The OpportunityMerlin is seeking a Director, Creative and Brand to lead the evolution of our brand across all touchpoints-visual, digital, and experiential. This leader will own the creative vision and execution, ensuring a cohesive, differentiated brand that resonates with our audience and supports business growth.
This role requires a rare blend of hands-on creative expertise and strategic leadership; someone who can set direction, inspire teams, and execute at a high level across design, digital, and brand systems.
Primary Duties & ResponsibilitiesBrand & Creative Leadership- Define, evolve, and operationalize Merlin's brand strategy, identity, and visual systems across all touchpoints
- Translate business, product, and marketing objectives into clear, differentiated, and high-impact creative
- Establish and uphold brand standards to ensure consistency and coherence across web, product, campaigns, and content
- Shape how Merlin communicates complex concepts into accessible, compelling narratives that build trust with key audiences
Design Execution & Oversight- Lead end-to-end creative direction across brand, digital, campaigns, and product marketing initiatives
- Partner cross-functionally with marketing, product, and leadership to concept and deliver effective design solutions
- Set and maintain a high bar for craft, storytelling, and innovation across all outputs
- Provide hands-on design work as well as creative direction and feedback, ensuring alignment from concept through execution
- Be up-to-date on design trends and the cyber market, including cybersecurity brand design trends
- Experience using AI platforms for design generation and execution at scale (IE, Claude, ChatGPT, etc)
Team Leadership & Management- Build, mentor, and scale a high-performing in-house creative team as the company grows and scales
- Manage and direct external agencies, freelancers, and production partners
- Develop scalable processes, systems, and workflows to support efficient, high-quality creative output
- Foster a culture of collaboration, critique, and continuous improvement
- Build and manage a robust content system of record for design work, digital and marketing assets, and other content deliverables
Web & Digital Experience- Own the vision, design, and continuous visual optimization of Merlin's website and digital ecosystem
- Drive conversion-focused design informed by user behavior, analytics, and experimentation
- Ensure digital brand experiences can be effectively consumed and interacted with across a variety of audience channels and touchpoints
Strategic Impact- Act as a key partner to executive leadership on brand strategy and positioning
- Use insights and performance data to continuously refine creative direction
- Champion the role of design as a core driver of business value
QualificationsRequiredCreative Expertise- B2B technology experience in the cybersecurity industry or related field is required.
- 10-12+ years in brand, creative, or design roles (with leadership experience)
- Deep experience in graphic design, visual design, and brand systems
- Strong portfolio demonstrating high-quality, modern, and scalable design work
- Hands-on senior design skills across a variety of content formats and channels
Leadership & Management- Proven experience managing both internal creative teams and external partners/contractors
- Track record of mentoring creatives and elevating team performance
- Ability to balance hands-on work with strategic oversight
Digital & Web Experience- Strong experience leading web design and digital experiences
- Fluency in UX/UI principles and modern web best practices
- Experience collaborating with product and engineering teams
Strategic Mindset- Ability to connect brand and design decisions to business outcomes
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
- Comfortable operating in fast-paced, high-growth environments
Preferred- Experience in Cybersecurity, B2B, SaaS, or tech environments
- Background in designing brand identity systems and B2B content development
- Experience scaling a brand through periods of rapid growth and transformational change
KEY SUCCESS METRICS (FIRST 12-18 MONTHS):- Stronger brand
- Better and faster creative
- High-performing team built
- Improved website performance
- Clear business impact
Benefits & PerksWe want to empower and inspire employees to be and do their best. Our workdays are dynamic, collegial, and fun. Our office features multiple places to work unconstrained by typical office barriers. Our wellness package provides access to an on-site gym and includes medical, dental, and vision insurance along with options for FSA and EAP. We offer 401(k) with employer match, unlimited PTO, and a culture respectful of the reality that not everything in one's personal life is guaranteed to happen only after hours.
www.themerlingroup.com 
