Columbia Sportswear, Inc.:
Brand Creative Director Job in Burlington, VT

CALLING THOSE WHO LIKE TO GO A LITTLE OFF ROUTE

When our founders established the Bay as our base back in 1993, Mountain Hardwear was destined for a life of play. They wanted to make equipment and apparel that climbers and mountaineers could depend onbut they wanted to have fun doing it, too.

We bring the same stoke we have in the mountains to the drawing board. We express our brand through climbing, but more importantly, through the culture that we as climbers, riders, artists, innovators, movers, shakers (insert your thing here) create.

ABOUT THE POSITION

Were seeking an experienced Creative Director for Marketing, someone who can lead, inspire, and grow their team, while taking our brand expressions to a new level of depth and meaning. The Creative Director drives Mountain Hardwears look, feel, and tone across all consumer touchpoints. This person is creatively responsible for how the brand expresses its values, purpose, people, and product. This influential role will lead our team of marketing creatives (copywriter, graphic and production designers, etc.) from creative strategy to brand-right ideation, and finally consumer-focused execution.

The Marketing Creative Director will coach and guide copy, brand and product photography, video and graphic expressions across entire Mountain Hardwear landscape. They will direct creative storytellers, both internal and external. Theyre in charge of creative strategy, brand narrative, digital and social media, brand experience, art direction and copy messaging. to create meaning, not just content, for our audience. This role will have complete oversight of the marketing look and feel, including budgetary, structural, and agency and partner responsibilities.

The right leader will have a blend of creative vision and business sense, with the ability to challenge the status quo and extract the uniqueness of Mountain Hardwear. We require a forward thinker; Seeing ahead to future possibilities and translating them into breakthrough strategies and concepts that help steer the team. Big picture, with attention to detail. This lead role will work cross-functionally within Marketing (Brand, Wholesale, and Digital), as well as interdepartmental (Ecommerce and Product Design). The expectation of this role is to work closely with internal and external partners, ensuring visual concepts are created to supporting strategic brand and product marketing initiatives. The Marketing Creative Director will report directly to the Marketing Director with regular touchpoints with the V.P. of Product and Brand Design.

HOW YOU'LL MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Ensure consistent and brand-right creative concepts and executions with an accurate reflection of brand values, purpose, and vision

Work with internal and external strategic and creative partners to create expressions that generate brand awareness, customer engagement, and ultimate product conversion

Refine and manage marketings creative process from concept to completion

Translate business and marketing objectives into clear creative strategies

Lead and direct the creative team in the production of all marketing collateral

Ensure visual communication and brand standards are met

Mentor, lead, and continually develop creative team members to foster a collaborative, creative work environment

Build, lead, and review work of the creative team in the production of digital and analog marketing collateral

Spearhead and manage content strategy for both small-scale projects, seasonal campaigns, and long-term brand health, harnessing strategy, digital and brand design, compelling content, and technology

Develop internal marketing campaigns and activations that translate marketing objectives across business partners into clear and motivating creative strategies

Lead a cross-functional team of graphic designers, copywriters, social media experts, photographers/videographers, and producers

Prioritize work and resources across engagements based on short- and long-term needs, establishing production schedules by collaborating with designers, copywriters, and production departments

Lead ideation sessions with creative team, maintaining strategic and creative thinking to develop innovative and actionable creative initiatives in a fiscally responsible manner

Review and approve art and copy developed by the team, ensuring deliverables that effectively address marketing goals and challenges

Produce fresh, innovative work that translates complex and nuanced ideas into compelling print materials and digital experiences for authentic audiences

Clearly articulate and present creative ideas and concepts for cross-functional, inter-departmental alignment


YOU ARE

Able to successfully concept for both in-season and future season product development.

Successful at leading both internal and external teams and providing accurate direction and goals.

Effective at mentor and manage the creative teams resources, from finances to team bandwidth and growth.

Successful at directly interacting and building relationships with external creatives, and building a network of talent and partners


YOU HAVE

8 years of related experience with 7+ years of creative direction in agency or brand setting

Years of experience creating marketing/advertising campaigns from developing vision and the message platform to overseeing production on time and budget

Understanding and past experience creating integrated content across all marketing channels from digital, social media, paid media, mobile, but also understand offline and print

Proven experience with concept development

Highly skilled with leading a team of creative talent, from copywriting, design, and production

Strong creative vision with an understanding of business objectives

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Knowledge of how to develop brand identities through multi-channel marketing

Evidence of participation in ongoing professional development opportunities in the areas of graphic design or social media

Recent hands-on experience with applying design, copy, and/or web best practices

Talent in presenting information concisely and accurately, with keen attention to detail

Experience in related outdoor or sporting industry is beneficial. A strong connection to and understanding of mountain activities a plus (climbing, skiing, etc.).

High level of ownership of responsibilities, forward thinker, always working towards elevating brand opportunities.

Must be self-motivated and able to work independently, as well as part of and leading a team.

Excellence in Adobe CS (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effect, Premier, etc.), Apple Keynote and MS Office Suite (PowerPoint, Word, etc.) with ability to envision a finished product and execute accordingly.

Must possess strong visual and written communication skills for internal and partner communication.

Highly organized with the ability to prioritize, focus and problem solve in an entrepreneurial, deadline-driven environment.

Must be self-motivated and able to work independently, as well as part of