Associate Creative Director, Harvard Innovation Labs

Company Description By working at Harvard University, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard's world-changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise. We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive.

Why join Harvard Business School?

Harvard Business School, located on a 40-acre campus in Boston, was founded in 1908 as part of Harvard University. It is among the world's most trusted sources of management education and thought leadership. For more than a century, the School's faculty has combined a passion for teaching with rigorous research conducted alongside practitioners at world-leading organizations to educate leaders who make a difference in the world.

Through a dynamic ecosystem of research, learning, and entrepreneurship that includes MBA, Doctoral, Executive Education, and Online programs, as well as numerous initiatives, centers, institutes, and labs, Harvard Business School fosters bold new ideas and collaborative learning networks that shape the future of business.

Job Description

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Director of Communications and Marketing of Harvard Innovation Labs (HIL) and in partnership with other members of our full-service marketing and communications team, the Associate Director will lead the art direction and design projects that successfully communicate the HIL brand and offerings across a variety of platforms, impact stories of HIL ventures, as well as telling the story of “innovation at Harvard”.  

The Associate Director will apply a well-tuned design vision, contemporary expertise in visual branding across platforms and use cases, and high-quality design skills to drive the mission and goals of the HIL. This role is a leader in creating accessible, inclusive, and welcoming design collateral for informational and marketing needs across all three labs and tailored to diverse stakeholders including: prospective Harvard students, student and alumni members, faculty, staff, and the greater innovation community in Boston and beyond.

In addition to supporting the HIL brand, the position also serves as an advisor to student and alumni teams on visual brand identity development and pitch deck design.  The mission of the HIL is to foster an innovation ecosystem across Harvard University that inspires, connects, and advances entrepreneurial leaders and innovators through its three labs: the Student i-lab for student-led ventures;
Alumni Launch Lab for alumni-led ventures; and the Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab for biotech and life sciences startups founded by Harvard students, alumni, faculty, and postdoctoral students. It is important that our community, our brand, and our editorial output reflect our commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging, and we look for candidates who share those values. Visit innovation labs.harvard.edu for more information.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

Creative Strategy and Direction Oversees creative strategy and art direction to support HIL marketing and communications needs across digital, print, and environmental platforms. Integrates AI into workflows to streamline design and marketing processes and outputs. Creates compelling creative concepts, visual communications, promotional launches, and campaigns for use on social media, digital and physical signage, new website, email campaigns, and print collateral.

Assists Director with budgeting for merchandise, printing, and event production. Oversees creative direction of physical signage and other space improvements in collaboration with Director and key stakeholders.  Serves as lead advocate/steward of Harvard Innovation Labs’ brand identity across platforms. Develops and maintains up-to-date brand guidelines and briefs colleagues and external vendors on usage and alignment. Design Execution and Collaboration Leads projects to conceptualize, design, and oversee production of digital and print assets used to promote the Harvard Innovation Labs, including digital ads, social media assets, website assets, email newsletter templates, data visualization, brochures, digital and printed event promotions, branded presentation decks, merchandise, and other marketing materials.  

Leads the comprehensive visual brand development for Harvard's President's Innovation Challenge, overseeing motion graphics, event visuals, marketing materials, and cross-platform production. Oversees integrated marketing…