Creative Director - Brand & Fan Experience

AC Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids (MI)

On-site

USD 70,000 - 110,000

Full time

4 days ago

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Job summary

AC Grand Rapids is seeking a Creative Manager to shape and lead the club's creative vision across social, in-stadium presentation, and community collaborations. You will oversee photo, graphic design, and video work, guiding a team and partnering with diverse departments to strengthen brand equity and connect with West Michigan.

The role requires hands-on experience with Adobe Creative Suite, strong leadership, and the ability to balance creativity with business goals.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in design, visual arts, communications, marketing, or related field, or equivalent professional experience.
At least 5 years of progressive experience in creative leadership roles, ideally within sports, entertainment, or a comparable consumer-facing brand.
Hands-on creative expertise in photo, graphic design, and/or video production.
Proven experience leading and developing high-performing creative teams.
Strong portfolio demonstrating creative range, strategic thinking, and executional excellence across digital, print, video, and experiential platforms.
Experience managing creative budgets, agency relationships, and freelance networks.
Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, After Effects) or comparable tools.
Must be proficient in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
Must be willing to work flexible hours, including nights, weekends, holidays, and match days.
Must be willing to travel when necessary.

Responsibilities

Lead the creative vision and execution across all AC Grand Rapids touchpoints, including social and digital, in-stadium match presentation, local artist and community collaborations, freelance networks, and more.
Own, lead, and define the visual look, feel, and creative atmosphere of the in-stadium fan experience and match day presentation.
Establish and evolve distinctive creative platforms, visual identities, brand standards, and creative frameworks that strengthen brand equity and audience engagement.
Inspire bold, innovative, and culturally relevant creative work that positions AC Grand Rapids at the forefront of sports marketing.
Champion creative excellence across all deliverables, ensuring high-quality execution and consistency across every audience touchpoint.
Serve as the club’s creative authority, providing strategic direction and constructive feedback throughout the creative development process.
Create and present on-brief creative solutions with clarity, confidence, and persuasive storytelling.
Contribute hands-on creative work across photo, graphic design, and/or video production as needed.
Develop and steward partnerships with local artists, creators, and community collaborators to ensure the club’s creative output is authentic, locally rooted, and reflective of West Michigan.
Build and manage a network of freelance creative talent to support project-based needs and scale creative output.
Lead, develop, and mentor a high-performing creative team to achieve business success.
Foster a culture grounded in accountability, care, integrity, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Recruit, retain, and develop top creative talent while promoting an environment that encourages creativity, experimentation, and innovation.
Build and maintain an efficient operating model and system that enables the team to deliver exceptional creative work on time and within budget.
Balance competing priorities across multiple stakeholders and business objectives while ensuring quality and consistency.
Manage the creative department budget, including forecasting and expense management.
Cultivate trusted relationships with senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders throughout the club.
Partner with sporting operations, partnerships, ticketing, hospitality, merchandise, communications, and community teams to develop impactful creative solutions that drive business results.
Work in unison with Communications, Integrated Marketing, Match Presentation & Production to implement department goals.
Maintain an up-to-date awareness of MLS, MLS NEXT Pro, and sports, media, and entertainment creative trends.
Assist with the development, coordination, and implementation of game day activities as needed.
Provide the highest standards of customer service to every fan, partner, and stakeholder.
Perform other duties as required.