Athleta Head of Creative, Athleta

Athleta; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 320,000 - 350,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Merchandise discount

Competitive PTO

Volunteer hours

401(k) with match

Employee stock purchase plan

Medical, dental, vision

See more benefits

Job summary

Athleta in San Francisco seeks a Head of Creative to lead the brand’s visual identity and storytelling across retail, digital, social, and packaging. You will manage an internal creative team—art direction, copywriting, design, styling—and partner with Marketing, Product, Visual Merchandising, and agencies to deliver emotionally resonant, purpose-driven work that inspires movement and belonging.

The role requires a strategic, inclusive leader who mentors a world-class team, drives performance,

Qualifications

• Executive-level creative leadership experience in apparel, lifestyle or agency settings.
• Proven ability to drive emotionally resonant, purpose-driven creative work across omnichannel touchpoints.
• Experience mentoring diverse, high-performing teams and collaborating with cross-functional partners.
• Strong storytelling, presentation, and interpersonal skills; able to influence senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead a holistic creative vision aligned with brand strategy.
• Oversee art direction, copywriting, design, and styling across channels.
• Partner with Marketing, Product, Visual Merchandising and external agencies to execute campaigns.
• Measure and optimize creative performance to maximize brand impact.

Skills

Creative leadership

Strategic storytelling

Team building

Collaboration

Execution excellence

Analytical mindset

Inspirational communicator

Flexibility

Travel readiness

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

G-Suite

Keynote

Job description

About the role

The Head of Creative for Athleta leads the brand’s visual identity and storytelling across all consumer touchpoints, driving creative excellence that connects purpose, performance, and community. This role is central to expressing Athleta’s mission of igniting the limitless potential of women and girls through powerful, purpose-driven creative work that inspires movement and belonging. Reporting directly to the Chief Marketing Officer, the Head of Creative is a key member of the Athleta Leadership Team and oversees the internal creative organization—including art direction, copywriting, design, and styling—while partnering cross-functionally across Marketing, Product, Visual Merchandising, and external creative agencies. This leader will champion emotionally resonant, strategically grounded creative that evolves how customers experience and engage with the Athleta brand. The Head of Creative will cultivate a diverse and high‑performing team that leads with imagination, collaboration, and accountability, building a culture grounded in inclusion, inspiration, and innovation. By modeling values‑based leadership behaviors, fostering integrity, creativity, and shared success, the Head of Creative will help bring Athleta’s vision to life through powerful storytelling and world‑class creative expression.

What you’ll do

Center on the Customer

• Lead and evolve a creative strategy that authentically connects with women and girls, inspiring confidence, movement, and connection.
• Champion creative concepts that build belonging and purpose across retail, digital, social, packaging, and experiential channels.
• Ensure all creative expressions reflect Athleta’s unique brand voice, maintaining consistency and emotional resonance across every touchpoint.
• Leverage consumer and cultural insights to inform creative decisions that drive engagement and strengthen brand connection.

Lead with Purpose and Performance

• Define and execute a holistic creative vision aligned with Athleta’s long‑range brand plan and marketing strategy.
• Drive a high‑performance creative culture that values inclusivity, innovation, and results.
• Partner with Brand Marketing, Product, and Visual Merchandising to ensure creative direction supports business goals and strengthens Athleta’s market distinction.
• Collaborate with external agencies to deliver integrated campaigns that uphold brand integrity and inspire meaningful consumer action.

Inspire and Develop Teams

• Build and inspire a diverse, world‑class creative organization through mentorship, empowerment, and ongoing development.
• Attract and retain exceptional creative talent with a focus on growth, curiosity, and collaboration.
• Encourage cross‑functional partnership to align creative execution with marketing and brand storytelling.
• Celebrate the collective success of creative teams who bring Athleta’s mission and values to life.

Drive Operational and Strategic Excellence

• Partner with creative operations and production teams to implement efficient processes that enable impactful, high‑quality work.
• Lead creative innovation by exploring emerging trends, cultural insights, and new formats that keep Athleta relevant and aspirational.
• Measure and assess creative effectiveness, optimizing output to maximize brand and business impact.
• Champion creative consistency across all channels—retail, digital, social, packaging, and events—to deliver a cohesive and inspiring brand experience.

Who you are

• Creative Leadership: 10+ years of progressive creative direction experience within apparel, lifestyle, or agency environments.
• Strategic Storytelling: Proven success driving brand evolution through emotionally resonant, purpose‑driven creative work.
• Team Building: Experience developing and mentoring diverse, high‑performing creative teams.
• Collaboration: Strong ability to build trust and alignment across internal partners and external agencies.
• Execution Excellence: Expertise in design, photography, and digital best practices with a strong understanding of omnichannel marketing.
• Analytical Mindset: Ability to assess and optimize creative performance against business goals.
• Inspirational Communicator: Exceptional storytelling, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Tools: Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite, G‑Suite, Keynote, and related tools.
• Flexibility: Willingness to travel as needed to support creative initiatives and cross‑functional collaboration.

Salary Range: $320,000 - $350,000 USD

Employee pay will vary based on factors such as qualifications, experience, skill level, competencies and work location. We will meet minimum wage or minimum of the pay range (whichever is higher) based on city, county and state requirements.

Benefits at Athleta

• Merchandise discount for our brands: 50% off regular‑priced merchandise at Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic and Athleta, and 30% off at Outlet for all employees.
• One of the most competitive Paid Time Off plans in the industry.
• Employees can take up to five "on the clock" hours each month to volunteer at a charity of their choice.
• Extensive 401(k) plan with company matching for contributions up to four percent of an employee's base pay.
• Employee stock purchase plan.
• Medical, dental, vision and life insurance.
• See more of the benefits we offer.

*For eligible employees

Gap Inc. is an equal‑opportunity employer and is committed to providing a workplace free from harassment and discrimination. We are committed to recruiting, hiring, training and promoting qualified people of all backgrounds, and make all employment decisions without regard to any protected status. We have received numerous awards for our long‑held commitment to equality and will continue to foster a diverse and inclusive environment of belonging. In 2022, we were recognized by Forbes as one of the World’s Best Employers and one of the Best Employers for Diversity.