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Director of Creative Strategy

Employer
Johns Hopkins University
Location
Maryland, United States
Salary
Salary Not Specified
Date posted
Mar 4, 2021

General summary/purpose:

The Director of Creative Strategy leads the development and management of the creative vision, visual brand identity, and creative solutions for Johns Hopkins University.

The director is an accomplished creative leader with an innovative design-thinking mindset. The individual will help develop and execute strategy to deliver leading-edge creative solutions that support the institution’s goals and effectively raise the university’s profile among key audiences.

Reporting to the Assistance Vice President for Integrated Marketing and Brand Management, the director leads the design vision in cross-functional marketing and communications teams across the university and within the Office of Communications to conceive and develop creative ideas and concepts for campaigns and content that will have positive, measurable audience impact across multiple channels.

The director will lead and manage a team of in-house designers, creative professionals, a licensing and project coordinator, and, as necessary freelance talent and creative vendors, agencies, and partners.

Specific duties & responsibilities:

Creative and Design Leadership

Using design-thinking methodology, the director works independently and collaboratively across teams to develop holistic, creative solutions (print and digital) that support a variety of institutional marketing and communications projects requiring creative problem solving and concept development.

This includes leading and facilitating brainstorming with cross-functional teams, ensuring that all related print and digital design work is of highest quality, is consistent, and supports the goals of the individual project.

The director will:

  • Develop creative design and overall creative concepts, and necessary elements including and support including: image curation, creation, and selection; and production for the execution of projects. Work will ensure proper balance of form and function in all materials.
  • Create a wide range of visual materials. Examples include logos, signage, annual reports, ads, publications, branded collateral, direct mail pieces, event promotions, images, and motion graphics.
  • Independently manage creative campaigns and other projects from start to finish, including, where necessary, hands-on work at all stages of the design process, to include: client consultation, development of concepts and treatments, and production.
  • Provide art direction as necessary for campaigns, photo shoots and illustration assignments.
  • Contribute to and conduct creative concept presentations to leadership and others.

Branding and Visual Identity Strategy

The director will:

  • Serve as the authority and steward of the university’s visual brand identity and brand guidelines, ensuring they are consistently applied and integrated into myriad use cases, applications, projects, and campaigns across this institution.
  • Provide branding and visual identity leadership by maintaining the Johns Hopkins brand image, and ensuring all creative representing the institution is reflective of our brand standards and guidelines.
  • Develop effective strategies to educate and inform internal and external stakeholders on brand standards, promoting visual and identity guidelines, and ensuring guidelines are up-to-date and responsive to university needs including but not limited to: signage/wayfinding; Athletics; official groups and affiliate organizations; environmental graphics; retail/licensed products.
  • Provide expertise to department leadership, the university administration, and other Hopkins stakeholders on the effective use and execution of brand guidelines and visual identity, including guidance on the most effective approach to the creative work.
  • Work closely with brand managers and other internal teams to ensure brand consistency in all aspects of visual and creative design.
  • Provide oversight, as the visual and branding authority, for the university’s logo and licensing program to ensure brand compliant creative expression and legal use of the university’s brandmark by licensed vendors.

Creative & Digital Solutions

The director will:

  • Develop and manage a system of internal approvals and feedback to ensure each designer’s work is vetted at the design team, creative team and senior management levels.
  • Research, implement, and maintain creative software solutions that extend the capabilities of the design team across institutional units and efficiently facilitate the design workflow and approval process of jobs and projects.
  • Research and share best practices and emerging technologies in design and visual communication as they pertain to specific projects and objectives.

Leadership & Supervision

The director will:

  • Lead and manage a team of in-house graphic designers, a licensing and project coordinator and other professional creatives in the development, creation, and maintenance creative assets that most effectively meet the creative and strategic goals of the university and the Office of Communications.
  • Assign and direct work of senior and junior designers to ensure that the team is producing superior creative work, including providing creative direction, training, and coaching, and following up on work results.
  • Collaborate with and provide design oversight to creative partners, agencies, vendors, as needed, to ensure alignment with the university’s project goals and brand standards.
  • Identify and manage freelance talent on an as-needed basis.

Minimum qualifications (mandatory):

  • A Bachelor’s degree in a design and/or creative-related field.
  • At least 10 years relevant experience in a design or creative field, with at least 5 years of supervisory experience of managing a creative team, designers, or artists within a professional organization.

Special knowledge, skills, and abilities:

  • The ability to work collaboratively on creative projects, and have strong design skills and an aesthetic that demonstrates an understanding of current and emerging trends.
  • Extensive knowledge and proficiency with the tools of Adobe Creative Suite and emerging technologies.
  • Ability to lead a project from concept to production, meeting deadlines while producing the highest quality product.
  • Ability to work independently, while simultaneously managing multiple projects and deadlines.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills and a commitment to collaboration regardless of executive hierarchy, with an ability to communicate to co-creative and communications professionals as well as with staff and academic clients.
  • Strong leadership and collaborative and managerial skills, but also the ability to work autonomously and be accountable for the final work product.
  • The ability to work and thrive in an inclusive, intellectually challenging, and complex academic environment.

Supervisory responsibility (indicate the number and type of persons supervised by incumbent): Four direct reports - three in-house designers and one licensing and project coordinator. Incumbent supervised two in-house designers.

Classified Title:Sr. Creative Director
Working Title: Director of Creative Strategy
Role/Level/Range: ATP/04/PF
Starting Salary Range:Commensurate with Experience
Employee group: Full Time
Schedule: M-F/ 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Exempt Status: Exempt
Location: 45-MD:JH at Keswick
Department name: 60002576-University Communications
Personnel area: University Administration

The successful candidate(s) for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background check.

If you are interested in applying for employment with The Johns Hopkins University and require special assistance or accommodation during any part of the pre-employment process, please contact the HR Business Services Office atjhurecruitment@jhu.edu. For TTY users, call via Maryland Relay or dial 711.

The following additional provisions may apply depending on which campus you will work. Your recruiter will advise accordingly.

During the Influenza ("the flu") season, as a condition of employment, The Johns Hopkins Institutions require all employees who provide ongoing services to patients or work in patient care or clinical care areas to have an annual influenza vaccination or possess an approved medical or religious exception. Failure to meet this requirement may result in termination of employment.

The pre-employment physical for positions in clinical areas, laboratories, working with research subjects, or involving community contact requires documentation of immune status against Rubella (German measles), Rubeola (Measles), Mumps, Varicella (chickenpox), Hepatitis B and documentation of having received the Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccination. This may include documentation of having two (2) MMR vaccines; two (2) Varicella vaccines; or antibody status to these diseases from laboratory testing. Blood tests for immunities to these diseases are ordinarily included in the pre-employment physical exam except for those employees who provide results of blood tests or immunization documentation from their own health care providers. Any vaccinations required for these diseases will be given at no cost in our Occupational Health office.

Equal Opportunity Employer
Note: Job Postings are updated daily and remain online until filled.

EEO is the Law
Learn more:
https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/migrated_files/employers/poster_screen_reader_optimized.pdf

JH at Keswick


The successful candidate(s) for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background check.

If you are interested in applying for employment with The Johns Hopkins University and require special assistance or accommodation during any part of the pre-employment process, please contact the HR Business Services Office at jhurecruitment@jhu.edu. For TTY users, call via Maryland Relay or dial 711.

The following additional provisions may apply depending on which campus you will work. Your recruiter will advise accordingly.

During the Influenza ("the flu") season, as a condition of employment, The Johns Hopkins Institutions require all employees who provide ongoing services to patients or work in patient care or clinical care areas to have an annual influenza vaccination or possess an approved medical or religious exception. Failure to meet this requirement may result in termination of employment.

The pre-employment physical for positions in clinical areas, laboratories, working with research subjects, or involving community contact requires documentation of immune status against Rubella (German measles), Rubeola (Measles), Mumps, Varicella (chickenpox), Hepatitis B and documentation of having received the Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccination. This may include documentation of having two (2) MMR vaccines; two (2) Varicella vaccines; or antibody status to these diseases from laboratory testing. Blood tests for immunities to these diseases are ordinarily included in the pre-employment physical exam except for those employees who provide results of blood tests or immunization documentation from their own health care providers. Any vaccinations required for these diseases will be given at no cost in our Occupational Health office.

Equal Opportunity Employer
Note: Job Postings are updated daily and remain online until filled.

EEO is the Law
Learn more:
https://www1.eeoc.gov/employers/upload/eeoc_self_print_poster.pdf
Important legal information
http://hrnt.jhu.edu/legal.cfm

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