Director of Creative and Brand

Veridian Credit Union; Cedar Falls (IA); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Veridian Credit Union seeks a Director of Brand and Creative to lead brand expression, creative direction, and content quality across marketing channels. You will translate strategy into compelling, member-centered concepts while ensuring consistency with Veridian's brand standards.

This role oversees the creative team, drives integrated campaigns, and elevates the organization’s reputation through storytelling, collateral, digital, and branch experiences aligned with our mission and values.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Marketing, Advertising, Digital Media, Communications or related field, or equivalent combination of education, training and 8+ years of relevant experience.
• 8+ years of experience in brand, creative, marketing, advertising, or content-related roles.
• 3+ years of people leadership experience managing creative, design, content, or brand teams.
• Experience successfully leading integrated marketing campaigns across multiple marketing channels.
• Experience successfully developing and maintaining brand standards and creative systems.

Responsibilities

• Translate Veridian's strategy into creative concepts and uphold brand standards across campaigns and channels.
• Lead execution of brand expression across marketing campaigns, digital channels, social media, branch environments, internal communications, and member experiences.
• Lead, manage, and develop the creative team, fostering collaboration and accountability.
• Direct development of campaign concepts, visual systems, content strategies, and assets aligned with brand standards and objectives.
• Oversee creative execution across print, digital, social, email, web, video, and paid media to ensure high quality and consistency.
• Guide creative work from concept through launch with direction and feedback ensuring alignment, accessibility, and channel effectiveness.
• Create member-centered brand experiences that strengthen understanding and drive action.
• Lead strategy and execution for enterprise campaigns, growth initiatives, and always-on marketing programs.
• Elevate reputation through community storytelling, public communications, and brand experiences reflecting our values.

Skills

Brand leadership

Creative direction

Marketing strategy

Team leadership

Communication

Content strategy

Campaign management

Vendor management

AI tools awareness

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

Location: Cedar Falls, IA

Hybrid eligible

Full-time

Exempt

Summary

The Director of Brand and Creative leads Veridian's brand expression, creative direction and content quality across marketing-owned channels. This role translates strategy into compelling, member-centered creative concepts and ensures campaign, digital, social, branch, email, web and member-facing materials are clear, consistent, accessible and aligned with Veridian's brand standards.

Essential Functions

• Partner with the VP of Marketing and marketing leadership to translate Veridian's marketing strategy, member insights, and business priorities into creative strategies that strengthen brand awareness, engagement, loyalty, and growth.
• Lead the execution and evolution of Veridian's brand expression and creative direction across marketing campaigns, digital channels, social media, branch environments, internal communications, and member-facing experiences.
• Lead, manage, and develop the creative team, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Direct the development of campaign concepts, visual systems, content strategies, and creative assets that align with Veridian's brand standards, marketing objectives, and member experience expectations.
• Oversee creative execution across print, digital, social, email, web, video, motion, branch merchandising, and paid media channels to ensure work is high-quality, effective, consistent, and aligned with established strategies.
• Guide creative work from concept through launch, providing direction, coaching, and feedback to ensure brand alignment, message clarity, accessibility, channel effectiveness, and readiness for implementation.
• Create member-centered brand experiences that strengthen understanding, inspire action, and deliver a cohesive experience across the member journey.
• Lead the creative strategy and execution for enterprise campaigns, growth market initiatives, branch openings, product promotions, member education efforts, and always-on marketing programs.
• Elevate Veridian's reputation through compelling community storytelling, public-facing communications, market activations, and brand experiences that reflect the organization's purpose, values, and commitment to members.
• Establish, maintain, and evolve brand standards, creative guidelines, templates, campaign systems, and reusable assets that improve consistency, efficiency, and scalability across marketing initiatives.
• Collaborate with Marketing and internal stakeholders to ensure creative priorities, resources, and deliverables effectively support organizational goals and strategic initiatives.
• Monitor and evaluate creative effectiveness, identifying opportunities to strengthen campaign performance, member engagement, brand perception, and overall marketing impact.
• Cultivate and manage agency and vendor relationships that enhance creative capabilities, provide specialized expertise, and support successful campaign execution.
• Present creative concepts, campaign strategies, and brand recommendations to leaders and stakeholders to build alignment and support informed decision-making.
• Stay current on emerging trends, technologies, and best practices in branding, content, digital marketing, social media, accessibility, AI, and financial services marketing, applying relevant insights to strengthen creative outcomes.
• Champion the responsible use of AI-assisted creative and content tools to accelerate ideation, improve efficiency, support content development, and expand creative capabilities.
• Provide on-going coaching to all team members that encourages personal, professional and career development. Clearly define expectations of all team members.
• Interview and hire the most qualified applicant for position openings. Provide initial orientation and on-going support to team members on the mission, vision, values and leadership culture of the organization.
• Plan and prepare for the future by being open minded, perceptive, and proactive. Make decisions that support the members, the department and the organization as a whole both financially and strategically.

Key Attributes

• Oral and written communication skills.
• Member service focus.
• Attention to detail and accuracy.
• Positive attitude that supports a team environment.
• Dependable and punctual; flexible during peak times.
• High level of confidentiality.
• Organizational skills.
• Self-motivated; ability to work without close supervision.
• Problem solving; analysis.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job:

• Occasionally lift and/or move items over 10 pounds.
• Remain sedentary (seated) for extended periods of time.

Working Conditions

This job operates in a professional office environment and routinely uses standard office equipment.

Travel

Limited travel expected.

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Marketing, Advertising, Digital Media, Communications or related field, or equivalent combination of education, training and 8+ years of relevant experience.
• 8+ years of experience in brand, creative, marketing, advertising, or content-related roles.
• 3+ years of people leadership experience managing creative, design, content, or brand teams.
• Experience successfully leading integrated marketing campaigns across multiple marketing channels.
• Experience successfully developing and maintaining brand standards and creative systems.

Preferred Education and Experience

• Experience leading brand, creative, or marketing initiatives within financial services, credit unions, banking, insurance, healthcare, or another regulated industry.
• Experience directing integrated, multi-channel marketing campaigns that support member acquisition, engagement, retention, education, or market growth.
• Experience developing and evolving brand standards, creative systems, content frameworks, or enterprise-wide marketing assets.
• Experience managing external agencies, creative vendors, production partners, photographers, videographers, or other specialized marketing resources.
• Familiarity with modern marketing technologies, analytics platforms, and AI-assisted creative tools used to support campaign execution, personalization, content development, and performance insights.

Other Duties

Veridian Credit Union is a PCI compliant financial institution to ensure the security of member information. As such, all employees are expected to ensure security measures are in place and adhered to regarding PCI and other highly secure data compliance requirements.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.