University of Denver | Director, Creative Services – Marketing & Communications

Marketing

Description

The Division of Marketing and Communications serves as a strategic advisor to partners and units across campus; purposefully fulfilling partner’s goals and objectives, helping to increase knowledge, support enrollment and engage students, alumni, faculty and staff. The division proactively shapes the University’s brand and optimizes the University’s reputation internally and externally in a transparent manner. The Division of Marketing and Communications shares the many stories of how the University and its people are improving the human condition, for the purpose of advancing the University’s strategies. The University of Denver’s Division of Marketing and Communication is committed to building a diverse and inclusive environment.

Position Summary

The University of Denver’s Marketing & Communications Division is seeking a Director of Creative Services who will be responsible for overseeing and managing the visual, multimedia and print materials created by the Creative Services staff, ensuring that all deliverables visually convey the university’s brand profile and adhere to its brand architecture. The Director is charged with determining the best ways to visually represent the University in various media including print and online, and is responsible for translating marketing objectives into creative strategies, designs, and executable plans.

Essential Functions

Leads the staff in developing creative and innovative concepts for print, digital, photography, and multimedia deliverables. Ensures that all work conforms to the high quality standard of the unit and that all creative staff understands what the brand identity of the university is, how to incorporate it in each project, and how to maintain brand integrity through the divisions products and services.
Helps the University community at large to better understand the visual identity of the university, what centralized creative resources are available to them, and how to use the university's brand correctly in their work.
Provides project planning and management for all Creative Services jobs and special projects. Ensures team members understand the desired outcome, budget, schedule, milestones, and purpose of each project. Helps resolve resourcing problems and acts as a sounding board to all staff when needed. Examples might be helping resolve a creative direction question, act as an independent review of work during development to ensure projects are on brand, or suggesting additional resources to help balance workload.
Meets with Marketing & Communications leadership to talk about new projects and monitor ongoing work to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of the division. Coordinates with members of other University units and represents Creative Service staff in the exchange of project information and deliverable needs up and down the communication stream.
Constantly monitors and oversees workflow, looking for process or procedures issues that can be improved, modified, or changed to provide all creative staff with the most efficient and effective framework to work within.
Mentors, leads, and challenges all teams to push their creative boundaries. Ensures all staff has the direction, training, and resources to be successful in projects. As a working manager, must be able to roll up sleeves and assist on any project team at any time needed to ensure successful outcomes.
Helps staff understand and negotiate change, encouraging them to be adaptable and flexible as emergency projects arise, work procedures change, roles and responsibilities realign, etc., so that each staff member can grow and thrive as an active and contributing member of the team.
Approves and stands behind all work performed by Creative Services.
Gathers and manages production teams for special projects of the Vice Chancellor for Communications and Marketing and the University's administration, ensuring that the team members gathered for such projects understand their roles and responsibilities while working outside their normal teams.
Serves on various university committees to represent the interests of Creative Services and Marketing and Communications.
Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

This is a hands-on position that requires great conceptual skills, the ability to lead creative staff, a successful background in art direction, and advanced skills in graphic design and institutional identity.
Must be a resourceful and collaborative team leader (and player) able to develop strong working relationships both within the team and across campus.
Must be organized, detail oriented, and able to multi-task in a fast paced environment where very simple projects run side-by-side with highly complex projects.
Excellent interpersonal and communications skills with the ability to work with diverse audiences (students, faculty, staff, alumni and staff colleagues) and supervise employees and/or interns.
Exceptional leadership skills with the ability to lead others, encourage team work, motivate others and get results.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Communications, Marketing, Art Direction or similar discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and work experience; or training and certification in military setting.
Minimum of seven years of demonstrated experience in digital, multimedia and print.
Minimum of five years of experience managing creative staff across multiple disciplines, including but not limited to graphic design, video production, and photography.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience working in an agency or another fast paced, multi-stakeholder environment.

Work Schedule

Monday to Friday, 8am-4:30pm

Application Deadline

For best consideration, please submit your application materials by 4:00pm (MST) April 20, 2018.

Special Instructions

Candidates must apply online through www.du.edu/jobs to be considered. Only applications submitted online will be accepted. Once within the job description online, please scroll to the bottom of the page to apply. For questions about the application process, please contact [email protected].

Please include the following documents with your application:

Resume
A Cover Letter
Portfolio

The University of Denver is committed to enhancing the diversity of its faculty and staff and encourages applications from women, minorities, members of the LGBTQ community, people with disabilities and veterans. The University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

All offers of employment are based upon satisfactory completion of a criminal history background check.