Position: Manager, Creative Communications

Location/Department: Richmond HQ/Corporate Communications

Work Arrangement: Hybrid (3 days in office, 2 days remote)

Status: Full-Time/Salaried Exempt

Reports To: AVP, Corporate Communications

Summary

As a Manager, Creative Communications at Universal, you will play a key role in transforming business strategy, complex information, and organizational priorities into compelling visual and multimedia communications. This position serves as a strategic creative partner to Corporate Communications and business leaders, helping bring stories, initiatives, and corporate messages to life through visual storytelling, creative problem-solving, and content development.

The role combines strategic thinking, creative leadership, content development, and hands-on execution to deliver high-impact communications across print, digital, presentation, video, event, and experiential channels. Working across Universal Corporation, Universal Ingredients, and Universal Leaf Tobacco, the Manager, Creative Communications helps ensure communications are engaging, visually compelling, and aligned with business objectives and brand standards.

What You'll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

• Translate business strategy, complex information, and organizational priorities into clear, compelling visual and multimedia communications.
• Lead the creative development of communications materials that support executive messaging, employee engagement, brand initiatives, and corporate storytelling.
• Provide creative direction for presentations, reports, infographics, videos, digital content, event materials, and other communications deliverables.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to shape creative approaches that strengthen audience understanding, engagement, and message impact.
• Ensure creative work is aligned with Universal's brand standards, communications objectives, and quality expectations across channels and business units.
• Lead and develop direct reports and creative team members through coaching, collaboration, feedback, and professional development.
• Identify opportunities to improve the effectiveness of communications through stronger visual storytelling, multimedia content, and emerging creative practices.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, Communications, Digital Media, Marketing, or related field.
• Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in creative services, communications, design, marketing, agency, or related environments.
• Demonstrated experience developing creative concepts and translating business objectives into effective communications.
• Demonstrated experience leading, managing, and developing creative professionals.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating strategic design, visual storytelling, presentation development, and communications support.
• Experience collaborating with executives, business leaders, and cross-functional teams.
• Strong understanding of branding, visual identity systems, and communication strategy.
• Experience managing multiple complex projects and deadlines simultaneously.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Requirements

• Expertise in Adobe Creative Cloud applications, including InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat, and related creative tools.
• Advanced PowerPoint and presentation design expertise.
• Experience with video production, editing, animation, and multimedia storytelling.
• Experience supporting executive communications and board-level presentations.
• Experience developing creative solutions for internal and external communications.
• Strong conceptual thinking and creative problem-solving abilities.
• Experience working in a matrixed global organization.
• Knowledge of digital content, social media, and website design principles.

Benefits
We offer a wide range of market-competitive total rewards that include 401(k) match, pension, merit increases, paid holidays, medical, dental, life, vision, short and long-term disability benefits, and tuition assistance to name a few.

The salary range for this position is $112,00 - $150,000. Final compensation will be determined based on factors such as experience, qualifications, and internal equity, in alignment with our compensation structure.