Creative Services Director

Robert Half - Chicago, IL

Full-time - Senior

Remote - Chicago, IL

Administrative and Support Services

About the position

The Creative Services Director will play a pivotal role in translating business needs into impactful creative executions. This position requires a leader who can guide a dedicated team of creative professionals while collaborating with internal cross-functional teams and external agency partners. The primary goal is to ensure that all creative outputs align with the overall brand strategy, meet business objectives, and are delivered with a customer-centric approach. The ideal candidate will be collaborative, resourceful, and possess a deep understanding of the creative production process. They should have experience managing and directing creative teams, along with a proven track record of effectively growing a brand that has high-volume creative requirements. In this role, the Creative Services Director will elevate the quality of design and conceptual work across various channels, including lodges, web, email, social media, and digital platforms. They will provide strategic, innovative, and design-thinking-led solutions that facilitate fresh and compelling creative concepts aimed at delivering business objectives. The director will also demonstrate leadership through hands-on execution, guiding and mentoring the creative services team while managing performance and fostering professional and personal development. The position involves overseeing the design and development of content and assets, both in-house and through agency partners. Building strong relationships with cross-functional business partners is essential to drive quality work, scope projects, develop briefs, budgets, and timelines. The director will facilitate creative project kick-offs with clear briefings and implement brainstorming sessions with the internal creative team, ensuring consistency with brand standards. They will also be responsible for advancing new ideas and approaches that keep the brand evolving and unique, while managing multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment. This includes creating work plans and budgets, managing timelines, and fostering a culture of accountability within the team. Additionally, the director will determine the best tools, frameworks, systems, and resources that enable teams to scale creative excellence.

Responsibilities

• Elevate the quality of design and conceptual work across multiple channels including lodges, web, email, social, and digital.
• Provide strategic, innovative, and design thinking-led solutions that facilitate fresh, compelling creative concepts.
• Demonstrate direction through hands-on execution and provide guidance, leadership, and mentorship to the creative services team.
• Oversee, design, and develop content and assets both in-house and through agency partners.
• Build strong relationships with cross-functional business partners to drive quality work and scope projects.
• Facilitate creative project kick-offs with clear briefing and implement brainstorming sessions with the internal creative team.
• Advance new ideas and approaches within the brand voice to keep the brand evolving and unique.
• Lead multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment, including creation of work plans and budgets.
• Determine best tools, frameworks, systems, and resources that allow teams to scale creative excellence.

Requirements

• 8-10+ years' experience of leading creative for a large relevant consumer brand or in retail/hospitality preferred.
• Experience leading an in-house creative studio or similar environment.
• Demonstrated strong creative background including expertise with Adobe Creative Suite such as Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
• Demonstrated track record of team management experience including growing, developing, and building teams.
• Experience working cross-functionally and managing workflow effectively.
• Demonstrated excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Experience across mediums (video, photo, interactive, print) and channels (TV, digital advertising, web, email, mobile, social media, on-property).
• Ability to work well under pressure and achieve results in a fast-paced environment.
• Willingness to roll up sleeves and execute work alongside the team.
• Demonstrated team player, motivated to build internal excitement and alignment.
• Willingness to travel up to 20% to locations across the country.

Nice-to-haves

• Strong design acumen.
• Solutions-oriented with an understanding of the creative briefing process.
• Brand savvy with knowledge of integrated marketing.

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Vision insurance
• Dental insurance
• Life insurance
• Disability insurance
• 401(k) plan