Director of Brand Creative

The Director of Brand Creative is the lead designer and producer of branded, multichannel content and collateral – both print and digital – for Lawrence University (LU).

The Director supervises the Art Director and vendor/contractor work as needed and approved, and collaboratively works with content creators in the Communications Unit (e.g., graphic design, video production, photography, editorial, and social media) as well as colleagues across the university to provide high-quality deliverables that support the university’s mission and strategic priorities, enhance its brand awareness and prestige, and maintain its brand standards.

The Director oversees the creation of visually compelling content, products/merchandise, and campaigns that tell and/or represent the Lawrence story in ways that facilitate and encourage engagement from various constituencies (e.g., prospective students and families, current students and families, alumni, donors, community members, and the public).

The Director will create and deliver creative content to elevate and distinguish the LU brand and support growth in enrollments, fundraising revenues, and global reputation. As LU’s brand manager, this position oversees brand compliance primarily by example, as well as through the creation and dissemination of protocols, guidelines, toolkits, and instruction.

ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manages the ideation and creative processes for development, production, and implementation of high-profile design projects to support university initiatives and priorities.
• Designs digital and print collateral in support of university initiatives, products, events, and campaigns and sets the tone and direction for collateral designed and produced by others on campus.
• Ensures brand compliance and strategic vision for multichannel designs and maintains oversight of LU’s branding guidelines, training, and resources.
• Collaborates with AVP, VP and General Counsel regarding brand resources, license management, and merchandising to ensure consistency and compelling design for all branded merchandise and promotional products.
• Supervises the Art Director and works collaboratively with the communications unit to provide quality assurance, project tracking, achievable deadlines, budget oversight, and review and approval cycles.
• Collaborates across the university to ensure that www.lawrence.edu and digital ecosystems are on brand and reflective of best practices and trends in digital design.
• Maintains positive and effective relationships with collaborators and clients across the university, such as LU volunteers, colleagues, and key vendors.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

1. Exceptional eye for multimedia design and a strong understanding of design principles, best practices, and cutting-edge trends.
2. Ability to think strategically and creatively and to stay abreast of cutting-edge creative trends; to develop, articulate and lead the implementation of long and short-term plans to meet goals and objectives.
3. Passion for design and branding in a fast-paced, multi-constituent fueled higher education setting.
4. Demonstrated proficiency with designing for web content management systems, as well as varied digital ecosystems including HTML/CSS, digital display, social, motion graphics, and video.
5. Superior expertise in working with Adobe Creative Cloud and leveraging its digital review and approval processes. Knowledge of Canva and assisting colleagues with producing on brand deliverables a plus.
6. Passion for collaboration, self-direction and self-motivation, time and project management, team motivation, and multitasking.
7. Ability to exercise sound judgment, quick decision-making, effective problem-solving, project prioritization and management, and course correction as required.
8. Effective interpersonal skills, strong work ethic, and a positive, solutions-oriented professional attitude.
9. Appreciation for and understanding of the value of a liberal arts and sciences education and the opportunities and challenges within higher education culture.
10. Commitment to LU’s stated values of diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging.
11. Bachelor’s degree and progressive responsibilities in multichannel design, production, brand management, and related areas.
12. Occasional evening and weekend work to support university events and initiatives.

Review of resumes to begin immediately.

Benefits may include tuition remission and exchange programs, three weeks of accrued paid time off, additional time off around the holidays, paid parental leave, and more!