Associate Director of Design and Creative Production

About SAIC

For more than 150 years the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the worlds most influential artists designers and scholars. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program consistently ranking among the top four graduate fine arts programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design as well as world-class resources including the Art Institute of Chicago Museum on-campus galleries and state-of-the-art facilities. SAICs undergraduate graduate and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the worldas seen through notable alumni and faculty such as Michelle Grabner David Sedaris Elizabeth Murray Richard Hunt Georgia OKeeffe Cynthia Rowley Nick Cave and LeRoy Neiman.

About the Department

SAICs Marketing and Communications team advances the Schools reputation and promotes the value of an art and design education through storytelling brand stewardship transparent communications and collaborative engagement that promotes recruitment and fundraising.

Position Summary

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 Chicagos (SAIC) design function. Working closely with the Director of Marketing in the Office of Marketing and Communications this position translates marketing and communications objectives into creative strategies designs and outcomes that support SAICs brand enrollment advancement and institutional priorities.

Responsibilities

• Provides senior creative direction for brand marketing admissions advancement and institutional initiatives developing concepts and visual approaches that support project goals.
• Leads the design teams creative process from concept through completion providing guidance feedback and quality control to ensure work meets a high standard of design and aligns with SAICs visual identity.
• Manages and mentors design staff including assigning work balancing workloads establishing expectations providing ongoing feedback and supporting professional development.
• Owns 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.
• Manages and maintains design projects in Asana providing visibility into project status team capacity deadlines dependencies and outstanding decisions and proactively identifying and escalating issues that may affect delivery.
• Manages the day-to-day coordination and execution of design projects working with internal partners vendors agencies and other creative contributors to ensure projects have the information resources approvals and timelines needed to move forward while partnering with the Director of Marketing and Assistant Director of Marketing on stakeholder communication and project priorities.
• Leads or contributes 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.
• Oversees creative production and ensures the quality and accuracy of final deliverables including print specifications file preparation proofs vendor coordination digital production and quality assurance.
• Supports the development and evolution of SAICs brand guidelines visual standards templates and identity systems and work with internal partners to promote consistent application of the brand across projects and platforms.
• Manages freelance designers agencies vendors and other external creative partners as needed including providing creative direction coordinating deliverables reviewing work and ensuring projects remain on scope and schedule.
• Develops and improves creative processes project-management tools templates and workflows that increase efficiency clarify responsibilities reduce unnecessary review cycles and support the teams ability to manage a high volume of work.
• Stays current with design practices production methods emerging technologies and trends in higher education art and design marketing and communications and apply relevant knowledge to SAICs creative work.

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in graphic design communication design visual communication art marketing or a related field.
• 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 working in an institutional agency higher education arts cultural or similarly complex environment preferred.
• 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 QA and vendor coordination
• Strong project management/time management skills
• Experience developing workbacks timelines and project workflows including Asana
• Strong communication and collaboration with stakeholders
• Process improvement and ability to manage multiple projects

Physical Requirements

• Periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer; must be able to remain in a stationary position
• Ability to lead and participate in meetings onsite and virtually
• Ability to make presentations in person and virtually

Compensation & Benefits

Please click on the links below to view our competitive comprehensive benefits package:

• Hiring Range: $70000 - $85000 annually.

The expected hiring range is an estimated amount for positions based on the grade. Final offers are based on various factors including skill set experience qualifications and other job-related reasons.

• Job Classification: Exempt
• Employment Category: Full time
• Grade Level: 7

If you are accessing this listing from a third party not all links to salary and benefits information may work. Please visit our career page at saic/ for complete information

Application Instructions

Please submit your resume and cover letter to be considered for this position.

Accessibility

If you are a job seeker with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to apply for one of our jobs you will find the contact information to request the appropriate accommodation by visiting the following page:

Equal Opportunity Statement

The Art Institute of Chicago is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits hires and promotes qualified individuals compliant with federal and state laws. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process please contact the Department of Human Resources at .

Required Experience:

Director