Head of Studio

Description

About the Department

Marketing, Creative & Digital (MCD)

The Marketing, Creative & Digital (MCD) Department is a diverse team of marketing strategy, digital, brand storytelling, design and content experts dedicated to fostering cross-functional collaboration and innovation all in the furtherance of the NYRR mission, strategic pillars, and goals. Together, they amplify our brand's voice, connect authentically with our audience, and inspire action and growth.

About the Position

As the Head of Studio, Creative Services for NYRR, you are responsible for shaping the creative vision for the New York Road Runners brand - developing innovative visuals and design that showcase our mission and bring our events, products, and services to life. This role is part creative visionary, part creator, and part strategy and management of people, process, and priorities.

The Studio is structured across two connected arms:

• Design & Creative- brand storytelling, art direction, campaign and identity work, still and motion content
• Production & Operations- the physical fabrication and delivery of race-day materials, including signage, medals, bibs, wayfinding, and event hardware, at scale and on deadline

This role leads a team of creative and production professionals internally and partners with internal and external stakeholders to drive excellence across both arms, ensuring the brand shows up with consistency and craft everywhere it's experienced - on screen and on the course.

The ideal candidate simultaneously collaborates across multiple projects to ensure all work is completed on strategy, on budget, and on time - including physical deliverables with fixed, non-negotiable event-day deadlines. Delivery of NYRR's creative storytelling and production output requires continuity and collaboration across all Marketing, Creative, and Digital (MCD) Department verticals.

This candidate is well experienced and passionate about empowering diverse perspectives and leaders, building opportunities for individual development, performance management, recognition, and rewards. They champion and lead ideas through innovative thinking, collaboration, and partnership.

In essence, you are a creative and operational lead for our brand - people-centered, systems-minded, and focused on achieving organizational objectives in the short and long term.

Job Responsibilities

Team

• Oversee team of 10 with 4 direct reports
• Provide inspirational leadership, strategic vision, and mentorship to the NYRR studio, across both its design and production functions.
• Work end-to-end to drive upstream creative strategy and downstream execution for the NYRR Studio, with a focus on the constituent journey.
• Partner with Marketing Strategy, content studio, and digital marketing counterparts to craft the vision for a project, event, or effort, and distill that into a sharp creative strategy that is inspiring and meaningful.
• Manage the development of annual budgets and forecasts across both creative and production initiatives, connecting them to strategic-level vision.
• Oversee vendor and fabricator relationships for physical production - signage, medals, and other event hardware - including sourcing, negotiation, and quality control at volume.
• Build and maintain systems, templates, and specs (e.g., signage systems, production kits) that scale consistently across NYRR's 60+ races per year and major events like the TCS New York City Marathon.
• Drive cross-functional inclusion and alignment throughout the creative ideation and production execution process, within the creative team as well as other NYRR functional teams including Events, Legal, Strategic Partnerships, Youth, Community, Public Relations, and Membership.
• Work closely with Design, Planning, Studio Production, Operations, and Finance colleagues to ensure work is delivered timely and on budget.
• Mentor and develop direct reports across both the design and production sub-teams, in a manner that is inclusive, inspiring, and consistent with New York Road Runners' brand values and organizational guidelines.
• Act as a leader, advocate, and educator on behalf of the Studio team

Organization

• Identify competing business priorities and collaborate with teammates to develop high-quality analysis and deliverables that clearly frame growth objectives, issues/challenges, and articulate compelling, insightful findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
• Collaborate with the larger MCD team to critically evaluate the creative and production process (including briefing, ideation, fabrication, logistics, and project management) and continually improve it.
• Drive creative design that leads to impact and action across NYRR owned platforms and physical touchpoints, to develop and advance the organization's mission.
• Assist in the planning and execution of NYRR's Strategic Planning Process.
• Track and communicate progress across your team's work, ensuring projects are on track, facilitating decision-making, resolving blockers, and surfacing creative and production challenges.

Job Requirements

Experience

• 15+ years leading strategic and creative development in an advertising or creative agency, a consumer brand, or a relevant creative capacity.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing physical production and fabrication - signage, premiums, print, or comparable event hardware - including vendor management and production process knowledge (materials, lead times, large-format printing, or fabrication methods).
• Experience leading teams of individuals, directly and indirectly, at one time, optimally - including teams spanning both creative and production disciplines.
• Expert in art direction (campaign, brand ID, OOH signage, print, shoot, production, and digital).
• Experience in high-volume, recurring live events preferred - someone who has shipped the same category of deliverable repeatedly and understands where production breaks down at scale.
• A passion for New York City, running, sports, community, and art is preferred.
• Expressed and demonstrated commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
• Acute understanding of the audience we serve and the cultural platforms on which they operate.
• Ability to work collaboratively with strong interpersonal skills.
• Strong time management with the ability to keep multiple projects - both creative and production - moving forward simultaneously against fixed event-day deadlines.
• Entrepreneurial spirit with a proactive approach to identifying and acting on ways to improve the work.
• A relationship builder, knowing the importance of collaborating with brand marketing, content production, creative leads, and external fabricators/vendors - able to work with multiple leadership styles and be effective in unstructured, ambiguous, and fast-paced environments.
• Strong design experience with the ability to take direction, be a conceptual and strategic thinker, a seeker of the latest trends, and have a finger on the pulse of the design industry.
• Ability to easily flex and re-prioritize workloads of team members to meet critical deadlines.
• A proven track record of mentoring, developing, and empowering teams and individuals in a positive and inclusive manner.

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher, or a combination of relevant education, experience, and training preferred

Skills and Attributes

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Experience in Adobe Creative Suite and Canva.
• Strong attention to detail
• Familiarity with signage/production management systems and workflows a plus.
• Astute attention to detail and meticulous organizational skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong operational and facilitation skills, with a proven ability to plan, coordinate, and execute projects - including physical production timelines.
• Excellent verbal, written, and visual communication skills, both in individual and group settings.

Other Requirements

• All staff are required to work the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon, RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon, and the TCS NYC Marathon.
• Ability to work occasional weekends or evenings
• Operate on a hybrid schedule, with two days per week in the NYRR office in NYC
• Other responsibilities as needed

Salary: $140K - $150K