Director of Creative Services

The Principia Corporation - Saint Louis, MO

Full-time - Senior

Saint Louis, MO

251-500 employees

Educational Services

About the position

Principia is seeking a Creative Director to spearhead innovation and elevate the institution's brand through visionary leadership and strategic creative direction. This role demands a dynamic leader who will drive the evolution of Principia's brand identity, ensuring alignment with the institution's goals while championing best practices and cutting-edge strategies. The Creative Director will be responsible for overseeing the development and execution of a creative strategy that supports Principia College, Principia School, and the institution overall to enhance the brand identity and support its mission, vision, and goals. Reporting directly to the Chief Advancement, Marketing, and Communications Officer, the director will manage and inspire a team of designers, videographers, photographers, and outside vendors, overseeing all phases of the creative process to produce high-quality, strategically grounded creative. This role requires a strategic thinker with exceptional leadership skills, a strong creative portfolio, and the ability to effectively collaborate across various departments. The successful candidate will be an outstanding leader with the ability to maximize the talents and skills of the team, work closely with a variety of internal and external partners, and rely on their extensive experience and professional judgment to create quality work. At our award-winning pre-K-12 school in St. Louis, Missouri, and top-ranked Principia College in Elsah, Illinois, Principia faculty and staff make up a close-knit community of educators, coaches, and professionals taking a distinct approach to education—blending academic excellence with Christian Science-based character education. Principia's team of over 500 employees supports not only Principia School and Principia College but also a worldwide network of Alumni & Friends. Principia employees are part of an engaging academic community preparing students to be tomorrow's leaders, thinkers, and changemakers. We strive to create a collaborative and inclusive environment where everyone feels they belong and are valued.

Responsibilities

• Lead, develop, and execute a comprehensive creative strategy that strengthens and evolves Principia's brand identity, aligning seamlessly with the institution's goals and mission.
• Serve as the lead visual storyteller, driving and refining the creative vision to ensure it effectively represents and advances the institution's brand.
• Direct and manage the visual brand for the institution, ensuring consistent and high-quality adherence to brand guidelines across all materials.
• Partner with College, School, and Advancement Marketing Directors to maintain unified brand consistency and deliver integrated creative solutions.
• Serve on the marketing and communications leadership team, working closely with the Communications Director and Marketing Project Manager to ensure creative solutions are innovative, timely, and within budget.
• Lead, inspire, and mentor a dynamic team of designers, writers, editors, videographers, and photographers, fostering an environment of collaboration and innovation.
• Oversee the creative process from concept to execution, ensuring that design and video production are impactful and aligned with School, College, and Advancement goals.
• Implement and utilize Agile project methodology (i.e., Scrum) to enhance project management, ensuring flexibility, iterative progress, and timely delivery of creative solutions.
• Manage creative freelancers and agencies, ensuring they are well-versed in brand standards and that project delivery meets all scope, timing, and branding requirements.
• Stay ahead of creative and technical trends, driving innovation with new techniques and tools to keep the institution at the forefront of the industry.
• Cultivate strong relationships across the campuses, providing strategic brand guidance and support to colleagues.
• Promote and communicate creative best practices across the campus, ensuring alignment and excellence in all creative endeavors.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, or communications.
• Experience in communications, marketing, branding, public relations, or a related field; higher education or non-profit experience preferred, but not required.
• Excellent writing skills, must provide portfolio examples.
• Demonstrated experience in directing, managing, and creating content for multi-channel platforms, including web, social media, print, and email.
• Experience managing employees and leading creative teams and processes.
• Project management experience.
• Experience working with social and web data analytics, creating reports, and analyzing trends.
• Understanding of mobile app platforms and technology, and demonstrated experience with SEO and website development.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Adobe Suite applications (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator) preferred.
• Strong command of and experience with various social media platforms.