Brand Creative Manager

Smoothie King - Coppell, TX

Full-time - Mid Level

Coppell, TX

1,001-5,000 employees

Food Services and Drinking Places

About the position

As the Brand Creative Manager at Smoothie King, you will be at the forefront of our design and visual branding initiatives. Your primary responsibility will be to lead the creative team in developing engaging and responsive creative assets that span various communication channels, including digital, web, social media, print, and point-of-purchase signage. You will ensure that all marketing materials reflect our brand's visual identity and maintain consistency across all platforms. This role is crucial in overseeing the evolution of our brand identity, ensuring it aligns with our core values and objectives. In this position, you will manage the creative request and output process, proactively providing creative solutions to meet the needs of our Franchisees. You will collaborate closely with marketing teams to translate marketing strategies into compelling visual designs, ensuring that all layouts, designs, and photoshoots adhere to brand and production standards. Additionally, you will be responsible for designing and updating menus, creating engaging website visuals, and developing social media graphics that resonate with our target audience. As a leader, you will guide a team of graphic designers, providing them with the necessary feedback and creative direction to produce high-impact materials. You will also oversee the print production process, manage the design department budget, and ensure that your team has the tools and skills required to excel in their roles. Your leadership will be instrumental in fostering a collaborative and innovative environment that promotes the culture, values, and mission of Smoothie King.

Responsibilities

• Design engaging and responsive creative assets for all communication channels such as digital, web, social, print, point-of-purchase signage and email.
• Lead a team of graphic designers, providing guidance, feedback, and creative direction.
• Manage the creative request/output process including proactive creative solutions for Franchisee needs.
• Oversee the creation and evolution of our brand identity, ensuring it aligns with our brand values and objectives.
• Develop and maintain design standards and guidelines to ensure brand consistency.
• Ensure layouts, designs and photoshoots are aligned with brand and production standards and follow best practices.
• Develop and implement design strategies that resonate with our target audience.
• Collaborate with marketing teams to translate marketing strategies into compelling visual designs.
• Design and update menus, ensuring they are user-friendly, attractive, and effectively communicate our offerings.
• Collaborate with the R D team to incorporate menu changes and promotions.
• Design engaging and responsive website visuals, email templates, and social media graphics.
• Stay updated on digital design trends and incorporate them into our online presence.
• Oversee the print production process, including selecting print vendors, reviewing proofs, and ensuring high-quality output.
• Manage the design department budget effectively, optimizing resources and expenses.
• Ensure designers have the tools and skills required to produce unique, high impact materials.
• Recruits, interviews, hires, and trains individual contributor staff on the Design Team.
• Oversees the daily workflow of the Design Team.
• Provides constructive and timely performance evaluations.
• Handles discipline and termination of team members in accordance with company policy.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in art or graphic design or a related field (or equivalent work experience).
• Five (5) Years proven experience in graphic design, with a strong portfolio showcasing your work.
• One to three (1-3) Years experience in a leadership or managerial role.
• Proficient in graphic design software such as Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign).
• Strong understanding of design principles, typography, and color theory.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and meet deadlines.
• Up-to-date with industry trends and best practices in graphic design.
• Personal passion for health and fitness is a plus.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with video and editing highly preferred.

Benefits

• Free smoothies
• Flexible work schedules
• Office lunches and parties
• Monthly fitness challenges
• Free gym access
• Fun activities to make Smoothie King a happy and healthy place to work.