Communications Director & Project Lead

The Company:

Open Book Communications is a Minneapolis-based team of doers, thinkers, and makers serving clients nationwide with communications and creative leadership. Our focus is creating storytelling that changes lives and organizations through work that cracks the code of how to show and tell an organizations core story in compounding ways. We specialize in partnering with leaders driven by strong convictions and a vision for positive change who are wrestling with how to get their organizations to the next level. Our team culture is grounded by five core values: 1) drive toward outcomes, 2) big heart, no ego, 3) invite the challenge, 4) say it, do it, learn from it, 5) help others succeed.

The Position:

The Communications Director Project Lead will play a pivotal role in facilitating the forward momentum of company and client priorities as well as serve as an engine for creative projects. The ideal candidate is a creative problem-solver with exceptional communication and presentation skills who is deeply motivated by helping organizations invite people into their storiesand to do so as part of a collaborative, cross-disciplinary team.

You yourself may have experience as a designer, a writer, or a communications consultantand any of these backgrounds can be relevantbut whatever your individual skillset is, you will be responsible for thinking and collaborating with teammates across creative functions to develop work that integrates art, copy, and ideas in beautiful and strategic ways. At Open Book, the acts of both showing and telling stories are always integrated, and the creative team works collaboratively across design, writing, digital development, and animation. As a Project Lead, you will be responsible for activating workstreams in multiple projects and to serve as a throughline for a client through project duration to drive toward outstanding outcomes.

This role is a great fit for someone who leads by makinggenerating ideas, spotting connections, and building compelling narratives that resonate across channels, audiences, and initiatives. You'll take a hands-on approach to crafting ways forward for our clients and team, not just guiding from the sidelines. And youll do this as someone who delights in knowing people and serving well in a relationship-forward way. This role reports to the Senior Creative Director.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage other creatives
• Provide regular leadership, feedback, and direction to members of the Open Book creative team and any outside collaborators, as relevant
• Seek learning and growth opportunities that support creative development and flourishing of direct report(s)
• Crack the code
• Offer vision and creative solutions that crack the code for how an organization shows and tells its story
• Provide strategic insight to identify a clients core distinctives, needs, and brand challenges
• Use both intelligence and blank-slate imagination to conceive of core story concepts that visualize a simple and profound idea, pave the way for a visual brand language, and offer strategic connections
• Consult with clients
• Gain a deep understanding of an organization through researching and reviewing diverse inputs and information, actively listening and asking purposeful questions in client interactions and work sessions, and distilling and documenting key findings into coherent ideas and visual concepts
• Be a consistent navigator within projects for our clients; this includes proactively communicating about the status, needs, and opportunities of a client project
• Package creative concepts in ways that help a client clearly understand project direction and delivered work
• Devise project strategy
• Provide creative and strategic direction for ones own work and for the creative team that aligns with project goals and tells a story that is authentic to the client and engaging to target audiences
• Activate and maintain workflows by calling plays that maximize team capacity and lead to project goals and client satisfaction
• Create, collaborate, and direct
• Tailor visual tone, language, style, and approach based on different arenas and audiences
• Demonstrated ability to proactively identify creative and operational challenges, offering innovative solutions and strategic pathways forward
• Skilled in guiding teams through obstacles by providing clarity, facilitating collaboration, and ensuring alignment with project goals and organizational objectives
• Present work and constructively engage with ideas and feedback in internal work sessions and client meetings
• Equip and activate the creative team to take creative direction forward
• Collaborate with the creative team to ensure design and messaging integrate and support each other
• Ensure project quality client satisfaction
• Serve as a trusted voice and through-line during a project, internally and externally
• Facilitate forward momentum within the creative team by reviewing work, troubleshooting, and providing constructive feedback
• Actively incorporate client feedback into revisions while maintaining project integrity
• Ensure all outputs meet or exceed client expectations in quality, accuracy, and creativity
• Project budget management
• Define project objectives, and deliverables in collaboration with stakeholders, ensuring alignment with organizational goals
• Create project timelines and work plans, monitor progress, and adjust as necessary to ensure on-time delivery
• Demonstrate ability to forecast and manage budgets aligned with organizational goals
• Assign and monitor time spent on each phase of the project, ensuring adherence to deadlines and milestones

Qualifications:

• 5 years of experience in creative or communications roles, with proven experience in a leadership role
• Track record for solving communications problems and making ideas come to life
• Strong organizational and collaboration skills
• Ability to demonstrate and achieve measurable outcomes
• Proven ability to cultivate strong, trusting relationships with people, understanding their needs, and aligning creative strategies to drive mutual success and long-term partnerships
• Enjoyment of dynamic and fast-paced environments
• Portfolio of creative solutions that demonstrate strong concept development and strategic problem-solving
• Strategic and innovative thinking, able to build from ambiguous situations
• Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines and budgets
• Understands principles of creative development, graphic design, copywriting, and production
• Resilience and the ability to give and accept constructive feedback
• Growth mindset

Salary & Benefits:

• Competitive Salary BOE
• Medical & Vision
• Life Insurance Long Term Disability
• 401k
• PTO Paid Holidays