Executive Director, Creative Services Job at University of Iowa Center for Advan

Oversees and supports design, branding, and marketing activities for the University of Iowa Center for Advancement and in service to the University of Iowa. This position functions as a managing art director and supervises art directors and designers developing brand-aligned visual concepts and ensures that projects and campaigns have a cohesive visual identity. Makes high-level creative decisions; oversees the creation of print and digital creative assets such as alumni magazines, advertisements, event assets, and other collateral.

Position allows for telecommuting / work from home (up to 2 days per week depending upon business need and leader approval). Our office is located in Iowa City.

With your application, please include a cover letter and examples of work highlighting your range of skills, samples of your work, and visual demonstrations of your abilities.

Responsibilities :

• Strategic Planning : With an eye on the broad, long-term impact of the work, determine strategic direction for how the UICA brand is visually perceived by its target audiences, which could include defining the brand and integrating new technologies. Develops deep knowledge of the constituent engagement and philanthropic market.
• Brand Identity : Coordinates with Office of Strategic Communications, Athletics and UI Health Care Communication to ensure cohesive brand identity and visually aligned with messaging strategy across the university and organization. Serves as the UICA representative on the University of Iowa brand committee.
• Visual Design : Produce fresh, innovative work that translates complex ideas into compelling print materials and digital experiences for sophisticated audiences utilizing best practices and informed by analytics.
• Collateral : Lead and review the work of the creative teams for all marketing collateral.
• Campaigns : Develops visual marketing campaigns that translate objectives across business units into clear and motivating creative strategies.
• Photography / Videography : Responsible for the overall vision of brand-aligned photographic / videographic output; supervises photographers / videographers; aligns output with content strategy.
• Event Support : May assist internal event planning clients with creative direction for events including theme, atmosphere and brand-aligned aesthetic.
• Emerging Skillsets : Keeps up with current trends, programs, and emerging skill sets to effectively communicate visually. Ensures team regularly levels-up their skillsets and apply knowledge gained.
• Customer Service : May serve as the primary point of contact for internal clients on specific projects; effectively communicating with clients to understand goals and objectives. Leads cross-unit teams to deliver powerful brand-aligned outcomes.
• Collaboration : Develops strong partnerships with UICA and UI stakeholders to align communication and brand-building efforts to influence strategic outcomes around brand awareness and engagement of key constituencies.
• Supervision : Manages all aspects of the employee lifecycle from recruitment and onboarding through separation; empowers employees to take responsibility for their jobs and prioritizes trust and transparent communication as the basis for a productive relationship; supports employees in developing meaningful goals aligned with those of the unit and UICA and achieving / surpassing those goals; inspires performance through clear expectations and ongoing feedback; supports employees struggling to meet expectations for productivity, quality, and goal attainment; identifies and anticipates competency gaps within individuals and the unit as a whole; motivates, develops, coaches, and rewards employees for growth in competencies over time, leading to new opportunities for subject matter expertise or leadership; partners with Talent Management to achieve optimum results for employees, self, unit, and UICA.
• Culture : This leader will be an exceptionally close intra-team collaborator with UICA communication and marketing executive directors in service to an integrated constituent journey for all target audiences; ensure alignment of strategy, areas of responsibility, and clear performance metrics tied to strategic goals; creates a work environment that is consistent with UICA mission / vision and that emphasizes our organizational culture and values.
• Financial : Plans and oversees the overall operational, reporting, budgetary, and financial responsibilities of assigned UICA unit; develops and maintains work systems, procedures, and productivity standards that advance the mission and goals of the UICA unit and enable optimum performance of the people and other resources within it; allocates resources to effectively accomplish the work of the UICA unit; monitors, evaluates, and aims to improve effectiveness of unit operations; makes business decisions that are consistent with the UICA mission / vision and our organizational culture and values.

Education & Experience :

Required : Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, fine arts or another creative field 7 years of relevant experience required.

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