Brand Creative Director & Senior Designer

University & College Designers Association (UCDA); Saint Peter (MN); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Tuition scholarships for dependents

Tuition benefit plan for employees and

13 paid Holidays + generous PTO plan

Paid parental leave

Employer contribution to retirement-s

Job summary

Gustavus Adolphus College seeks an accomplished, strategically minded Creative Director & Senior Designer to lead creative direction across the institution. The successful candidate will elevate Gustavus identity through design and marketing opportunities across the region, partnering with outside agencies to ensure visual and strategic consistency.

This new role blends hands-on design with leadership, crafting campaign concepts, setting visual identity, and guiding multi‑channel outputs to

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, Fine Arts, or related field; equivalent professional experience considered.
• 7+ years of professional design experience, including experience leading brand or creative direction (agency, in-house, or a mix of both).
• A portfolio demonstrating strong conceptual thinking, campaign development, and design craft.
• Demonstrated experience setting or upholding brand standards across multiple channels and audiences.
• Experience directing or collaborating closely on video and motion content.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills; ability to build trust and influence across departments without formal authority over them.
• Strategic thinker who can connect design decisions to business and institutional goals.
• Comfortable working cross‑functionally in a collaborative, deadline‑driven environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead, steward, and champion the Gustavus brand. Serve as the creative authority for Gustavus Adolphus College, setting and championing a unified creative vision across all brand expressions.
• Lead the development of campaign concepts from idea to execution, translating institutional priorities into compelling creative work in partnership with creative agencies.
• Establish and evolve visual identity and brand standards, building on and extending the foundation set by prior external agency partners.
• Act as a trusted creative partner to leadership and department leads across campus.
• Set the vision for video and motion content, ensuring it aligns with the broader brand and creative strategy.
• Personally lead high‑priority brand design work while directing the overall quality and consistency of design output across the team.
• Support visual identity for Gustavus.edu
• Review and approve creative work across marketing needs of other departments to ensure a cohesive brand experience.
• Maintain and evolve brand guidelines, templates, and creative systems that scale across departments and channels.
• Bring a discerning eye to every project, balancing craft with strategic intent.
• Understand and articulate how creative and design decisions drive institutional outcomes, including enrollment, advancement, and brand awareness.
• Partner with the CMO and marketing leadership to align creative output with broader marketing and institutional strategy.
• Contribute a strategic point of view to planning conversations, not just execution.
• Support and provide creative direction to the social media, video, website, admission, and advancement teams, helping shape their work at a strategic and visual level.
• Manage relationships with outside creative vendors — agencies, production companies, and freelance talent — ensuring their output meets brand and quality standards and stays ahead of design, video, and cultural trends.
• Provide project coordination for design projects not managed by another member of the Marketing and Communication team.
• Work with print and mail services to ensure completion of designed pieces.
• Serve as an active member of the Marketing and Communication team and work collaboratively to ensure an integrated approach to brand and positioning for the college.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Brand management

Creative leadership

Video and motion content

Campaign concepts

Cross-functional collaboration

Strategic thinking

Presentation skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, Fine Arts, or related field

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Job description

Gustavus Adolphus College seeks an accomplished, strategically minded Creative Director & Senior Designer to lead creative direction across the institution. The successful candidate will elevate Gustavus identity through design and marketing opportunities across the region, partnering with outside agencies to ensure visual and strategic consistency.

This new role blends hands-on design with leadership, crafting campaign concepts, setting visual identity, and guiding multi‑channel outputs to