Head of Creative, Athleta

Athleta; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 320,000 - 350,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

50% employee discount on merchandise

Competitive paid time-off plans

401(k) with company matching

Employee stock purchase plan

Comprehensive health insurance

Job summary

A prominent athletic wear company in California is seeking a Head of Creative to lead their visual identity and storytelling. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in creative direction within the apparel or lifestyle sectors. Responsibilities include developing a holistic creative strategy and inspiring a diverse creative team. Competitive salary and benefits included.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive creative direction experience within apparel, lifestyle, or agency environments.
• Proven success driving brand evolution through emotionally resonant, purpose-driven creative work.
• Experience developing and mentoring diverse, high-performing creative teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead and evolve a creative strategy that connects with women and girls.
• Define and execute a holistic creative vision aligned with brand strategy.
• Build and inspire a diverse, world-class creative organization.

Skills

Creative Leadership

Strategic Storytelling

Team Building

Collaboration

Execution Excellence

Analytical Mindset

Presentation Skills

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

G-Suite

Keynote

Job description

Join to apply for the Head of Creative, Athleta role at Athleta.

About Athleta

For the past 25 years, we’ve committed ourselves and our brand to a single aim: to empower all women and girls. Inspiration, Collaboration, Connection, Inclusivity. It’s what we do best, and we’re on the hunt for people who share our passion for leading an active lifestyle, growing personally as well as professionally, and creating game‑changing products and experiences.

We use business as a force for good by putting people and the planet right up there with profit, which is why Athleta is a certified B Corp. Ready to make a move? Join us. Because we know that alone we’re strong, but together we’re unstoppable.

About The Role

The Head of Creative for Athleta leads the brand’s visual identity and storytelling across all consumer touchpoints, driving creative excellence that connects purpose, performance, and community. Reporting directly to the Chief Marketing Officer, the Head of Creative is a key member of the Athleta Leadership Team and oversees the internal creative organization—including art direction, copywriting, design, and styling—while partnering cross‑functionally across Marketing, Product, Visual Merchandising, and external creative agencies.

Salary Range: $320,000 – $350,000 USD

What You’ll Do

Center on the Customer

• Lead and evolve a creative strategy that authentically connects with women and girls, inspiring confidence, movement, and connection.
• Champion creative concepts that build belonging and purpose across retail, digital, social, packaging, and experiential channels.
• Ensure all creative expressions reflect Athleta’s unique brand voice, maintaining consistency and emotional resonance across every touchpoint.
• Leverage consumer and cultural insights to inform creative decisions that drive engagement and strengthen brand connection.

Lead with Purpose and Performance

• Define and execute a holistic creative vision aligned with Athleta’s long‑range brand plan and marketing strategy.
• Drive a high‑performance creative culture that values inclusivity, innovation, and results.
• Partner with Brand Marketing, Product, and Visual Merchandising to ensure creative direction supports business goals and strengthens Athleta’s market distinction.
• Collaborate with external agencies to deliver integrated campaigns that uphold brand integrity and inspire meaningful consumer action.

Inspire and Develop Teams

• Build and inspire a diverse, world‑class creative organization through mentorship, empowerment, and ongoing development.
• Attract and retain exceptional creative talent with a focus on growth, curiosity, and collaboration.
• Encourage cross‑functional partnership to align creative execution with marketing and brand storytelling.
• Celebrate the collective success of creative teams who bring Athleta’s mission and values to life.

Drive Operational and Strategic Excellence

• Partner with creative operations and production teams to implement efficient processes that enable impactful, high‑quality work.
• Lead creative innovation by exploring emerging trends, cultural insights, and new formats that keep Athleta relevant and aspirational.
• Measure and assess creative effectiveness, optimizing output to maximize brand and business impact.
• Champion creative consistency across all channels—retail, digital, social, packaging, and events—to deliver a cohesive and inspiring brand experience.

Who You Are

• Creative Leadership: 10+ years of progressive creative direction experience within apparel, lifestyle, or agency environments.
• Strategic Storytelling: Proven success driving brand evolution through emotionally resonant, purpose‑driven creative work.
• Team Building: Experience developing and mentoring diverse, high‑performing creative teams.
• Collaboration: Strong ability to build trust and alignment across internal partners and external agencies.
• Execution Excellence: Expertise in design, photography, and digital best practices with a strong understanding of omnichannel marketing.
• Analytical Mindset: Ability to assess and optimize creative performance against business goals.
• Inspirationalicator: Exceptional storytelling, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Tools: Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite, G‑Suite, Keynote, and related tools.
• Flexibility: Willingness to travel as needed to support creative initiatives and cross‑functional collaboration.

Benefits at Athleta

• Merchandise discount for our brands: 50% off regular‑priced merchandise at Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic and Athleta, and 30% off at Outlet for all employees.
• Competitive paid time‑off plans.*
• Opportunity to volunteer 5 “on the clock” hours per month through employee volunteer program.*
• Extensive 401(k) plan with company matching up to 4% of base pay.*
• Employee stock purchase plan.*
• Medical, dental, vision and life insurance.*
• See more of the benefits we offer.

Gap Inc. is an equal‑opportunity employer and is committed to providing a workplace free from harassment and discrimination. We are committed to recruiting, hiring, training and promoting qualified people of all backgrounds, and make all employment decisions without regard to any protected status. We have received numerous awards for our long‑held commitment to equality and will continue to foster a diverse and inclusive environment of belonging. In 2022, we were recognized by Forbes as one of the World's Best Employers and one of the Best Employers for Diversity.