Creative Execution Lead
About Northern Trust
Northern Trust (Nasdaq: NTRS) is a global leader in innovative wealth management, asset servicing, asset management, and banking services. Founded in 1889, the company is known for its Principles That Endure: Service, Expertise, and Integrity. These principles guide the firm's business conduct, which it strives to instill in its employees, called partners, and to provide to its clients and the communities it serves worldwide.
The Creative Execution Lead
This is a senior, hands-on leadership role responsible for driving the end-to-end delivery of creative production and integrated campaigns into market. It is a true player-coach role that balances direct involvement in the work with leadership of the team delivering it. The Creative Execution Lead sits at the intersection of creative craft, production excellence, and team leadership, reporting to the Head of Creative.
What You’ll Do
Lead Creative Execution & Marketing Delivery: Own the executional delivery of creative production for campaigns from concept handoff through final launch. Translate creative strategy and direction into actionable production plans and timelines. Ensure campaigns are delivered on time, on brief, and ready for market across all required channels.
Act as the primary executional lead for integrated campaigns, coordinating across teams and partners.
Build, Mentor & Coach the Creative Team: Lead, mentor, and coach designers and production-focused team members. Provide clear direction, constructive feedback, and growth-oriented coaching to elevate craft and confidence. Support career development by identifying strengths, skill gaps, and learning opportunities. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the team.
Oversee Production Across Channels: Oversee the production of digital, social, video, print, and experiential assets. Ensure creative output aligns with brand standards, campaign objectives, and channel specifications. Guide motion design, animation, and video execution in partnership with the internal and external teams. Manage multiple workstreams and priorities while maintaining quality and consistency.
Drive Operational Excellence & Process Rigor: Establish and refine production workflows, resourcing models, and delivery standards. Identify risks, dependencies, and bottlenecks early and proactively resolve them. Balance speed, quality, and efficiency across concurrent campaigns and initiatives. Continuously improve executional processes, templates, and ways of working.
Collaborate Across Creative, Marketing & External Partners: Coordinate with production partners and vendors to scale delivery as needed. Present work-in-progress and final executions clearly, articulating rationale and trade-offs. Ensure alignment across stakeholders while protecting creative integrity and executional quality.
Ensure Quality & Brand Consistency: Uphold brand standards across all executions and touchpoints. Conduct quality reviews to ensure accuracy, consistency, and readiness for market. Ensure final assets meet technical, legal, and compliance requirements prior to launch. Champion creative excellence while operating within real-world constraints.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Design, Fine Arts, Communications, or equivalent experience
10+ years of experience leading a creative team of 8+ people (agency or in house)
Strong understanding of production workflows across digital, social, video, and print
Proficiency in Figma and Adobe Creative Cloud; experience with production management tools a plus
Ability to partner effectively with cross-functional teams and external vendors
Strong communication, organization, and problem-solving skills
Experience working in large organizations or regulated industries is a plus
Benefits
Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including retirement benefits (401k and pension), health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability), paid time off, parental and caregiver leave, life & accident insurance, and other voluntary and well-being benefits. The company also offers a discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component.