Creative Director

Jobtailor; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor in Chicago seeks a seasoned Creative Director to lead visual storytelling, safeguard brand integrity, and drive design excellence across campaigns, product promotions, and branding initiatives.

You will guide cross-functional teams, shape creative direction, manage budgets, ensure compliance, and foster strong partnerships with legal, marketing, and sales. This role requires a rich portfolio and 10+ years in leadership, with mastery of Adobe Creative Suite.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; field related to design/marketing
• 10+ years experience in creative direction or senior design roles
• Strong portfolio demonstrating leadership, brand stewardship and design excellence
• Deep understanding of brand systems, design principles and compliance requirements
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to manage multiple projects
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and other design tools
• Strategic thinker with passion for visual storytelling and brand integrity
• Collaborative and confident communicator
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, matrixed environment
• Excellent communication and presentation abilities
• Advanced problem-solving skills
• Understanding of brand strategy and marketing principles
• Experience with cross-functional team collaboration
• Persuasive and negotiation skills

Responsibilities

• Lead creative voice and guide development of visual concepts and storytelling across channels
• Inspire and challenge internal teams and external partners to push creative boundaries
• Provide clear, actionable creative direction and feedback to elevate design quality
• Introduce innovative design concepts for campaigns, product promotion, and branding initiatives
• Review and approve creative assets for brand consistency, design excellence, and compliance
• Collaborate with legal, regulatory, and communications teams to ensure compliance
• Partner with sales, marketing communication, digital and communications teams
• Educate stakeholders on proper brand usage and creative best practices
• Maintain regular and punctual attendance
• Develop and manage budgets to support creative strategy and brand initiatives

Skills

Creative Direction

Brand Stewardship

Visual Storytelling

Cross-Functional Team Collaboration

Budget Management

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Graphic Design

Bachelor's Degree in Visual Communications

Bachelor's Degree in Marketing

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Job description

• Lead creative voice, guiding the development of compelling visual concepts and storytelling across all channels
• Inspire and challenge internal teams and external partners to push creative boundaries
• Provide clear, actionable creative direction and feedback to elevate design quality
• Introduce innovative design concepts for campaigns, product promotion, and branding initiatives
• Review and approve creative assets for brand consistency, design excellence, and compliance
• Collaborate with legal, regulatory, and communications teams to ensure creative work meets compliance standards
• Partner with sales and marketing communication, and digital and communications teams
• Educate stakeholders on proper brand usage and creative best practices
• Maintain regular and punctual attendance
• Develop and manage budgets to support creative strategy and brand initiatives

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, Marketing, or related field
• 10+ years of experience in creative direction or senior design roles
• Strong portfolio demonstrating creative leadership, brand stewardship, and design excellence
• Deep understanding of brand systems, design principles, and compliance requirements
• Exceptional attention to detail and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and other design tools
• Strategic thinker with a passion for visual storytelling and brand integrity
• Collaborative and confident communicator
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, matrixed environment
• Exceptional communication and presentation abilities
• Advanced problem-solving skills
• A deep understanding of brand strategy and marketing principles
• Experience with cross-functional team collaboration
• Persuasive and negotiation skills

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in creative direction, brand stewardship, and visual storytelling, with a strong focus on design excellence and compliance. Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage multiple projects while maintaining brand integrity.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Creative Direction
• Adobe Creative Suite Proficiency
• Brand Strategy Understanding
• Cross-Functional Team Collaboration
• Budget Management

ATS Optimization Keywords

Hard Skills

• Graphic Design
• Visual Communications
• Design Principles
• Compliance Requirements
• Project Management

Soft Skills

• Exceptional Attention to Detail
• Collaborative Communication
• Persuasive Negotiation
• Strategic Thinking
• Advanced Problem-Solving

Certifications & Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Graphic Design
• Bachelor's Degree in Visual Communications
• Bachelor's Degree in Marketing

Industry Keywords

• Creative Assets
• Brand Consistency
• Design Excellence
• Visual Storytelling
• Marketing Principles