Director of Creative Services

The College of Wooster is a vibrant community of Independent Minds, Working Together. The people who work at Wooster bring different experiences and perspectives to a collaborative environment united by a shared commitment to our students' success. Together, we support a distinctive liberal arts education built on close mentorship, intellectual curiosity, and opportunities for students to become creative, independent thinkers and problem-solvers.

Whatever their role, our employees contribute their talents to the life of the College, connect with students and colleagues in meaningful ways, and help create a welcoming, supportive community where people can learn, grow, and thrive.

The Director of Creative Services provides strategic creative leadership across print, digital, web, social media, environmental, and branded applications. This role is responsible for conceptualization and implementation of design solutions for a wide range of digital and print collateral/assets that meet marketing strategies from concept to completion while being on brand, on time, and on budget.

This position plays a lead role in developing integrated communications and ensuring compliance with College brand standards, collaborating with marketing, communications, content, digital, photography, and campus stakeholders to translate strategic goals into effective visual communications.

This role oversees creative professionals, assigning and directing work to ensure high-quality work that meets the goals and objectives of deliverables.

This role works closely with the Vice President of Marketing and Communications to optimize the design and use of The College of Wooster brand to a wide variety of targeted audiences, establish creative priorities, strengthen the College's brand presence, and improve creative processes.

• Collaborates with leadership to create annual marketing/communications plans, establish priorities, and identify creative strategies that advance College goals.
• Determines and creates designs for annual Admission and Advancement campaigns, Athletics creative and marketing initiatives, major College events and endeavors, and provides tools for general campus creative needs to ensure College brand standards are achieved.
• Leads and contributes to the visual direction, user experience, content presentation, accessibility, and brand consistency of the College's digital platforms and website in collaboration with digital, content, and marketing colleagues.
• Directs the creative workflow processes, including project intake, prioritization, scheduling, checking for accuracy of all formats and print proofs, and keeping records and archives consistent with department protocols.
• Serves as lead brand manager, providing input and ensuring established styles, fonts, logos, and marks are implemented consistently and with the highest level of design integrity. Ensures the identity guidelines are current and responsive to the College's needs. Creates templates and reference materials to support consistent use of brand. Reviews and approves licensed College-branded merchandise and artwork, including bookstore products, promotional items, and athletic uniforms, to ensure compliance with brand standards and visual identity guidelines.
• Works collaboratively with and serves as the main point of contact for print and merchandise vendors and creative freelancers, assuring accuracy, quality, and deadlines of project delivery and managing specifications, estimates, production schedules, proofs, and quality control.
• Coordinates all printing production, optimizing quality, cost effectiveness, consistency, production efficiency, and working within established budgets.
• Collaborates with photography, content and digital teams to identify visual needs, provide art direction, and optimize and curate the College's photo assets.
• Assigns and directs work of creative talent to ensure production of high-quality, effective work, including providing direction, training, coaching, and following up on work results. Cultivates and mentors student interns to implement institutional designs and branding.
• Leads and/or participates in planning activities as a member of the Division of Marketing and Communications and acts as team lead for a variety of projects.
• Stays current with industry standards and trends related to design, digital, accessibility, production, technology, and higher education marketing – as well as…