Manager of Campus Creative & Licensing

ACU is affiliated with the fellowship of the Church of Christ. This position requires the employee to be a professing Christian and to be willing to support the Christian mission of ACU.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop the operational framework and launch strategy for a clearly defined campus-support unit within the Marketing Division, in partnership with the Executive Director of Marketing Strategy & Operations.

• Create a recognizable identity (including name, positioning, and visual cues) that distinguishes creative support from marketing strategy.

• Build partnerships with relevant academic departments (Graphic Design, Marketing, Digital Media, etc.) to build a sustainable student internship pipeline.

• Oversee intake refinement with the project management team to reflect real-world service demand (design, photography, creative execution).

• Identify resourcing gaps, process needs, technology improvements, and training opportunities in support of launch and long-term success.

• Serve as the primary design executor when needed and establish standards for quality and consistency.

2. Creative Leadership & Design Execution

• Mentor and develop student designers/interns, ensuring strong creative output and professional growth.

• Own management of self-service brand tools including Canva templates, Canto assets, brand guidelines, logos, and curated photography.

• Design and release new branded template drops in Canva on a consistent cadence (likely 1x semester minimum).

• Coordinate with the project management team in evaluating project feasibility, timelines, and outsourcing recommendations.

• Leverage AI, automation, and workflow tools to streamline creative production and maximize team efficiency.

• Oversee relationships with print vendors and other creative production partners.

• Ensure quotes, contracts, timelines, and billing are accurate, competitive and transparent.

• Maintain a vetted network of freelance designers and photographers to support overflow or specialty work.

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for ACU’s licensing program, ensuring strong revenue performance and brand protection.

• Partner with the Licensing Coordinator to drive new retail partnerships, product opportunities, licensing programs, and on-campus visibility.

• Strengthen relationships with CLC, licensed and unlicensed vendors (for the purpose of driving unlicensed vendors to compliance) and other partners to expand licensed goods presence and enforce trademark compliance.

• Oversee creative approval processes, policy refinement, and program education across campus.

• Serve as the visible leader and advocate for Campus Creative, building relationships with campus partners and representing the unit in a professional, approachable manner.

• Provide guidance and support for creative requests, directing partners to the Project Management team and the Project Intake Form (PIF) as appropriate.

• Proactively evaluate incoming project requests and flag opportunities that may require marketing strategy or campaign-level support.

• Host training sessions, webinars, and other engagement activities to increase adoption of self-serve tools (Canva templates, Canto assets, brand guidelines, etc.).

• Manage expectations and resolve conflicts when requests exceed timelines, resources, or scope, ensuring positive partner experiences while protecting team capacity.

• Collaborate closely with the Project Management team and the Executive Director to refine processes, messaging, and expectations across the unit.

Qualifications

Required

• 5-7+ years in design, creative operations, marketing services, licensing management, brand management, and/or related fields.

• Demonstrated experience mentoring designers or leading creative workflow.

• Strong understanding of branding, digital asset systems, and template scalability.

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills; skilled at managing expectations and building trust.

• Comfort with hands-on design work while simultaneously managing a program.

• Experience providing high-level oversight of external vendors, partners, or programs.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities and switch between high-level strategic planning, day-to-day execution, and coaching responsibilities as needed.

Preferred

• Higher education experience.

• Experience with licensing programs, vendor management, or merchandise production.

• Experience managing interns or student workers.

• Familiarity with Canva, Canto, Adobe Creative Cloud, and standard creative workflows.

Role Characteristics

• Entrepreneurial: builds systems, processes, efficiencies, and brand identity for a new division.

• Operational: can co-create scalable workflows and manage multiple moving pieces.

• Designer: able to execute design when needed and coach others well.

• Collaborative: thrives on building partnerships across campus.

• Brand Ambassador: understands how creative, licensing, and…