July 2026 results reported $155.2 billion consolidated operating profit for fiscal 2026.

What critics are saying

  • Performance reviews include security: every Microsoft employee must discuss their security contribution with their manager.
  • Office flexibility depends on the role: Microsoft's postings specify requirements ranging from fully remote to fully on-site.
  • Cloud capacity faces local limits: Microsoft describes power-grid delays and water constraints affecting US datacenter expansion.

What makes Microsoft unique

  • Hybrid customers stay within reach: Azure Arc manages servers across customer datacenters and competing clouds.
  • Developer reach extends beyond Azure: Microsoft's GitHub hosts code collaboration alongside AI coding tools.
  • Professional data widens its business: Microsoft owns LinkedIn's recruiting, advertising and workplace-learning network.

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Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • 401(k) Company Match
  • Professional Development Budget
  • Conference Attendance Budget
  • Flexible Work Hours
  • Remote Work Options

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

0%

2 year growth

0%
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