Director of Creative Services

Job Title
Director of Creative Services

Agency
Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Department
Institutional Advancement

Proposed Minimum Salary
Commensurate

Job Location
Corpus Christi, Texas

Job Type
Staff

Job Description

PURPOSE

The Director of Creative Services, reporting to the Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Communications, provides strategic creative leadership and serves as the university's lead art director and visual storyteller. The Director leads a cross-functional team of creative professionals responsible for graphic design, photography, videography, and social media, establishing the creative vision and standards that define and strengthen the Islander brand.

In collaboration with Marketing, Communications, Web Services, and campus partners, the Director translates institutional priorities and marketing strategies into compelling creative content and visual storytelling that increases visibility and engages key audiences.

DESCRIPTION

Functional Area 1: Creative Direction & Visual Brand Leadership

Percent Effort: 30%

• Establish and lead the university's long-term creative vision and visual identity across institutional campaigns, communications, platforms, and initiatives.
• Serve as the university's lead art director and visual storyteller, defining how the Islander brand comes to life through design, photography, videography, social media, and other visual communications.
• Develop, maintain, evolve, and enforce university visual brand standards and the university brand and style guide.
• Lead the development of creative concepts and visual approaches for institutional marketing, student recruitment, advancement, and other university priorities.
• Ensure creative work consistently reflects and strengthens the university's brand positioning and institutional identity.
• Provide creative and brand counsel to university leadership and campus partners.
• Present and articulate creative concepts, recommendations, and brand rationale to university leadership and stakeholders.
• Monitor creative, design, visual storytelling, social media, and industry trends and identify opportunities to strengthen and evolve the university's creative presence.

Functional Area 2: Integrated Creative Content & Production

Percent Effort: 25%

• Provide strategic and artistic direction for graphic design, photography, videography, social media content, publications, advertising creative, and other university-level creative assets.
• Lead the creative development process from concept and creative brief through production, review, approval, and final delivery.
• Art direct major institutional campaigns and high-visibility projects, ensuring creative work effectively supports established marketing strategies, audiences, and objectives.
• Direct the visual development of major institutional and student recruitment publications and materials in collaboration with Marketing, Enrollment Management, and other campus partners.
• Provide direction for photo and video shoots, campaign concepts, storyboards, visual storytelling, and other multimedia productions.
• Ensure creative assets are compelling, audience-focused, brand-aligned, accessible, and appropriate for print, digital, social, advertising, and emerging channels.
• Establish and maintain high standards for creative quality and consistency across university-level work.
• Partner with Marketing to review creative performance and identify opportunities to optimize campaign creative based on audience response and results.

Functional Area 3: Social Media & Digital Storytelling

Percent Effort: 15%

• Provide strategic leadership and creative direction for the university's top-tier social media presence and digital storytelling.
• Develop content strategies and editorial direction that showcase campus life, academic excellence, research, student success, institutional achievements, and the Islander experience.
• Identify opportunities to use social media and emerging platforms to increase engagement, strengthen affinity, and expand the university's reach.
• Establish university-wide social media policies, guidelines, governance, and best practices for decentralized university accounts.
• Monitor social media performance, audience engagement, content trends, sentiment, and emerging platforms to inform strategy and creative development.
• Establish key performance indicators and regularly evaluate the effectiveness of university social media and digital content.
• Collaborate with Communications and university leadership on social listening, emerging issues, and reputational considerations.

Functional Area 4: Creative Operations & Resource Management

Percent Effort: 15%

• Oversee creative workflows, production schedules, project assignments, and resources across the creative services team.
• Establish processes for evaluating and prioritizing creative requests based on institutional priorities, strategic value, audience impact, available resources, and team capacity.
• Assign projects based on staff expertise, workload, project requirements, and institutional priorities.
• Establish effective creative briefs, review processes, production standards, and project management practices that support efficient and collaborative workflows.
• Ability to step in and perform senior-level graphic design or media production and editing work as needed during high-volume periods.
• Manage assigned creative services budgets and identify opportunities to maximize available resources.
• Oversee external creative vendors, freelancers, printers, photographers, production partners, and related contracts as needed.
• Evaluate emerging creative technologies, tools, platforms, and production methods that can improve quality, efficiency, and effectiveness.

Functional Area 5: Team Leadership & Campus Collaboration

Percent Effort: 15%

• Lead, supervise, mentor, and develop professional staff responsible for graphic design, photography, videography, and social media.
• Establish team priorities, performance expectations, workflows, and professional development goals aligned with institutional and departmental priorities.
• Foster a collaborative, innovative, accountable, and high-performing creative environment.
• Encourage creative exploration and professional growth while maintaining high standards for quality, consistency, and service.
• Serve as a strategic creative resource to university leadership and the campus community.
• Build effective partnerships across academic and administrative units to improve coordination, planning, and effective use of university creative resources.
• Collaborate with Marketing leadership to align creative development with audience strategy, campaign objectives, advertising initiatives, and institutional marketing priorities.
• Serve on university committees, task forces, and working groups as assigned.
• Represent the university at professional, community, and industry events as appropriate.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in graphic design, fine arts, communications, marketing, advertising, public relations, digital media, or a closely related field.
• Ten (10) years of progressively responsible professional experience in creative direction, graphic design, branding, multimedia production, marketing communications, or a related field.
• Additional education may be considered as a substitute for the minimum experience requirement:
  • Master's degree in graphic design, fine arts, communications, marketing, advertising, public relations, digital media, or a closely related field with eight (8) years of progressively responsible professional experience in creative direction, graphic design, branding, multimedia production, marketing communications, or a related field
  • Doctoral degree in graphic design, fine arts, communications, marketing, advertising, public relations, digital media, or a closely related field with six (6) years of progressively responsible professional experience in creative direction, graphic design, branding, multimedia production, marketing communications, or a related field
• Demonstrated experience leading, supervising, and developing creative professionals.
• Demonstrated experience establishing creative direction and translating organizational or marketing strategy into compelling visual concepts and executions.
• Significant experience developing and maintaining visual brand identities and brand standards.
• Demonstrated experience directing integrated creative work across multiple disciplines, including graphic design, photography, videography, digital content, and social media.
• Strong understanding of print and digital production processes, creative workflows, and project management.
• Knowledge of major social media platforms, digital content strategy, social media analytics, and emerging content trends.
• Advanced knowledge of creative software and technologies, including Adobe Creative Cloud or comparable platforms.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple high-profile projects, priorities, budgets, deadlines, and stakeholders simultaneously.
• Strong leadership, creative problem-solving, presentation, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Demonstrated ability to provide creative direction, constructive feedback, and quality control while maintaining productive relationships with internal clients and creative professionals.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master's degree in graphic design, fine arts, communications, marketing, advertising, or a related field.
• Creative leadership experience within higher education or another large, complex organization.
• Experience leading a multidisciplinary creative team that includes graphic design, photography, videography, and social media.
• Experience providing creative direction for large-scale institutional, recruitment, reputation, or integrated marketing campaigns.
• Experience developing and managing organizational brand and visual identity standards.
• Experience with digital asset management systems and creative project management platforms.
• Experience developing social media content strategies and overseeing institutional or organizational social media channels.

SALARY: $85,000 - $95,000/annually, approximately

• $7,083.34 - $7,916.67/monthly

NOTE: Employment may be impacted by the Presidential proclamation issued on September 19, 2025 and the moratorium issued by Texas Governor Abbott on January 27, 2026.

BENEFITS (rules, policies, eligibility apply)

From our generous benefits package and professional development opportunities, to our retirement programs and our commitment to service excellence, the Island University is an engaging and rewarding place to work.

Insurance

• Medical$0 - $30 per month for Employee Only coverage after university contribution ($920 value).Up to 83% of premium covered by the university:Employee and SpouseEmployee and ChildrenEmployee and Family coverage
• Dental & Vision
• Life Insurance, Accidental D&D, Long Term Disability, Flexible Spending Account and Day Care Spending Account

On-campus wellness opportunities

Work Life Solutions:

• Counseling, Work Life Assistance, Financial Resources, and Legal Resources

Tuition Benefits:

• Public Loan Forgiveness
• Book scholarships
• 100% tuition coverage for up to 18 credit hours per fiscal year (other rules may apply).

Retirement

• Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) or Optional Retirement Plan (ORP)
• Voluntary Tax Deferred Account/Deferred Compensation Plan

Time Off:

• 8+ hours of vacation paid time off every month.
• 8 hours of sick leave time off every month.
• 8 hours of paid time off for Birthday leave.
• 12-15 paid holidays each year.

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution's verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution's procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.