Associate Director of Design and Creative Production

Art Institute of Chicago•Chicago, IL

33d•$70,000 - $85,000

About The Position

The Associate Director of Design and Creative Production provides senior creative leadership and oversees the day-to-day operations of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s design function. Working closely with the Director of Marketing in the Office of Marketing and Communications, the role translates marketing and communications objectives into creative strategies, designs, and outcomes that support SAIC’s brand, enrollment, advancement, and institutional priorities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, communication design, visual communication, art, marketing, or a related field.
At least 7 years of progressively responsible professional experience in graphic design, creative direction, marketing communications, or a related creative field.
Demonstrated experience leading creative projects from concept through completion, including project planning, production, and delivery.
Experience developing, managing, and evolving brand guidelines and visual standards for a complex organization.
Demonstrated skill in managing and mentoring designers or other creative professionals.
Strong knowledge of design principles and aesthetic judgment.
Experience with integrated print and digital design.
Print production expertise, including quality assurance and vendor coordination.
Strong project-management and time-management skills.
Experience developing workbacks, timelines, and project workflows, including use of Asana.
Strong communication and collaboration skills with stakeholders.
Process-improvement skills and ability to manage multiple projects.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in an institutional, agency, higher education, arts, cultural, or similarly complex environment.

Responsibilities

Provide senior creative direction for brand, marketing, admissions, advancement, and institutional initiatives, developing concepts and visual approaches that support project goals.
Lead the design team’s creative process from concept through completion, providing guidance, feedback, and quality control to ensure work meets high design standards and aligns with SAIC’s visual identity.
Manage and mentor design staff, including assigning work, balancing workloads, establishing expectations, providing ongoing feedback, and supporting professional development.
Own project management and creative operations for the design team, establishing priorities, assignments, workbacks, timelines, milestones, and processes to ensure projects are delivered on schedule and within budget.
Manage and maintain design projects in Asana, providing visibility into project status, team capacity, deadlines, dependencies, and outstanding decisions, and proactively identify and escalate issues that may affect delivery.
Coordinate and execute design projects with internal partners, vendors, agencies, and other creative contributors; ensure projects have the information, resources, approvals, and timelines needed; and partner with the Director of Marketing and Assistant Director of Marketing on stakeholder communication and project priorities.
Lead or contribute hands-on design for complex and high-priority projects across print and digital media, including campaigns, advertising, environmental graphics, merchandise, social media, and other marketing and communications materials.
Oversee creative production and ensure the quality and accuracy of final deliverables, including print specifications, file preparation, proofs, vendor coordination, digital production, and quality assurance.
Support the development and evolution of SAIC’s brand guidelines, visual standards, templates, and identity systems, and work with internal partners to promote consistent brand application across projects and platforms.
Manage freelance designers, agencies, vendors, and other external creative partners, including providing creative direction, coordinating deliverables, reviewing work, and ensuring projects remain on scope and schedule.
Develop and improve creative processes, project-management tools, templates, and workflows to increase efficiency, clarify responsibilities, reduce unnecessary review cycles, and support management of a high volume of work.
Stay current with design practices, production methods, emerging technologies, and trends in higher education, art and design, marketing, and communications, and apply relevant knowledge to SAIC’s creative work.