Creative Director

Total Wine & More; Maryland; On-site; USD 179,000 - 270,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO

Generous store discounts

Health care plans

401(k) and HSA

Disability & life insurance

Job summary

Total Wine & More is seeking a Creative Director to lead the vision, development, and execution of creative experiences across all customer touchpoints from our Bethesda, MD in-house team. This role will set the standard for creative excellence, building scalable systems and leading multidisciplinary teams across Strategy, Marketing, Merchandising, Digital and Operations.

Reporting to the Vice President, Brand Marketing & Operations, the Creative Director will translate customer and business

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in marketing, advertising, creative design, or graphic design.
• 15+ years of progressive creative leadership experience.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary creative organizations within retail, consumer, hospitality, lifestyle, agency or other customer-centric environments.
• Proven success developing integrated campaigns across digital, print, television, retail, social and emerging channels.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating exceptional art direction, visual storytelling and campaign development.
• Experience leading internal creative teams and external agency partners.
• Proven ability to build creative processes, teams and operating models that improve quality and efficiency.
• Demonstrated success translating strategic business priorities into commercially effective creative work.
• Experience presenting creative work to executive leadership and influencing senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Build a world-class in-house creative organization.
• Develop multidisciplinary teams spanning art direction, graphic design, copywriting, photography, video, motion design, production and creative project management.
• Establish a culture of creativity, collaboration, accountability, continuous learning and high performance.
• Establish a compelling creative vision that brings customer and brand strategy to life.
• Translate strategic ideas into memorable visual experiences across every customer touchpoint.
• Distinguish personal aesthetic from the expression most likely to achieve objectives.
• Create integrated creative systems that deliver consistency at scale.
• Build disciplined creative development processes from concept through production and deployment.
• Raise the overall quality, speed and effectiveness of creative execution.
• Continuously improve creative performance through testing, learning and refinement.
• Build trust as the organization’s senior creative authority.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Advertising, Creative Design, or Graphic Design

Job description

About the Role

Total Wine & More is seeking a Creative Director to join our Marking team in Bethesda, MD. The Creative Director will lead the vision, development, and execution of creative experiences across all customer touchpoints while building a high‑performing, multidisciplinary in‑house creative organization. Combining exceptional visual instincts with commercial judgment, this leader will translate customer and business strategy into integrated campaigns and brand experiences that strengthen consistency, engagement, and business performance. They will set a higher standard for creative excellence, develop scalable creative systems, cultivate exceptional talent, and serve as a trusted creative partner to senior leaders across the organization. This role reports to the Vice President, Brand Marking & Operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Build a world‑class in‑house creative organization
• Develop multidisciplinary teams spanning art direction, graphic design, copywriting, photography, video, motion design, production and creative project management
• Establish a culture of creativity, collaboration, accountability, continuous learning and high performance
• Establish a compelling creative vision that brings customer and brand strategy to life
• Translate strategic ideas into memorable visual experiences across every customer touchpoint
• Distinguish personal aesthetic preference from the creative expression most likely to achieve customer and commercial objectives
• Create integrated creative systems that deliver consistency at scale
• Build disciplined creative development processes from concept through production and deployment
• Raise the overall quality, speed and effectiveness of creative execution
• Continuously improve creative performance through testing, learning and refinement
• Build organizational confidence in creative excellence through team coaching, development, establishing an environment of ambitious creative standards
• Build trusted partnerships across Strategy, Marketing, Merchandising, Digital and Operations
• Earn credibility through exceptional creative judgment and collaborative leadership
• Challenge creative work constructively while remaining open to feedback and diverse perspectives
• Create alignment around creative decisions through influence rather than authority
• Establish a significantly higher standard of creative excellence across the enterprise
• Build trust as the organization’s senior creative authority
• Create integrated campaigns that consistently express the Total Wine & More brand across every channel
• Strengthen collaboration between Strategy, Marketing, Merchandising and Creative
• Build scalable creative systems that improve speed without sacrificing quality
• Develop and inspire a high‑performing creative organization
• Translate Total Wine & More’s customer strategy into compelling customer experiences that strengthen brand relevance and contribute to measurable business growth

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Advertising, Creative Design, or Graphic Design preferred, or equivalent years of experience
• 15+ years of progressive creative leadership experience
• Experience leading multidisciplinary creative organizations within retail, consumer, hospitality, lifestyle, agency or other customer‑centric environments
• Demonstrated success developing integrated campaigns across digital, print, television, retail, social and emerging channels
• Strong portfolio demonstrating exceptional art direction, visual storytelling and campaign development
• Experience leading both internal creative teams and external agency partners
• Proven ability to build creative processes, teams and operating models that improve both quality and efficiency
• Demonstrated success translating strategic business priorities into commercially effective creative work
• Experience presenting creative work to executive leadership and influencing senior stakeholders
• Retail experience is strongly preferred; exceptional creative leadership within another consumer‑facing industry will also be considered

Benefits

• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Generous store discounts
• Health care plans (medical, prescription, dental, vision)
• 401(k), HSA, FSA, Pre‑tax commuter benefits
• Disability & life insurance coverage
• Paid parental leave
• Pet insurance
• Critical illness and accident insurance
• Discounted home and auto insurance
• College tuition assistance
• Career development & product training
• Consumer classes & More! Crafted for you

We recognize our team members are our biggest asset, and we value the critical role each play in contributing to the company’s success. It is our commitment to support and provide access to the resources needed to take care of their health and wellbeing. That is why we offer a variety of benefits, tools, and resources to support through our Total Rewards program.

Equal Opportunity & Legal Disclosure

Total Wine & More considers several factors when establishing compensation. Compensation may vary based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, market location, job‑related knowledge, skills and/or experience. The actual hourly rate will equal or exceed the required minimum wage applicable to the job location. Estimated salaries determined by third parties have not been validated by Total Wine & More. Total Wine & More is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Total Wine & More makes reasonable accommodations during all aspects of the employment process, including during the interview process. Total Wine & More is a Drug Free Workplace.

The information provided above indicates the general nature and level of work required of the position and is not a comprehensive list of all responsibilities or qualifications. Benefits list is only a highlight of some of the benefits offered to team members; eligibility for certain benefits apply.

Employment Details

The anticipated close date of this posting is 120 days from the posted date indicated above.

Worker Type: Regular Pay Range: $178,920.00 - $270,000.00 Annual

Company Overview

Connecting people through joyful experiences! As America’s largest independent retailer of wine, spirits, beer & more, we’re looking for go‑getters who want to spark joy with our customers and communities. We are excited you’re here and are ready to pop a bottle with your name on it! As we continue to expand our business and increase the number of Stores and Store Support Centers across the country, we are looking for motivated and talented people to join our team to provide best‑in‑class service. If you have an entrepreneurial spirit and are looking for a unique opportunity to develop your career, this may be the place for you!