HDR

Creative Principal and Art Director

HDR$90K — $120K *
Omaha, NE 68104In-Person
Media
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Design or equivalent experience
  • Minimum of 10 years in design roles
  • Strong grasp of design principles (color, layout, messaging)
  • Exceptional communication skills for presenting design concepts
  • Proficient in Adobe Creative Cloud & Microsoft Office
  • Ability to maintain design standards and visual identity
  • Effective multitasking and prioritization in a fast-paced environment

Responsibilities

  • Set strategic vision and priorities to elevate marketing impact
  • Lead and mentor a diverse, high-performing creative team
  • Translate trends and insights into strategic brand ideas
  • Deliver scalable and cohesive marketing and communication strategies
  • Build cross-functional partnerships for enhanced collaboration
  • Oversee on-brand creative output reflecting the firm's values
  • Guide narrative from insight to execution for clarity and cohesion
  • Establish efficient marketing processes and workflows
  • Manage end-to-end creative production lifecycle

Benefits

  • Opportunities for continuous learning and professional growth
  • Support for diverse skills and perspectives within the team
  • Inclusive culture fostering experimentation and innovation
  • Cross-functional collaboration enhancing organizational success
  • Access to tools improving efficiency and visual communication integrity
Full Job Description
We're looking for a Creative Principal and Art Director who operates at the intersection of brand strategy and culture. A leader who knows how to turn cultural insights into carefully curated creative concepts that push beyond traditional promotions, pursuits, and stories. This role is for someone who doesn't wait for creative briefs to be handed down but proactively spots cultural shifts, emerging behaviors, and talent-driven opportunities, then translates them into clear strategic points of view that our creative team can act on, and our internal and external clients can believe in. You will lead visual thinking across all disciplines and market sectors, ensuring that our brand platform, creative tools, and efforts are culturally relevant and grounded in current and emerging market trends within the AEC industry. Your work should consistently connect culture to growth, driving relevance, demand, and long-term differentiation. Our ideal candidates have a track record of leading a high-performance creative team, developing a consistent yet inspirational graphic language, working in a highly collaborative manner, and having a passion for delivering impact for our internal and external clients. Key responsibilities: • Set a clear vision and priorities for team strategy, capabilities, and culture, serving as a catalyst for elevated and expanded marketing impact across the business group and beyond. • Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing, inclusive team that thrives on diverse skills, perspectives, and continuous learning. This includes cultivating a culture of creativity centered on experimentation, innovation, and shared growth. • Translate emerging trends and insights into strategic ideas that strengthen brand relevance, engagement, and long-term value. • Deliver marketing, brand, and communications strategies that are scalable, cohesive, and consistently implemented across local, regional, and global contexts. • Build and nurture strong cross-functional partnerships to advance marketing strategies, enable multidisciplinary collaboration, and drive organizational value and sustainability. • Oversee the development of compelling, on-brand creative output that clearly communicates the firm's core attributes and differentiators. • Guide the strategic narrative from insight through execution to maintain clarity, cohesion, and effective creative translation. • Establish and maintain standard marketing processes, workflows, and tools that improve efficiency, ensure quality, and expand the reach and integrity of visual communication. • Manage the end-to-end creative production lifecycle, including project intake, workflow systems, asset management, and print operations. • Develop strategic visualizations and data-driven storytelling tools that support internal alignment and adoption of brand and marketing strategies. Preferred Qualification • In addition to the Portfolio of relevant design work, please include a cover letter detailing your interest in the position and company Qualifications Required Qualifications • Bachelor's degree in Design, or equivalent, or a combination of education and relevant experience • A minimum of 10 years of design experience • Excellent sense of design principles, including color, layout, and ability to create visually solid messaging • Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present and clearly articulate concepts and design decisions to creative teams and internal/external clients • Proficient in Adobe Creative Cloud & Microsoft Office. • Ability to design within established standards and visual identity • Ability to multitask, prioritize, and excel in a fast-paced work environment • Desire to learn and grow, be self-motivated, and have a positive attitude • Portfolio of relevant design work is required for consideration

About HDR

HDR is an architecture, engineering, and consulting firm based in Omaha, Nebraska. The company was founded in 1917 as Henningson Engineering Company and has since grown to become one of the largest engineering firms in the United States. HDR provides a wide range of services, including architecture, engineering, environmental consulting, and construction management. The company has worked on a number of high-profile projects, including the Hoover Dam Bypass and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. HDR is committed to sustainability and has been recognized for its efforts in this area by organizations such as the U.S. Green Building Council.
Learn more about HDR
Size
10,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1917

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