Creative Manager Hybrid

Job Summary

The Creative Manager is the driving force behind all things creative, a conceptual thinker who is willing to challenge the status quo and stay up-to-date with current trends. The Creative Manager will lead the process of conceptualization, design, and development of creative content for all marketing initiatives – from concept to completion. This role is responsible for creating and maintaining a strong visual presence across all platforms along with the management of photography, imagery, and external design vendors. The Creative Manager is responsible for ensuring brand consistency across both AccessLex Institute and Helix Bar Review as well as continuously elevating and evolving the brands. This individual must be comfortable leading/art directing co-workers, freelancers, agencies, and working with internal teams, and should also be willing to roll up their sleeves, step in and do the work themselves.

Responsibilities And Duties

• Leads, plans, and implements brand strategies, overall concepts, and creative work for all branding and communications, including marketing collateral, advertising, web, digital, video, social media, and retail.

• Innovates the latest in visual solutions and presents ideas to Marketing and Communications team members.

• Evolves the visual language of brands and continues to hone in on the brand systems to create styles that become iconic, fresh, and current.

• Produces approved concepts to ensure alignment with the vision and brand consistency, directing photography, illustration, and video as needed.

• Manages the brands by following brand guidelines and keeping them current, and working to ensure all deliverables meet the highest quality standards.

• Exudes leadership by managing the Graphic Designer, external designers, and creative vendors and setting expectations with both internal and external clients.

• Reviews internal and external work ensuring that all work conforms to brand guidelines and standards.

• Manages a high volume of projects with the ability to pivot and adjust when needed.

• Stays ahead of trends and advanced design technology, like AI, to ensure the creative team is equipped and utilizing the latest technologies.

• Contributes to the overall success of the Company by performing other duties as assigned.

Candidate Requirements

• Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): Expert across Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop) and Figma; Excellent ability to understand graphic needs and effectively lead and convey design solutions or ideas to team members and/or agencies and vendors; Thorough understanding of design fundamentals across all forms of media, collateral, and digital; Strategic design thinker and problem solver who is receptive to feedback; Extremely detail-oriented, organized, and self-motivated; Keen design aesthetic and demonstrated ability to deliver clear, compelling, on-brand designs; Proven branding experience, ideally at consumer service/product level; Thrives on collaborating in a cross-functional team working to lead the design of client solutions.

• Bachelor’s degree (Graphic Design/Visual Arts/User Experience); 8+ years’ experience as a creative leader with an emphasis on brand design; Experience across the full palette of brand expression: digital, print, motion, retail, packaging, campaigns, and events; Experience developing and managing holistic consumer-facing brand system in an integrated environment; Experience leading creative work and managing creative teams and/or agencies; Experience working in cross-functional teams; Experience working in a research driven environment; and Proven success in prioritizing work and meeting established deadlines.