Creative Director

Asian Art Museum; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision plans

Paid time off

Retirement savings program

Job summary

The Asian Art Museum in San Francisco seeks a Creative Director to lead its branding and marketing efforts. This role includes overseeing the design of print and electronic materials and ensuring adherence to brand guidelines. The ideal candidate should have at least 7 years of experience, with a strong background in graphic design and project management. A generous benefits package and a salary of $110,000 to $120,000 is offered, with the potential for a hybrid working schedule.

Qualifications

• 7 years of experience in graphic design, user interface, or advertising.
• Experience in managing a brand's visual identity.
• Strong understanding of design principles and creative processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead the visual direction of the museum’s branding and marketing campaigns.
• Collaborate to establish creative direction and ensure brand guideline adherence.
• Oversee the production of print and electronic materials.

Skills

Graphic design

User interface design

Project management

Art direction

Visual branding

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

Tools

Graphic design software

Job description

Position Summary

The Creative Director leads the visual and conceptual direction of the museum’s branding, marketing campaigns, and products, integrating design with the museum’s mission, vision, and audience engagement strategies. This critical role also serves as the primary branding designer, providing strategic creative direction and overseeing the production of print and electronic materials such as advertising campaigns, fundraising, membership, and marketing collateral, and educational materials. The successful candidate will ensure that all materials adhere to the museum’s brand guidelines; reflect high standards of creativity; and support the museum’s artistic vision and business goals.

Essential Functions

• Serves as the chief steward of the museum’s brand and directs branding, marketing campaigns, and product design.
• Collaborates with management and the executive team to provide input into the overall creative direction of the museum’s brand.
• Conceives, designs, and produces a wide range of impactful visuals and effective campaigns across platforms.
• Regularly conducts cross-departmental audits to ensure brand guidelines are being met and develop templates to facilitate adherence from various stakeholders.
• Works with internal partners from other departments to understand project requirements, audience objectives, and deadlines to create materials that balance information with brand guidelines and media constraints. Additionally, this role proactively seeks opportunities to propose new projects that align with institutional priorities.
• Establishes and maintains standards of creative excellence and timeliness, working collaboratively with all stakeholders to achieve goals.
• Leads and manages the team and workflow of the Creative Department.
• Supervises the writing, editing, and accuracy of copy.
• Establishes and nurtures strong working relationships with museum team members, colleagues from other institutions, consultants, and vendors.
• Performs other related duties as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field and seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in graphic design, user interface design, or advertising in an agency or in‑house environment, with two (2) years of supervisory experience. A combination of education and experience will be considered.
• Must have previous experience in managing a brand’s visual identity, as well as producing marketing and communications assets.
• Must have previous experience concepting and art‑directing photo and video shoots and arranging for necessary design assets (e.g., custom illustrations); should be able to balance design and typography with copy and understand the importance of messaging hierarchy.
• Advanced level design skills with the ability to conceptualize creative solutions that solve project objectives.
• Strong understanding of design principles, techniques, and technologies; a strong visual sense and solid understanding of the creative processes involved in creating high‑quality online and offline materials.
• Ability to understand and internalize a brand and translate it into materials; develop creative approaches and partnerships; optimize projects to budgets, constraints, and resources; see the big picture while paying impeccable attention to detail.
• Excellent project management, organizational, task prioritization, time management, meeting facilitation, decision making, and analytical skills; strong problem solving, relationship building, and client management skills.
• Ability to prioritize and multitask within a deadline‑driven environment.
• Outstanding written and oral communications skills.
• Ability to provide art direction for digital brand materials, including ads and trailers.
• Knowledge of current graphic design, photo editing, and video editing software. Motivation to learn new design tools and technologies as they become available.
• Proven track record with leading and managing a department or team, mentoring team members, setting priorities for team members, directing workflow, and evaluating the work of others.
• Experience working with outside vendors such as design agencies, copywriters, illustrators, photographers, and designers; including demonstrated understanding of processes and skills to be supervised.
• Self‑motivated and goal‑oriented team player with the presence to inspire and coalesce varying points of view, sound judgment, a positive attitude, and the ability to respond well to critical feedback.
• Sensitivity to and appreciation of cultural differences and communicating with culturally diverse audiences.
• Excellent interpersonal, analytical, organizational, and reporting skills. Ability to work collaboratively and professionally with museum team members across all department levels and establish and maintain effective relationships with external contacts including designers, photographers, printers, and vendors.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends as necessary.
• Familiarity with Asian art and culture is highly desirable.

Working Conditions

Physical Environment

• Standard museum and office environment, including gallery spaces with variable lighting, ambient noise from public programming, and occasional exposure to art‑handling or installation activities.
• Occasional travel to off‑site locations for meetings and events.

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk working on a computer.
• Extended use of a computer monitor, tablet, stylus, phone, and other technology; sustained visual concentration required.
• Ability to stand and move for extended periods throughout museum spaces.
• Occasional lifting, carrying, or transporting materials up to 25 lbs.

Schedule and Availability

• Standard full‑time schedule, typically Monday–Friday during core business hours.
• Must be available to work on occasional evenings and weekends to support museum events and deadlines.
• Ability to work up to two days per week remotely, if operational needs allow.
• Occasional flexibility in the work schedule may be required to accommodate collaboration across different time zones.

Cognitive and Sensory Demands

• High degree of sustained concentration, creative problem‑solving, and attention to detail required throughout the workday.
• Must be able to manage multiple concurrent projects under deadline pressure while maintaining quality.

Compensation

The Asian Art Museum is committed to practicing salary transparency. The minimum salary for this position is $110,000 and the maximum salary is $120,000. Please note that the pay range information is a general guideline only. Many factors are taken into consideration when setting starting pay including education, experience, the external labor market, and internal equity.

This opportunity includes a generous benefits package, including but not limited to:

• Medical, dental, and vision plans with flexible spending accounts
• Paid time off (holidays, vacation, and sick leave)
• Immediate eligibility to enroll in a voluntary retirement savings program upon hire
• Group Retirement Plan available after 1 year of employment with employer match
• Hybrid schedule for eligible positions

OUR DIVERSITY, EQUITY, ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSION COMMITMENTS

At the Asian Art Museum, we are dedicated to ideating, building, and holding ourselves accountable for Diversity, Equity, Accessibility & Inclusion in everything we do. We strive to foster a culture of respect, belonging and inclusivity for all employees.

Our mission is to celebrate, preserve, and promote Asian and Asian American art and cultures for local and global audiences. We provide a dynamic forum for exchanging ideas, inviting collaboration, and fueling imagination to deepen understanding and empathy among people of all backgrounds.

Diversity of thought and experience is essential to our mission, and we are committed to recruiting, hiring, and retaining a diverse workforce. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Asian Art Museum is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, political views or activity, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories (arrest and criminal histories) consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law.