Director, Creative Services COE Leader

Job Summary:

The Creative Services Center of Excellence (CoE) is a virtual team of specialized, client-focused, and high-performing creative and design professionals responsible for creating visual designs, creative brand representations, and copy layout that can be used across print and digital applications. The team works closely with industry, business line, and brand marketing leadership, along with BDO professionals and firm leadership, to develop and execute the visual elements of marketing strategies, materials, and campaigns.

The Creative Services Director is able to translate business goals into compelling creative strategies and manages the teams that execute them. The role is a blend of creative vision and strategic planning, ensuring that all creative output aligns with the brand's identity and effectively reaches the target audience. This is a hands-on leadership role for an individual who is not afraid to roll up their sleeves and contribute directly to creative projects. The ideal candidate will balance strategic thinking with strong tactical execution to produce innovative, high-quality, and on-brand creative work. This individual oversees the people, process, and technology that bring to life the visual elements of marketing strategy and plays a critical role In increasing our brand value through multi-media designs that represent our firm's visual identity and brand story.

This position requires the ability to articulate vision and priorities, manage a diverse team, and implement creative ideas in a fast-paced, agency-like environment. This role oversees resources and projects related to the firm's creative services, including visual identity and branding, advertisements, digital experiences, videos, and publications. This role functions as the lead supervisor on various projects, drives creative strategy, provides leadership and direction, and upholds our standards for design, branding, and visual style in print and digital media.

Job Duties:

• Maintains a holistic understanding of the entire creative process, from content development to design and strategy
• Collaborates on the ideation and delivery of new design concepts for a variety of projects which may include print, digital/web, video, signage, newsletters, training materials, and reports/publications
• Serves as a strategic internal resource to marketing professionals, industry groups, and business lines to ensure that the visuals, messaging, and interactive elements of a project are properly aligned with the firm's vision and brand standards
• Collaborates with the Creative Services team and internal clients to establish a vision for a deliverable or design and create a visual concept by studying or researching information and materials
• Establishes schedules for short-term and long-term projects; plans tasks accordingly; and manages workflows, team/support staff, and goals to ensure projects are delivered on time and are of the utmost quality
• Focuses on finding new ways to evolve the brand through innovative design and visual concepts
  Researches, tests, and brings new technologies and processes onboard to support digital transformation and efficiencies
• Champions the BDO brand to ensure all marketing and communications reflect the firm's messaging, positioning, and visual identity
• Develops and maintains tools/resources to communicate corporate visual identity and design processes in alignment with global standards
• Illustrates visual concept by designing and refining the layout of art and copy regarding arrangement, size, type size and style, and related aesthetic concepts
• Employs color, type, illustration, photography, animation, and layout techniques that align with firm brand standards
• Reviews and approves designs and other types of graphics created by team; obtains approval of concept according to national marketing protocol and defined processes
• Prepares print-ready files and liaises with external vendors and printers for finished copy and deliverables
• Maintains technical and industry knowledge by attending design workshops; reviewing professional publications; participating in professional societies
• Works with external agencies and vendors (advertising, PR, graphic design, printing) to create specific deliverables
• Develops and delivers firmwide brand visual elements and PowerPoint training, including training specific to marketing, administrative, and business development professionals
• Other duties as required

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Mentors, motivates, and supervises the Creative Services team to nurture their ideas and monitor overall performance
• Supervises the day to day work assignments and ensures quality deliverables
• Develops and delivers training programs to support team and individual professional growth

Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Experience:

• Bachelor's degree, required; Major in Graphic Design, preferred

Experience:

• Ten (10) or more years of design or marketing and communications experience, required
• Experience with professional services (i.e., accounting, financial consulting, business advisory services and/or banking industries), preferred
• Experience overseeing cross functional teams in an in-house or outside agency environment, preferred

License(s)/Certification(s):

• N/A

Software:

• Advanced experience with InDesign, Illustrator, and design-related Adobe or similar applications, required
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office Suite, specifically advanced knowledge of PowerPoint, required
• Experience with interactive content creation tools, like Ceros, Outgrow, and ContentTools, preferred
• Experience with video creation programs, Adobe AfterEffects and/or Premiere Pro, preferred
• Other Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
• Excellent IT skills, especially with design and photo-editing software
• Exceptional creativity and innovation
• Excellent project leadership, time management and organizational skills
• Accuracy and attention to detail are essential
• An understanding of the latest design and marketing trends and their role within a professional services environment
• Ability to work in a deadline-driven environment while handling multiple projects simultaneously and managing process and service providers (internal and external) to accomplish desired results
• Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills with specific experience writing for marketing materials
• Strong interpersonal and client service skills, consultative approach to working with marketing and client service professionals at all levels
• Knowledge of production print processes
• Ability to understand and communicate BDO business, marketplace and value proposition
• Driven self-starter with a proactive approach to serving professionals at all levels in a client-oriented, matrix environment

Individual salaries that are offered to a candidate are determined after consideration of numerous factors including but not limited to the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and geography.

National Range: $140,000 - $170,000
Colorado Range: $140,000 - $170,000
Illinois Range: $140,000 - $170,000