Associate Creative Director

RPMGlobal; Austin, Northern (TX, KY); Hybrid; USD 68,000 - 92,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous paid time off

Comprehensive health coverage

Career growth opportunities

Job summary

Communities In Schools of Central Texas (CISCT) seeks an Associate Creative Director to build and steward CIS’s visual identity and brand system. You’ll develop templates, guidelines, and assets that scale across 120+ schools, guiding teams and vendors to a consistent, polished look.

You will lead creative production, elevate campaigns, and collaborate closely with the Chief Brand and Growth Officer to drive awareness, growth, and giving while maintaining cultural responsiveness.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in graphic design and/or creative direction, building brand systems and templates.
• Strong portfolio showing brand identity, visual hierarchy, multi-format design.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and Canva.
• Experience creating brand guidelines and scalable templates.
• Strong collaboration and project-management in fast-paced environments.

Responsibilities

• Own and evolve CIS's visual identity, brand guidelines, and design standards.
• Build a template library and collateral to improve visual hierarchy and efficiency.
• Lead graphic design and creative direction across print and digital materials.
• Refresh photo/video library and establish a simple workflow.
• Ensure accessibility and bilingual design across pieces.
• Collaborate with Digital Media / Content Strategist to optimize assets across channels.

Skills

Brand identity

Visual design

Collaboration

Project management

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Canva

Job description

Digital Media / Content Strategist

Location: In-person / CIST Administrative Office / Austin, Texas

Employment Type: Full-Time, Exempt

Reports to: Chief Brand and Growth Officer

Supervises: None; may direct external design/production vendors on projects

Starting Salary: $6,666.67 / month

About Communities In Schools

Rooted in community for over 40 years, Communities In Schools of Central Texas (CISCT) is a sophisticated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Austin, Texas. Communities In Schools (CIS) is a national organization that ensures every student has what they need to realize their full potential in school and beyond. At CISCT, our mission is simple: surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.

Position Summary

We believe brand is not just how we look or sound, it is trust, credibility, and belief. Associate Creative Director builds the visual system that makes that belief visible: consistent, polished, and unmistakably CISCT across every school, screen, and community space. Reporting to the Chief Brand and Growth Officer, this role turns brand strategy into the templates, guidelines, and creative the whole organization relies on.

The Associate Creative Director will:

• Build and steward CIS's visual identity system so the brand looks and feels consistent across 120+ schools
• Develop strong and provocative brand campaigns that fill audience gaps and lead to growth
• Turn brand strategy into templates, guidelines, and design assets the entire organization can use
• Raise the quality and polish of CIS's materials to match the strength of its model
• Partner with the Chief Brand and Growth Officer and Digital Media / Content Strategist so creative fuels awareness, growth, and giving

The Creative Leader We're Looking For

• A systems-builder who loves templates, guidelines, and consistency
• A hands-on designer and a creative director in equal measure
• Culturally responsive and community-minded
• Organized, fast, and quality-obsessed
• Collaborative, builds with people, not just for them

You believe great design makes the mission easier to trust.

What You'll Do

Visual Identity & Brand System

• Own and evolve CIS's visual identity, brand guidelines, and design standards
• Build a template library, impact reports, one-pagers, decks, flyers, newsletters, social frames, that improves visual hierarchy and saves production time
• Ensure the CIS brand works alongside, not against, school-district branding

Creative Production & Quality

• Lead graphic design and creative direction across print and digital materials
• Refresh the photo and video library and establish a simple photo-consent workflow
• Bring polish, accessibility, and cultural responsiveness (including bilingual design) to every piece

Brand Enablement & Consistency

• Equip staff and campuses to use the brand correctly with tools, quick guides, and training
• Support campus materials with cleaner, on-brand design
• Help stand up brand-ambassador materials

Brand Experience & Touchpoints

• Design consistent, memorable touchpoints: events, activations, the in-school “CIS room,” and merch
• Collaborate on the creative for the annual awareness campaign

Collaboration

• Partner with the Digital Media / Content Strategist so assets perform across channels
• Support the CBGO on board, funder, and executive materials
• Manage design vendors on major projects

What You Bring

Experience & Qualifications

Required

• 5+ years in graphic design and/or creative direction, including building brand systems and templates
• A strong portfolio demonstrating brand identity, visual hierarchy, and multi-format design (print and digital)
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and Canva
• Experience creating brand guidelines and scalable template systems
• Strong collaboration and project-management skills in a fast-paced environment

Preferred

• Nonprofit marketing experience is not necessary but preferred
• Experience designing for education, youth development, or social impact
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) or experience with multilingual, multicultural design
• Photography, videography, or data-visualization skills
• Must reside in Central Texas

Why Join CIS?

• Mission-driven work – Be part of a team that changes the trajectory of students’ lives.
• Professional growth – Ongoing training, supervision, and career pathways into director-level roles.
• Community impact – Build partnerships that extend beyond the classroom.
• Generous paid time of f: 4+ weeks of holidays, 2 weeks of vacation time, personal days and sick days
• Comprehensive Health Coverage e: 100% employer-paid employee medical plan available, plus family subsidies, dental, vision, life, disability insurance, and 403(b) retirement plan with employer match
• Community-centered culture focused on impact, growth, and connection

Communities In Schools of Central Texas is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.