Head of Studio

New York Road Runners•New York, NY

3d•$140,000 - $150,000•Hybrid

About The Position

New York Road Runners (NYRR) is seeking a Head of Studio, Creative Services to shape the creative vision for the NYRR brand and develop visuals and design that bring its mission, events, products, and services to life. The role combines creative leadership, hands-on creative direction, and strategic management of people, processes, and priorities. The Studio has two connected functions: Design & Creative, covering brand storytelling, art direction, campaign and identity work, and still and motion content; and Production & Operations, covering the fabrication and delivery of race-day materials such as signage, medals, bibs, wayfinding, and event hardware. The Head of Studio leads creative and production professionals and works with internal and external stakeholders to maintain consistency and quality across digital and physical brand experiences. The position oversees a team of 10, including four direct reports, and manages multiple projects to ensure work is on strategy, on budget, and on time. This includes physical deliverables with fixed event-day deadlines, annual budgets and forecasts, vendor and fabricator relationships, scalable production systems, cross-functional collaboration, and the development of team members. The role also contributes to NYRR’s strategic planning and continual improvement of creative and production processes. The position operates on a hybrid schedule, with two days per week in the NYRR office in New York City. All staff are required to work the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon, RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon, and TCS NYC Marathon. Occasional weekend or evening work may be required. Salary: $140,000–$150,000.

Requirements

15 or more years leading strategic and creative development in an advertising or creative agency, consumer brand, or relevant creative capacity.
Demonstrated experience overseeing physical production and fabrication, such as signage, premiums, print, or comparable event hardware, including vendor management and production-process knowledge.
Experience leading individuals and teams directly and indirectly, ideally across both creative and production disciplines.
Expertise in art direction across campaigns, brand identity, out-of-home signage, print, shoots, production, and digital.
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, demonstrated through actions and experience.
Strong understanding of the audience served and the cultural platforms on which they operate.
Collaborative approach and strong interpersonal skills.
Strong time management and ability to move multiple creative and production projects forward simultaneously against fixed event-day deadlines.
Entrepreneurial spirit and proactive approach to improving work.
Ability to build relationships and collaborate with brand marketing, content production, creative leads, and external fabricators and vendors; able to work with different leadership styles in unstructured, ambiguous, and fast-paced environments.
Strong design experience; ability to take direction, think conceptually and strategically, follow trends, and stay informed about the design industry.
Ability to flexibly reprioritize team workloads to meet critical deadlines.
Proven ability to mentor, develop, and empower teams and individuals positively and inclusively.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
Experience with Adobe Creative Suite and Canva.
Strong attention to detail and meticulous organizational skills.
Excellent written, verbal, and visual communication skills in individual and group settings.
Strong operational and facilitation skills, including the ability to plan, coordinate, and execute projects and physical production timelines.
Ability to work occasional weekends or evenings.
Ability to work a hybrid schedule, with two days per week in the NYRR office in New York City.
Ability to work the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon, RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon, and TCS NYC Marathon, as required for all staff.

Nice To Haves

Experience with high-volume, recurring live events and repeated delivery of similar deliverables, including understanding production challenges at scale.
Passion for New York City, running, sports, community, and art.
Bachelor’s degree or higher, or a combination of relevant education, experience, and training.
Familiarity with signage or production management systems and workflows.

Responsibilities

Oversee a team of 10, including four direct reports, across design and production functions.
Provide inspirational leadership, strategic vision, and mentorship to the Studio team.
Lead creative strategy and execution end to end, with a focus on the constituent journey.
Partner with Marketing Strategy, content studio, and digital marketing colleagues to develop project, event, and campaign visions and creative strategies.
Develop annual budgets and forecasts across creative and production initiatives.
Oversee vendors and fabricators for physical production, including sourcing, negotiation, and quality control.
Build and maintain scalable systems, templates, and specifications for production across NYRR’s races and major events.
Drive cross-functional inclusion and alignment throughout creative ideation and production execution, including with Events, Legal, Strategic Partnerships, Youth, Community, Public Relations, and Membership teams.
Work with Design, Planning, Studio Production, Operations, and Finance colleagues to deliver work on time and on budget.
Mentor and develop direct reports across design and production in an inclusive and inspiring manner consistent with NYRR’s values and guidelines.
Represent, advocate for, and educate others about the Studio team.
Analyze competing business priorities and develop deliverables that frame objectives, challenges, findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
Work with the MCD team to evaluate and continually improve creative and production processes, including briefing, ideation, fabrication, logistics, and project management.
Drive creative design that creates impact and action across NYRR-owned platforms and physical touchpoints in support of the organization’s mission.
Assist with planning and executing NYRR’s Strategic Planning Process.
Track and communicate team progress, facilitate decisions, resolve blockers, and surface creative and production challenges.
Work required NYRR events: the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon, RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon, and TCS NYC Marathon.