Full-time Associate Director of Creative Services and Brand Identity, Elon University

Title: Associate Director of Creative Services and Brand Identity

02Position Type: Staff Full-Time

Days Per Week: M-F

03Hours Per Week: 40

VP Area: University Communications

04Department: Marketing Communications

Location: Queens Campus - Charlotte

05Position Summary

• The Associate Director of Creative Services and Brand Identity is the primary
• Creative Services professional based in Charlotte, providing comprehensive
• design and creative support for communications and marketing needs originating
• from the university’s Charlotte operations.
• The associate director is an experienced, hands-on designer responsible for the
• full range of creative assignments, from routine production needs and
• adaptations of existing materials to original concepts, campaigns and complex

visual communications. Working as part of University Communications’ Creative

Services team, the associate director collaborates closely with colleagues

across University Communications and with partners in academic and

administrative units to develop effective, audience-centered creative solutions.

The position also serves as an on-the-ground resource for brand identity in

Charlotte, helping university partners understand and consistently apply

established Elon and Queens brand standards, visual systems and related

guidance. The associate director exercises independent creative and brand

judgment in day-to-day work while consulting with University Communications

leadership on broader questions involving brand strategy, architecture, naming

and policy.

06This position works within established University Communications

• project-management processes and reports to the Director of Creative Services,
• who provides overall creative direction and leadership for the Creative Services
• function.

07Benefits of Working at Elon

• Community is foundational to Queens and a shared responsibility within our

residential campus. All who work at Queens should demonstrate an understanding

of and engagement with Queens’ foundational commitment to relationships,

mentoring and collaboration in a close-knit residential community. We embrace

the shared responsibility to foster inclusive excellence within a strong

residential community. Accordingly, employees are expected to join together and

build connections in activities that foster an active and engaged campus

environment and engage in professional development to support the shared

responsibility of enriching diversity, equity, and inclusion through meaningful

relationships and mentoring at Queens. Employees are encouraged to, for example,

attend or participate in campus activities such as campus cultural events,

athletic events, continuing education, professional development opportunities

and trainings, employee resource groups and other university-sponsored

activities to demonstrate an active commitment to the Queens community.

08Minimum Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, visual communications, art, marketing
• communications or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education
• and professional experience.
• Minimum five years of professional experience in graphic design, with
• demonstrated ability to manage projects and collaborate with cross-functional
• teams.
• A strong portfolio demonstrating conceptual and production skills across
• platforms is required and might be used as substitute of education to assess
• appropriate skill mastery and esthetic qualities.

09Preferred Education and Experience

• Experience in higher education, an agency, an in-house creative team or
• another complex organization serving multiple internal clients.
• Experience providing visual identity or brand standards consultation within
• an established organizational brand system.
• Experience with motion graphics, environmental design, digital advertising or
• other complementary creative disciplines.
• Experience working across multiple locations, business units or
• organizational identities.

10Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Significant professional experience in graphic design and visual
• communications, with a portfolio demonstrating sophisticated creative
• thinking and strong execution across print and digital media.
• Demonstrated experience working within established visual identity systems
• and applying brand standards across a variety of communications.
• Advanced proficiency with Adobe Creative Cloud applications and other tools
• relevant to professional design and production.
• Strong understanding of typography, layout, color, imagery, print production
• and digital design.
• Ability to move comfortably between routine production work and more complex,
• concept-driven assignments.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise sound independent judgment while working
• effectively within a collaborative creative team.
• Excellent interpersonal, consultation and communication skills, including the
• ability to explain creative and brand decisions to colleagues who are not
• communications professionals.
• Ability to manage one's own workload, balance multiple assignments and meet
• deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy, quality and
• consistency.

11Job Duties

• Creative Services and Design Execution
• Serve as the primary Creative Services resource for communications and
• marketing requests originating from Charlotte, providing design support
• across a broad range of needs and levels of complexity.
• Conceptualize, design and produce high-quality visual communications for
• print, digital and other platforms, including publications, marketing
• collateral, advertising, event materials, presentations, environmental
• graphics, social media assets and other communications.
• Manage creative assignments from concept through final production, ensuring
• work is accurate, visually compelling, audience-centered and aligned with
• communications objectives.
• Develop original creative concepts as well as adapt established visual
• systems, campaigns and templates to meet specific needs.
• Translate communications and marketing goals, key messages and audience
• needs into effective visual solutions.
• Maintain a high level of craftsmanship and attention to typography,
• imagery, composition, accessibility, production requirements and other
• design details.
• Prepare files and specifications for print, digital publication and other
• forms of production, working with university colleagues and outside vendors
• as appropriate.
• Support Charlotte-based needs while also contributing to university-wide
• Creative Services projects when needed.
• Work within established University Communications workflows, priorities and
• schedules to ensure the timely execution of assigned creative work.
• Brand Identity Stewardship and Consultation
• Serve as a day-to-day resource for brand identity questions in Charlotte,
• helping university colleagues appropriately apply established Elon and
• Queens visual identities and standards.
• Provide consultation on the appropriate use of institutional marks,
• typography, color, imagery, visual systems and other brand elements.
• Review communications and creative materials for alignment with established
• visual identity standards and recommend adjustments when needed.
• Help university partners determine the appropriate visual approaches for
• communications needs while maintaining consistency across university
• touchpoints.
• Educate colleagues about available brand resources, templates, standards
• and processes and help increase understanding and adoption of those
• resources.
• Identify recurring brand questions, gaps or emerging brand identity needs
• in Charlotte and bring them to University Communications leadership for
• consideration.
• Recognize issues that extend beyond established guidance and elevate
• questions of brand strategy, architecture, naming or policy to the
• appropriate University Communications leaders.
• Contribute observations and recommendations that support the continued
• implementation and evolution of university visual identity systems.
• Creative Leadership and Collaboration
• Work closely with the Director of Creative Services and other members of
• the Creative Services team to maintain a consistent level of creative
• quality across all Elon campuses.
• Contribute ideas and creative perspectives to major communications and
• marketing initiatives and participate in collaborative concept development.
• Build strong working relationships with colleagues across University
• Communications and with university partners in Charlotte.
• Provide informed creative counsel to clients, helping them understand how
• design and brand decisions support communications objectives.
• Collaborate with writers, photographers, videographers, web professionals,
• marketers and other communications colleagues to develop integrated work.
• Share expertise, best practices and emerging design trends with Creative
• Services colleagues and contribute to the ongoing development of the team’s
• creative capabilities.
• Provide creative guidance to student workers, freelancers, vendors or other
• contributors as appropriate.
• Special Instructions to Applicants: A portfolio submission is required to be
• considered for this position.