Creative Director, Global Brand [AQ-22742]

Aquent; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 155,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Aquent Studios is seeking a Creative Director, Global Brand to lead and evolve our visual identity across a multi-brand architecture. You will steward the foundational brand’s visual health, scale design systems, and mentor a small team of brand designers to deliver cohesive visuals across touchpoints, including typography and photography direction.

You will collaborate with marketing and product teams to ensure visuals support business goals, present strategies to senior stakeholders, and

Qualifications

• 8+ years of brand/creative leadership experience, incl. managing a team.
• Deep expertise in design systems across multiple touchpoints.
• Strong command of visual identity fundamentals: typography, grids, color.
• Experience directing photography (in‑house or with partners).
• Robust portfolio showing brand systems thinking, not just campaigns.
• Proven ability to mentor a small design team.
• Comfort working across a portfolio of related brands with distinct identities.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a small team of brand/visual designers with clear direction.
• Evolve comprehensive design systems that scale across brands.
• Guard the visual identity: typography, color, iconography, layouts.
• Direct photography and visual development from briefs to final assets.
• Collaborate with marketing and product stakeholders to align with business goals.
• Present creative directions to senior stakeholders with clear rationale.
• Ensure consistent brand application across a complex brand portfolio.

Skills

Design systems leadership

Brand identity development

Typography & color theory

Team leadership & mentoring

Photography direction

Stakeholder communication

Brand systems portfolio

Tools

Brand portals

Design libraries

Job description

Aquent Studios is seeking a dynamic, visionary leader to step into a pivotal role, guiding the visual identity and brand consistency across a complex, multi‑brand architecture for this innovative company. This is your chance to be the steward of the foundational corporate brand’s visual health and consistency, alongside its dynamic portfolio of product brands. You will own the evolution of design systems, visual identity, typography, and photography direction, ensuring cohesion and impact across all touchpoints. You will inspire and mentor a dedicated team of designers to reach new creative heights, directly supporting groundbreaking initiatives. This role offers the unique opportunity to shape the visual narrative of cutting‑edge technology and leave an indelible mark on how innovation is perceived globally.

What You’ll Do

• Lead and manage a small team of brand and visual designers, providing clear direction and reviewing work to maintain an exceptionally high creative standard.
• Own and continuously evolve comprehensive design systems that effectively scale across the foundational brand and its diverse sub‑brands.
• Serve as the guardian of the visual identity, including typography, color, iconography, layout systems, and key visual language, ensuring unwavering brand integrity.
• Direct photography and key visual development, overseeing the entire process from initial creative briefs through to final asset selection.
• Collaborate closely with marketing, product marketing, and other brand stakeholders to ensure all creative work strategically supports business and product goals.
• Present compelling creative direction, systems, and rationale to senior stakeholders, confidently defending design decisions with clear and concise reasoning.
• Ensure consistent brand application while allowing for appropriate differentiation across a complex portfolio of related brands.

What You’ll Bring

• 8+ years of extensive brand and creative experience, including proven experience leading or managing a creative team.
• Deep, demonstrable expertise in design systems, including the ability to build, document, and scale them across multiple brand touchpoints.
• Strong command of visual identity fundamentals, including typography, grid systems, color theory, and key visual development.
• Experience directing photography, whether through in‑house shoots or collaboration with agency/vendor partners.
• A robust portfolio that clearly showcases brand systems thinking, not just individual campaign executions.
• Proven ability to effectively manage, mentor, and foster the growth of a small design team.
• Comfort and proficiency operating across a portfolio of related brands with distinct but interconnected identities.

Ways You Can Stand Out

• Experience with technology, semiconductor, or consumer electronics brands.
• Background working within or alongside enterprise/B2B brand architectures.
• Experience building or maintaining brand guideline systems (e.g., using design software libraries, brand portals).

Client Description

Aquent Studios is a global creative studio that delivers scale, speed and efficiency to the world’s most recognized brands. We create the work that matters the most to them—work that has a real impact on their business. As an Aquent Studios team member, you’ll have the opportunity to engage with the largest and most influential companies in the world, solving design challenges and extending their brands across tactic types and platforms, including digital design, UI/UX, video, motion, content, print design, web development, and more. If you want to do work that matters in a collaborative setting that values ingenuity and personal growth, you have found the right place!

Other Requirements

Creative Director, Global Brand

Location: San Diego (Position requires being onsite in San Diego, 5 days a week)

No relocation offered.

Department: Aquent Studios

Compensation Range: $155,000-$160,000 DOE

The range provided is our reasonable estimate of the compensation for this role. The actual amount may be higher or lower, based on factors such as experience, knowledge, skills, abilities and location.