Director, Creative

Walgreens · Deerfield, IL · 3 days ago

Art & Creative$150k–$241k/yrFull-time

About the role

The Director, Creative serves as the enterprise creative lead responsible for elevating the quality, consistency, and effectiveness of Walgreens' creative expression across marketing, brand, and customer touchpoints. Reporting to the SVP, Marketing, this role provides strategic creative leadership across integrated campaigns, brand initiatives, and business priorities while partnering closely with marketing, private brands, merchandising, broader internal stakeholders, and agency teams.

As the primary in-house creative leader, the Director will bring a strong advertising and design perspective to the organization, guiding creative development, challenging thinking, and ensuring creative excellence across all channels and touchpoints. A key focus of the role will be supporting Walgreens' Own Brand reinvention, helping shape brand identity, packaging design, visual systems, and creative expression while ensuring alignment with broader enterprise brand objectives.

This leader serves as a strategic partner to internal teams and external agencies, providing creative direction, strengthening creative quality, and helping translate customer insights and business objectives into compelling and effective creative solutions. The Director will also play a critical role in assessing and shaping future creative capabilities and operating models as Walgreens evaluates opportunities to rebuild and expand internal creative resources.

Responsibilities

Build the formal frameworks and methodologies for approaching major strategic issues, leveraging existing resources and creating new innovative concepts across the Company for area of expertise.
Ensure process and structural fit with key stakeholders.
Perform as a focal point for cross-functional teams and liaison to stakeholders in developing and implementing frameworks.
Develop effective working relationships with stakeholders to achieve targeted goals and/or solutions.
Counsel key stakeholders on areas of expertise.
Partner cross-functionally to translate and define business needs for area of responsibility to execute against.
Strategically partner cross-functionally to develop the strategies and actionable roadmap to meet goals.
Develop short- and long-range strategies, plans and actionable goals.
Oversee implementation of procedures, processes, and policies that have significant impact upon the organization.
Make recommendations for the formulation of the strategies and operating plans of the specified area of responsibility, then, based on prevailing conditions, execute or adjust the operating plans of the business unit directed.
Share complex information related to areas of expertise.
Interact with senior management to keep abreast of objectives.
Interact with direct reports and peers in management / customers / vendors to interpret information and improve cross-functional processes and programs.
Build and enhance key internal and external contacts.
Work with external vendors and third parties to develop and maintain positive relationships.
Build and enhance internal and external partnerships.
Set financial, operational and quality objectives and develop/oversee operating plans for the area of responsibility.
Ensure growth and optimization of consumer awareness, market share and/or specified initiatives.
Review the competitive marketplace and make recommendations for adjustments to operational and strategic activities based upon identified information.
May develop budget for specified area of responsibility and deliver against business goals/objectives.
Analyze performance drivers, proactively determine actionable strategy, and then contribute to identifying solutions for mitigation and/or optimization to achieve overall business goals.
Direct teams accountable for daily operations.
Oversee and direct the work of managers, senior managers and their subordinates.
Obtain and allocate resources to meet operating plans.
Ensure the ongoing training and development of direct reports.
Develop and mentor staff through on-boarding, open communication, training and development opportunities and performance management processes; build and maintain employee morale and motivation; ensure the team is appropriately staffed with required competencies; foster a diverse and inclusive workplace.

About Walgreens

Founded in 1901, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) proudly serves nearly 9 million customers and patients each day across its approximately 8,500 stores throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Walgreens has approximately 220,000 team members, including nearly 90,000 healthcare service providers, and is committed to being the first choice for pharmacy, retail and health services, building trusted relationships that create healthier futures for customers, patients, team members and communities.

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor's degree and at least 6 years of marketing or advertising experience OR a high school diploma/GED and at least 9 years of marketing or advertising experience.
Experience establishing & maintaining relationships with individuals at all levels of the organization, including the executive level.
Experience developing strategic initiatives which align with business goals and budget.
Experience identifying operational issues and recommending and implementing strategies to resolve problems.
Experience leading cross-functional teams.
Experience interacting at the executive level.
Experience managing client-facing programs.
At least 2 years of experience contributing to financial decisions in the workplace.
At least 3 years of direct leadership, indirect leadership and/or cross-functional team leadership.
Willing to travel up to 10% of the time for business purposes (within state and out of state).

Preferred Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Design, Advertising, Marketing, Communications, Fine Arts, or related field.
8+ years of progressive experience in creative leadership within an advertising agency, brand organization, or a combination of both.
Strong portfolio demonstrating excellence in advertising, brand development, design systems, integrated marketing campaigns, storytelling, and visual communication.
Experience leading creative development across digital, social, video, retail, experiential, CRM, packaging, and traditional media channels.
Strong design acumen with expertise in brand identity systems, visual storytelling, consumer-facing design, and creative strategy.
Experience partnering with and directing external creative agencies, production partners, designers, writers, and creative teams.
Demonstrated ability to provide clear creative direction and elevate the quality and effectiveness of marketing and brand communications.
Experience supporting brand transformations, rebrands, portfolio refreshes, packaging redesigns, or identity system development preferred.
Strong executive presence and ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders.
Experience in retail, consumer packaged goods, healthcare, or other consumer-facing industries preferred.
Agency experience, brand-side experience, or a combination of both strongly preferred.

Pay

Salary Range: $150,000 - $240,625.00 / Salaried. The actual salary within this range that you will be offered will depend on a variety of factors including geography, skills and abilities, education, experience and other relevant factors.