Creative Director, Global Brand [AQ-15492]

About the Role

Aquent Studios is seeking a Creative Director, Brand to lead a small, high-caliber creative team embedded with our client. This pivotal role owns the visual health and consistency of the foundational corporate brand alongside its dynamic portfolio of product brands. You will serve as the steward of design systems, visual identity, typography, and photography direction, ensuring cohesion and impact across all touchpoints, while also mentoring and managing a dedicated team of designers.

What You’ll Do

• Lead and manage a small team of brand and visual designers, setting clear direction and reviewing work to uphold a consistently high creative bar.
• Own and evolve comprehensive design systems that scale across the foundational brand and its diverse sub-brands.
• Serve as the guardian of visual identity, typography, color, iconography, layout systems, and key visual language, ensuring brand integrity.
• Direct photography and key visual development, overseeing the process from initial creative briefs through to final asset selection.
• Partner closely with marketing, product marketing, and brand stakeholders to ensure all creative work strategically supports business and product goals.
• Present compelling creative direction, systems, and rationale to senior stakeholders, confidently defending design decisions with clear and concise reasoning.
• Ensure brand consistency and appropriate differentiation across a complex portfolio of related brands.

Must-Have Qualifications

• 8+ years of extensive brand and creative experience, including proven experience leading or managing a creative team.
• Deep, demonstrable expertise in design systems, including building, documenting, and scaling them across multiple brand touchpoints.
• Strong command of visual identity fundamentals, including typography, grid systems, color theory, and key visual development.
• Experience directing photography, whether through in-house shoots or collaboration with agency/vendor partners.
• A robust portfolio that clearly showcases brand systems thinking, not just individual campaign executions.
• Proven ability to effectively manage, mentor, and foster the growth of a small design team.
• Comfort and proficiency operating across a portfolio of related brands with distinct but interconnected identities.

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• Experience with technology, semiconductor, or consumer electronics brands.
• Background working within or alongside enterprise/B2B brand architectures.
• Experience building or maintaining brand guideline systems (e.g., using design software libraries, brand portals).

Location

San Diego (Position requires being onsite in San Diego, 5 days a week)

Compensation

$155,000–$160,000 DOE