VP, Creative Services

If you are motivated and believe in the credit union philosophy of "People Helping People," join our team!

Position Overview:

The VP of Creative Services will play a crucial role in shaping the organization’s overarching creative strategy and ensuring its efficient execution. You need to be dynamic and responsive to the evolving marketplace and changing member demands. You will craft and connect intuitive, premium, and digitally focused creative that elevates our brand storytelling centered on our members, products, and services.

A core aspect of this role involves managing, leading, and evolving a multi-disciplined in-house creative team, developing, directing, and producing creative assets from strategy and concept through completion across all channels and media, including mass media (radio, print, out-of-home), social/digital, emerging platforms, and experiential initiatives. The VP will build and maintain relationships with a network of partner groups (digital, operations, legal, etc.) to anticipate and proactively address obstacles and establish the creative services department as a strategic thought partner and leader. You will ensure that all creative assets meet a high level of creativity, innovation, and brand integrity, delivered on time and within budget. This includes forecasting resource needs, driving project schedules, prioritizing tasks, and effectively utilizing internal and external resources.

Essential Responsibilities:

Brand Architecture (25%)

• Continue to build upon the overall SECU brand architecture for our organization, line of businesses and portfolio of products to allow for the evolution of SECU through our brand to ensure continued organic changes and acquisitions

Team Management (25%)

• Create a high-performing, inclusive team by mentoring and empowering team members to grow their skills and take ownership of key initiatives.
• Champion a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning within the team.
• Management of brand and creative teams in addition to external consultants and agency relationships
• Lead the internal Design team to articulate and manifest the company mission and story in all member-facing touchpoints and channels

Design Strategy (25%)

• Create member-facing design strategy for SECU brand & affiliates and related products and partnerships
• Communication with executives, employees, and members, on company and product brand decisions and positioning as appropriate
• Work with marketing strategy teams and other functional leaders to determine creative needs
• Work cross-functionally, with communications, business owners, etc. to maintain consistency of brand messaging across all owned, earned, and paid channels, adapting content to platform-specific requirements while upholding brand identity.

Creative Process & Output (25%)

• Responsible for overall brand creative process
• Direct responsibility to convey the brand's message creatively across all advertising, digital, paid/owned media, PR, sponsorships, and internal communications collateral.
• Develop and oversee omnichannel brand campaigns in collaboration with agencies and internal partners to deliver a unified and impactful brand experience across digital, social, and traditional channels.

Required Education & Experience (Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities):

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree
• Minimum 10 years’ experience in Marketing, Communications, and/or Graphic Design.
• History of having been able to organize and quickly prioritize day-to-day, week-to-week schedules of team members and maintain a pulse on capacity and team bandwidth
• Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
• Skilled at translating brand strategy into meaningful and compelling stories
• Strategic thinker plus passionate communicator
• Critical thinker and strategic provocateur- curious and questioning
• Demonstrated experience managing a team of copywriters, graphic designers, and video and production staff

Preferred Education & Experience (Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities):

• Knowledge of financial services and credit unions is a plus.

Job Environment & Physical Requirements:

• Hybrid work environment with two days in the office and three days working from home. Note that this may change at any time and prospective candidates must be willing to work in the office full time if the SECU hybrid work policy were to change.
• Other requirements include sitting and working at a computer for prolonged periods and carrying/lifting up to 15lbs.

SECU provides equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other classification protected by law.

Disclaimer

State Employees' Credit Union reserves the right to fill this role at a higher/lower level based on business need.