Manager, Creative Design

clark; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Clark seeks a Manager of Creative Design to reinforce the brand and lead innovative visual strategies across proposals, presentations, and market-facing materials. You will guide the design process, ensuring high-quality, effective visuals that support marketing and pursuit efforts.

The role is full-time and onsite, with options across multiple offices, including McLean, VA, and other major cities. A strong portfolio and leadership in design are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, Fine Arts or equivalent.
• 7+ years in creative design or art direction with 2+ years in AEC-like environments preferred.
• Expert proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite for professional document design and production.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating a modern aesthetic and high-stakes presentation materials.
• Strategic thinker connecting business objectives with creative execution.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills with multideadline coordination.
• Clear written and verbal communication; attention to detail and hands-on leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead the creative process for high-impact proposals and presentation materials.
• Translate complex concepts into clear, engaging visuals while maintaining brand standards.
• Provide hands-on design support and guidance to pursuit teams and marketing staff.
• Optimize workflows, templates, and asset libraries to improve team efficiency.
• Drive visual storytelling with innovative graphics and data visualizations.
• Manage workload and mentor the design team to strengthen visual communication capabilities.

Skills

Adobe Creative Suite

InDesign

Illustrator

Photoshop

Leadership

Communication

Proposal design

Brand stewardship

Education

Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, Fine Arts

Tools

Adobe InDesign

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

Job description

Clark is looking for a talented Manager, Creative Design to join our collaborative, high-energy team. As a visual leader, you will be responsible for reinforcing and promoting the Clark brand through innovative design strategies that support the company's marketing and pursuit efforts. You will lead the development of compelling visual content layouts for proposals, presentations, and market-facing materials, ensuring high quality, creative, and effective visual communication. This role is primarily in-person and supports our national pursuits and regional operational teams.

This role is a full-time onsite position that can be based out of any of the following offices: McLean, VA, Costa Mesa, CA, Los Angeles, CA, Baltimore, MD, or San Francisco, CA.

Responsibilities

• Visual Identity & Brand Stewardship: Maintain consistency with Clark's visual brand standards across all design collateral. Ensure consistency, quality, and design excellence in every deliverable.
• Art Direction & Design Leadership: Lead the creative process for high-impact proposals and interview presentations. Translate complex technical concepts into clear, engaging visuals.
• Collaborative Design Support: Partner with pursuit teams, operational leaders, and marketing staff to provide creative guidance and hands‑on design support for large‑scale, complicated efforts.
• Creative Workflow Optimization: Implement best practices for file management, template utilization, and asset libraries to streamline the design process and improve team efficiency.
• Visual Storytelling: Drive the creation of innovative graphics, interactive media, and data visualizations that differentiate Clark in competitive bid environments.
• Team Management & Development: Lead the creative team by managing individual workloads and assignments, providing feedback, and offering design mentorship to build the team's visual communication and layout capabilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, Fine Arts, or a related field (or equivalent combination of education and professional experience).
• 7+ years of experience in creative design, art direction, or visual communications, with at least 2+ years of experience in the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) industry preferred.
• Expert-level proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (specifically InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop) for professional document design, layout, and production.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating a clean, modern aesthetic and the ability to design high‑stakes presentation materials.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to bridge the gap between business objectives and creative execution.
• Strong organizational, planning, and project management skills and the ability to coordinate the activities of various team members when faced with multiple deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to write and communicate in a clear and compelling manner.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Creativity and resourcefulness, with the ability to execute ideas effectively.
• Confident personality with the ability to think strategically and help teams develop sound visual communication strategies.
• Strong work ethic and problem‑solving skills with a "hands-on" and team‑oriented attitude.

The work environment and requirements described below are representative of those necessary for an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this role.

The Physical Side of the Role: Given that a good portion of your day will be spent at a desk, you should be comfortable with prolonged periods of focused work, whether it's collaborating with colleagues, analyzing data, or developing strategies. The role demands effective communication and sharp visual acuity for reviewing complex documents and performing detailed computer work. While there are times for quiet concentration, you'll also be expected to move actively throughout the office and travel occasionally to various locations, including dynamic construction sites, utilizing different modes of transportation. The ability to lift and move objects up to 10 pounds regularly, and up to 25 pounds on occasion (think a box of files or small office equipment), is also required.

Your Work Environment: Your primary workspace will be in our professional office, which has a typical, quiet-to-moderate noise and light levels. As part of your work, you may also be required to visit active construction sites. These environments are naturally more dynamic and can include exposure to outdoor weather conditions, louder noise, and moving equipment. Your safety is our top priority, and you'll be expected to follow Clark Construction's safety policies and procedures, and all applicable laws, at all locations.

Our High-Performing Culture: This is a demanding, high-performance environment. We are looking for candidates who are energized by challenge, thrive under pressure, and are prepared to do what it takes to achieve exceptional results. Success in this r