Job Description

Copy Director

Toronto, hybrid

DEPT® is a Growth Invention company built to help the world’s most ambitious brands grow faster. Operating at the intersection of technology and marketing, our 4,000+ specialists deliver growth invention services across Brand & Media, Experience, Commerce, CRM, and Technology & Data. We’re 50|50 tech and marketing, partner-led, and first to move. Clients include Google, Lufthansa, Meta, eBay, and OpenAI. We have been certified B Corp and Climate Neutral since 2021.

JOB PURPOSE

This role is part of our Global Studios team. We create emotive yet conversion-focused ideas, products and campaigns at scale and speed. Our specialty is hyper-personalised, digital communications that change perceptions, shape new behaviours, and shift market share for our clients.

Your primary focus will be getting the very best work possible out the door. You will nurture and develop our Toronto-based copywriters, ensuring their main focus is delivering top-quality copy working with AI-generated content across multiple platforms for one of the world’s largest telecommunications companies. You will have the full support of our UK offices and our global Copy Team (70+ members), as we work efficiently and effectively across different regions and time zones.

The Copy Director is a client-facing role, and must confidently and effectively represent DEPT® in pitches, reviews, and kickoffs. You will be the primary go-to for our clients when they have content and messaging concerns.

As a People Manager, you are required to understand, organise, and motivate people to achieve extraordinary things. You will guide thinking and behaviour in others to ensure the most successful outcomes are achieved. Our People Managers are masters of their craft, demonstrate good judgment and emotional intelligence, and encourage self-development.

Additionally, you will bring your strategic thinking and creativity to the forefront. You will help inspire, shape, and create campaign concepts and oversee brand guidelines and usage manual development. You will also evaluate and improve team processes, ensuring efficiency at every step. This role reports to the Global Copy Director.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

Delivery: To the Creative Brief

• Ensures that our creative work fully meets and exceeds the brief, taking AI-generated copy to a new level of quality and on-brand consistency.
• Sets the conceptual creative direction for projects on which they work by means of conceiving and expressing robust messaging strategies.
• Demonstrates advanced knowledge of the client’s brand-positioning guidelines and practices.
• Aware of all work on brands moving through the region.
• Demonstrates advanced knowledge DEPT® and/or clients’ technologies and processes.
• Assertively troubleshoots and resolves complex problems.
• Is an experienced contributor with project leadership responsibility.
• Presents to and guides clients through creative conceptualizing, production, and delivery.
• Ensues local messaging articulation.

Company: To the creative culture at DEPT®

• Work effectively with others to deliver high-quality work—creative does not happen in a vacuum, and the Copy Director appreciates this fully.
• Demonstrates leadership qualities—stands as a rallying point for messaging excellence.
• Conducts self and communicates professionally with clients and colleagues.
• Confidently represents and acts as a proxy for Global Copy Director; speaks as a member of the of the wider DEPT® leadership team
• Acts as an ambassador for DEPT®, attending creative and client events as required.
• Assumes responsibility for an office approach/methodology, and develops an approach in line with industry standards; evangelises the use of approach/methodology to colleagues.
• Shares ideas and industry trends on particular subject matter with colleagues through informal communication, formal presentations, and training sessions.
• Seeks to learn about other disciplines and work collaboratively on projects and internal initiatives.
• Makes use of appropriate research materials (Internet, publications, etc.) to ensure skills and knowledge remain current.
• Conceive and develop initiatives that develop standards and skill sets.
• Manages the team in an exemplary manner.
• Challenges substandard work and motivates the team to deliver excellence.
• Partners with senior leadership in the Toronto and UK offices to effectively execute company initiatives.
• Ensures that Toronto-based Copy Team members are developed and nurtured.

In addition:

• New business development: On an ad hoc basis, you will be asked to contribute to new business opportunity development, pitches, and investment in existing account opportunities.
• Be a passionate brand advocate: You may be asked to attend events, workshops, conferences, etc., and exemplify our values externally.

WHAT YOU BRING:

• At least 7+ years experience in a creative leadership role, experience with AI tools a must.
• Inspirational creativity.
• Good team leadership, mentorship, and persuasion skills.
• A clear communicator with the gravitas to attain respect from the copy and creative teams, wider agency, and clients.
• Ability to build rapport quickly and maintain relationship networks.
• Deep and proven understanding of marketing, branding, communications, and business objective application.
• Clear understanding of when to apply different messaging skills, ideation, brand storytelling, direct communications, emotive concepts, etc.
• Strong copy portfolio with examples of brand messaging.
• Original thinker who provides high-level client service; develops and implements new and innovative resolutions.
• Advanced knowledge of marketing copy/brand storytelling techniques, and tools.
• Knows and effectively uses fundamental concepts, practices, and procedures to complete work efficiently and effectively.

WE OFFER

• A flexible hybrid working policy to enjoy the best of both worlds.
• Early Finish Fridays, kickstart your weekend early with alternating early-finish Fridays.
• Full dental and healthcare cover
• 15 days paid holiday annually, increasing with length of service (plus Public Holidays).
• Birthday Leave, a paid day-off each year.
• Access to dedicated mental health resources including enhanced sick pay scheme, employee assistance programme and trained Mental Health First Aiders.
• Dept Allowance, a dedicated company contribution to spend on either your professional development or personal wellbeing.
• Refreshments are provided in the office all week.
• Enhanced family friendly policies to support parents.
• Learning and Development, continuous growth opportunities through internal training, and "inspirational talks” guest speakers.
• Buddy Program, you will be paired with a ‘Buddy’ to help you navigate your first weeks’ at DEPT®.
• A Certified BCorp Agency and is multi-award winning “Agency of the Year”.
• Awesome clients. Whether big or small, local or global — at DEPT® you’ll get the opportunity to work with clients of all sizes and across all industries. And we celebrate all of our successes together!
• Global DEPT® Cares Month, an annual initiative where our teams donate their professional skills and time to support local charities and pr-bono projects.

WHY DEPT®?

We are a Growth Invention company built to help the world’s most ambitious brands grow faster. Operating at the intersection of technology and marketing, we create what is next by pioneering ideas, acting fast, and moving further because standing still just is not in our DNA.

We are drawn to people who stay curious, move with intent, and never stop inventing. Our culture runs on three values: better together, relentlessly curious, and get sh*t done. It is how we work, how we grow, and how we make things that matter.

At DEPT®, you will find the freedom to explore, the space to collaborate, and the trust to make a real impact for our clients, for each other, and for the world we are helping to build.

AI Disclosure At DEPT®, we use AI-assisted technology (Metaview) to capture notes and summarize interview conversations, so our interviewers can stay fully focused. Using the AI is optional, just let us know if you’d prefer it not be used.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

At DEPT®, we take pride in creating an inclusive workplace where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive. We actively seek to recruit, develop, nurture, and retain talented individuals from diverse backgrounds, with varying skills and perspectives.

Not sure you meet all qualifications? Apply, and let us decide! Research shows that women and members of underrepresented groups tend not to apply for jobs when they think they may not meet every requirement, when in fact they do. We believe in giving everyone a fair chance to shine.

We also encourage you to reach out to us and discuss any reasonable adjustments we can make to support you throughout the recruitment process and your time with us.

Want to know more about our dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion? Check out our efforts here