Executive Director of Creative Content and Strategy

University of Colorado | Denver

Official Title: Executive Director

Working Title: Executive Director of Creative Strategy and Content

FTE: Full-time

Salary Range: $135,000-$150,000

Position #00783801 - Requisition #40228

About the University of Colorado - Denver
The University of Colorado Denver is the state's premier public urban research university and equity-serving institution. Globally connected and locally invested, CU Denver partners with future-focused learners and communities to design accessible, relevant, transformative educational experiences for every stage of life and career. Across seven schools and colleges in the heart of downtown Denver, our leading faculty inspires and works alongside students to solve complex challenges through break through innovations and impactful research, and creative work. As part of the state's largest university system, CU Denver is a major contributor to the Colorado economy, with 2,000 employees and an annual economic impact of $665 million. For more information, visit ucdenver.edu.

* Applications are accepted electronically ONLY at www.cu.edu/cu-careers *

University Communications advances the mission of the university and strengthens its reputation and identity, as a leading academic and research institution. We are seeking an experienced, strategic, visionary, and collaborative creative leader to serve as Executive Director of Creative Strategy and Content. This role will lead the university's integrated creative function across brand strategy, visual storytelling, content development, design, photography, videography, multimedia production, and campaign creative direction. The ideal candidate brings experience leading multidisciplinary creative teams and developing compelling, audience-centered campaign creative and storytelling across digital, print, video, social, web, and experiential platforms.

The successful candidate is equal parts creative strategist, brand steward, collaborator, and people leader capable of guiding creative vision while fostering innovation, consistency, and excellence across all university communications and marketing efforts.

In this role, you will oversee the in-house content and creative team to help develop integrated content, creative campaigns, and assets designed to enhance the University of Colorado Denver's brand awareness and favorability among target audiences in support of increasing enrollment and other revenue-generating efforts. The candidate will demonstrate a commitment to equity and consistently uphold university values while ensuring that creative content and storytelling efforts reflect and support the university's mission, vision, and strategic priorities.

Creative Leadership and Team Management

• Lead and manage a the university's creative content studio that includes graphic design, copywriting, photography, video, multimedia production, and CU Denver News, the university's newsletter published weekly during the academic year.
• Guide and elevate creative and storytelling outputs to a high standard across channels, and mentor multidisciplinary creative professionals and content creators to tell great, multimedia, inclusive stories.
• Supervise at least six multidisciplinary creative professionals
• Manage resource planning, budget, and allocation.

Brand Strategy, Brand Management, and Institutional Identity

• Develop and maintain a strong written and visual brand identity and brand personality for the university across all platforms to drive meaningful engagement.
• Lead brand development, management, and training across the institution and manage external brand integrity-maintain, improve, and bring awareness to the wider value and reputation of the CU Denver brand.
• Provide leadership and oversight for the university's brand and licensing functions, including supervising the primary liaison to the CU System, and serve as the back-up representative on brand governance committees, including All- Campus Licensing Committee and Brand Standards Board.
• Work with campus partners to update and design environmental graphics to refresh brand, enhance wayfinding and orientation, and enhance student experience. Serve as a member of the CU Denver Signage Committee.

Content Strategy and Storytelling

• Translate marketing objectives into clear creative strategies. Meet with stakeholders to explain campaign strategies and creative solutions.
• Provide strategic oversight and creative direction for institutional storytelling platforms, including CU Denver News.
• Direct and execute design solutions that uphold the university identity, including recruitment materials, event promotions, and internal communication needs.
• Serve as a creative and content consultant for key divisions within the university, including the Chancellor's Office, Enrollment Management, and schools/colleges/units.
• Manage the content strategy of the ucdenver.edu homepage, newsroom, and high-priority marketing pages.
• Work collaboratively with University Communications colleagues to establish an annual content calendar and planning processes across channels and audiences that integrate public relations, executive communications, internal communications, social media, and enrollment goals, along with college and school priorities.
• Guide the strategic use of visual storytelling assets to ensure that photos, illustrations, videos, and other visuals are accurate, brand-appropriate, and culturally relevant.
• Ensure articles and content for CU Denver's main news and features websites, digital and print publications, and other content align to brand standards and university strategic priorities.
• Serve as institutional resource on high-quality writing and storytelling.

Creative Production and Campaign Management

• Manage all editorial and creative campaigns and produced collateral, including advertising assets, video, photography, owned digital content, social media, brochures, direct mail pieces, etc., to expand our visual identity and brand voice across multiple channels.
• Write and produce content for a variety of purposes, audiences, and channels, ranging from e-newsletter and web to paid media (paid/earned/owned) as needed.
• Project-manage content campaigns across CU Denver's central media platforms.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work collaboratively with cross-functional areas within the department, including marketing, web/digital, and public relations to ensure best-in-class creative thinking, quality, and execution.
• Work collaboratively with the Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communications and other leaders to manage creative agency relationships.
• Serve on the University Communications emergency communications rotation schedule.

• Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, design, advertising, journalism or related field.
• At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience leading creative, brand, content, marketing, or communications functions in a professional setting.
• Prior experience managing a range of creative positions.
• Proficiency using Airtable as a content management system and e-newsletter tools, as well as knowledge of digital and print publishing.
• Experience developing high-quality, high-volume creative content deliverables on tight deadlines.
• Experience leading brand development and/or rebranding initiatives, including experience developing, refreshing, and implementing visual identity systems.
• Experience working collaboratively with multiple stakeholders on complicated projects.

• Experience working in a creative or publishing environment as a project lead.
• At least ten (10) years of experience managing a range of creative positions.
• Master's degree in communications, marketing, design, advertising, journalism, or related field.
• Experience developing high-quality, high-volume creative content deliverables on tight deadlines.
• Experience creating and leading editorial development.
• Experience with web content development/design and user experience.
• Direct experience in higher education.
• Experience with video and digital asset production, including modern workflows, productions time estimates, creative concepting, scripting/storyboarding, and editing.

• Excellent critical thinking and time management skills.

• Understanding of integrated creative development processes, from strategic concepting through production, execution, distribution, and performance analysis.

• Keen understanding of market research and audience insights to inform creative direction and execution. Ability to write and produce content for various styles, audiences, and mediums, including feature-length stories, profile pieces, and Q&As, news briefs, marketing copy, social media copy, and multimedia assets.

• Demonstrated ability to guide compelling storytelling and creative execution across multiple channels and audiences.

• Demonstrated understanding of and capacity for multimedia brand storytelling, including digital and social media.

• Proven knowledge of audience metrics and analytics to improve content outcomes.

• Proficiency in leading teams to define project strategy, establish storytelling approach, develop creative assets, and measure impact to foster success.

• Solid understanding of brand voice, storytelling frameworks, visual communication principles, and content standards.

• Proficiency in AP style, adoption and use of brand style, and best-in-class proofreading techniques.

• Must be an excellent writer and editor with strong storytelling instincts and the ability to guide high-quality creative and content development across mediums.

• Must be a blue-sky thinker and a hands-on producer.

• Must be a team player with excellent collaborative skills.

• Elevated soft skills that inspire creativity and ability to work well with different personality types.

• Excellent presenter of ideas, concepts, and proposed creative directions.

• Experience in Adobe Creative suite, PowerPoint, and other design and creative programs.