Creative Director

The Creative Director serves as the institution’s chief creative professional and leads the creative team in brand development, brand implementation and project management. Oversees the development of diverse collateral including, digital, video, email, signage, etc. Creates cohesion of creative assets across institution in support of its mission, vision, strategies and key initiatives. Primary advocate and ambassador for institution brand standards and brand campaign.

Representative Duties and Responsibilities

• Manage the university’s creative process from concept to completion, including specific engagement in institutional and admissions creative development
• Review and approve all creative work
• Translate marketing and brand objectives into clear creative strategies and manage to completion
• Ensure visual communication and brand standards are met
• Oversee deliverables, timelines and budgets including creative project management
• Work collaboratively with staff, faculty, and leadership
• Understand client needs, explain creative strategies and solutions, and ensure creative solutions are in alignment with client needs, brand standards and institutional goals
• Train, develop, and provide performance feedback to direct reports and student workers
• Responsible for conception, implementation, monitoring, and advocacy of university brand guides across the community
• Manage contract resources, including freelance graphic designers, photographers, videographers, copywriters and other service providers
• Keep pace with industry creative, marketing, advertising, and communication trends – print, video, and digital – and apply appropriately to Hamline’s brand initiatives and marketing materials
• Manages creative process for execution of university magazine
• Other duties as assigned

Required Knowledge, Skills and abilities

• Experience driving creative processes including marketing, graphic design and brand development
• Ability to incorporate new ideas for branding, advertising campaigns and marketing messages in line with market trends
• Demonstrated ability to lead, manage, and organize self and others, including providing feedback, training, and coaching
• Ability to identify and incorporate creative industry best processes, project management and workflows
• Ability to proactively manage workload and prioritize for self and team
• Ability to work in various creative mediums: Print, digital, video, outdoor/environmental signage, etc.
• Skilled in visual communication
• Ability to make presentations to all levels within the organization including visual representation of concepts for leadership that enable others to envision creative results
• Strong communication skills – written and verbal, explicit and implicit
• Ability to actively listen and engage to create win-win solutions and results for multiple stakeholders
• Proven ability to meet and/or exceed deadlines and handle multiple projects with a quick turnaround and/or last minute timelines
• Ability to manage own portfolio of work while managing and motivating creative staff and student workers
• Ability to think strategically, prioritize and be proactive

Minimum Education/Experience

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
• At least 5 years of experience in graphic/digital design and the creative industry
• Advanced use of graphic design software, e.g. Mastery of Adobe Creative Suite of applications, Google applications, Microsoft Office Suite, In-Design, Photoshop and Flash
• Photo and art direction experience
• Experience designing for and working in Content Management Systems (CMS)
• At least two (2) years of direct management of personnel

Preferred Education/Experience

• Degree in Design, Art, Digital Media, Marketing or Communications

Required Licensure/Certification/Registration

Note: Please be sure to attach your resume/CV, cover letter, and a link to your online portfolio.