Director, Creative

Walgreens; Deerfield (IL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 241,000; Full time

Job summary

The Director, Creative at Walgreens leads enterprise creative across marketing, brand, and customer touchpoints. You will partner with the SVP Marketing and internal teams to elevate creative quality and consistency while shaping bold, cohesive campaigns.

This role supports Walgreens’ Own Brand reinvention, guiding design systems, packaging design, and visual identities. You’ll translate customer insights and business goals into compelling work, building capabilities and an in-house creative

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and at least 6 years of marketing or advertising experience OR a high school diploma/GED and at least 9 years of marketing or advertising experience.
• Experience establishing relationships with individuals at all levels, including the executive level.
• Experience developing strategic initiatives aligned with business goals and budget.
• Experience identifying operational issues and implementing strategies to resolve problems.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and interacting with senior leaders.

Responsibilities

• Builds formal frameworks for major strategic issues, guiding cross-functional teams and stakeholders.
• Counsels stakeholders, translates business needs into actionable roadmaps and goals.
• Develops strategies and operating plans, oversees procedures with significant impact.
• Shares complex information with senior management to align objectives and processes.
• Partners with external agencies and vendors to maintain relationships and standards.
• Sets objectives and budgets, monitors performance and quality outcomes.
• Drives consumer awareness, market share, and initiatives through informed adjustments.
• May develop budgets and deliver results against business goals and timelines.
• Analyzes drivers and proposes optimizations to achieve goals.
• Directs teams, allocates resources, and mentors staff for growth and inclusion.

Skills

Marketing experience

Advertising experience

Executive collaboration

Cross-functional leadership

Client-facing programs

Financial decisions

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Marketing/Advertising

High school diploma/GED with 9+ years experience

Job description

Job Summary

The Director, Creative serves as the enterprise creative lead responsible for elevating the quality, consistency, and effectiveness of Walgreens' creative expression across marketing, brand, and customer touchpoints. Reporting to the SVP, Marketing, this role provides strategic creative leadership across integrated campaigns, brand initiatives, and business priorities while partnering closely with marketing, private brands, merchandising, broader internal stakeholders, and agency teams. As the primary in-house creative leader, the Director will bring a strong advertising and design perspective to the organization, guiding creative development, challenging thinking, and ensuring creative excellence across all channels and touchpoints. A key focus of the role will be supporting Walgreens' Own Brand reinvention, helping shape brand identity, packaging design, visual systems, and creative expression while ensuring alignment with broader enterprise brand objectives. This leader serves as a strategic partner to internal teams and external agencies, providing creative direction, strengthening creative quality, and helping translate customer insights and business objectives into compelling and effective creative solutions. The Director will also play a critical role in assessing and shaping future creative capabilities and operating models as Walgreens evaluates opportunities to rebuild and expand internal creative resources.

Job Responsibilities

• Builds the formal frameworks and methodologies for approaching major strategic issues both leveraging existing resources and creating new innovative concepts across the Company for area of expertise. Ensures process and structural fit with key stakeholders. Performs as a focal point for cross-functional teams and liaison to stakeholders in developing and implementing frameworks. Develops effective working relationships with stakeholders to achieve targeted goals and/or solutions.


• Counsels key stakeholders on areas of expertise. Partners cross-functionally to translate and define business needs for area of responsibility to execute against. Strategically partners cross-functionally to develop the strategies and actionable roadmap to meet goals. Develops short- and long-range strategies, plans and actionable goals. Oversees implementation of procedures, processes, and policies that have significant impact upon the organization.


• Makes recommendations for the formulation of the strategies and operating plans of the specified area of responsibility, then, based on prevailing conditions executes or adjusts the operating plans of the business unit directed.


• Shares complex information related to areas of expertise. Interacts with senior management to keep abreast of objectives. Interacts with direct reports and peers in management / customers / vendors to interpret information and improve cross-functional processes and programs. Builds and enhances key internal and external contacts.


• Works with external vendors and third parties to develop and maintain positive relationships. Builds and enhances internal and external partnerships.


• Sets financial, operational and quality objectives and develops/oversees operating plans for the area of responsibility.


• Ensures growth and optimization of consumer awareness, market share and/or specified initiatives. Reviews the competitive marketplace and makes recommendations for adjustments to operational and strategic activities based upon identified information.


• May develop budget for specified area of responsibility and delivers against business goals/objectives.


• Analyzes performance drivers, proactively determines actionable strategy, and then contributes to identifying solutions for mitigation and/or optimization to achieve overall business goals.


• Directs teams accountable for daily operations. Oversees and directs the work of managers, senior managers and their subordinates. Obtains and allocates resources to meet operating plans. Ensures the ongoing training and development of direct reports. Develops and mentors staff through on-boarding, open communication, training and development opportunities and performance management processes; builds and maintains employee morale and motivation; ensures the team is appropriately staffed with required competencies; fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace

About Walgreens

Founded in 1901, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) proudly serves nearly 9 million customers and patients each day across its approximately 8,500 stores throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Walgreens has approximately 220,000 team members, including nearly 90,000 healthcare service providers, and is committed to being the first choice for pharmacy, retail and health services, building trusted relationships that create healthier futures for customers, patients, team members and communities.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and at least 6 years of marketing or advertising experience OR a high school diploma/GED and at least 9 years of marketing or advertising experience.


• Experience establishing & maintaining relationships with individuals at all levels of the organization, including the executive level.


• Experience developing strategic initiatives which align with business goals and budget.


• Experience identifying operational issues and recommending and implementing strategies to resolve problems.


• Experience leading cross-functional teams


• Experience interacting at the executive level.


• Experience managing client-facing programs.


• At least 2 years of experience contributing to financial decisions in the workplace.


• At least 3 years of direct leadership, indirect leadership and/or cross-functional team leadership.


• Willing to travel up to 10% of the time for business purposes (within state and out of state).

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Design, Advertising, Marketing, Communications, Fine Arts, or related field.


• 8+ years of progressive experience in creative leadership within an advertising agency, brand organization, or a combination of both.


• Strong portfolio demonstrating excellence in advertising, brand development, design systems, integrated marketing campaigns, storytelling, and visual communication.


• Experience leading creative development across digital, social, video, retail, experiential, CRM, packaging, and traditional media channels.


• Strong design acumen with expertise in brand identity systems, visual storytelling, consumer-facing design, and creative strategy.


• Experience partnering with and directing external creative agencies, production partners, designers, writers, and creative teams.


• Demonstrated ability to provide clear creative direction and elevate the quality and effectiveness of marketing and brand communications.


• Experience supporting brand transformations, rebrands, portfolio refreshes, packaging redesigns, or identity system development preferred.


• Strong executive presence and ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders.


• Experience in retail, consumer packaged goods, healthcare, or other consumer-facing industries preferred.


• Agency experience, brand-side experience, or a combination of both strongly preferred.

We will consider employment of qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

The Salary below is being provided to promote pay transparency and equal employment opportunities at Walgreens. The actual hourly salary within this range that you will be offered will depend on a variety of factors including geography, skills and abilities, education, experience and other relevant factors. This role will remain open until filled.

Salary Range: $150000 - $240,625.00 / Salaried