Creative Director jobs in Cincinnati, OH

Job Title: Creative Director

Department: Integrated Content & Communications

Reports To:. SVP, Integrated Marketing & Communications

FLSA Status: Exempt

About FC Cincinnati: FC Cincinnati is a Major League Soccer team playing at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. Originally founded in 2015 by Carl H. Lindner III and Co-CEO Jeff Berding, FCC began play in the United Soccer League (USL) in 2016. FCC entered MLS as the 24th team in 2019. The club’s wide and diverse ownership group is led by controlling owner Lindner III; as well as managing owners Meg Whitman and Dr. Griff Harsh; Scott Farmer; and George Joseph. FC Cincinnati opened the club’s privately funded, 26,000-seat soccer-specific TQL Stadium in the West End neighborhood of Cincinnati in 2021, a venue which has won numerous global awards including the World Football Summit Best Venue 2022 in Madrid and the 2022 Prix Versailles World Title in the Sports Category in Paris, France. The club earned its first MLS Cup Playoffs berth in 2022, advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinal as the no. 5 seed. The club won the 2018 USL Regular-Season Championship in record-setting fashion and earned postseason berths in all three of its USL seasons. In 2017, FC Cincinnati also advanced to the semifinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a run that included victories over two MLS squads.

Position Summary: The Creative Director will be the club’s leader and advocate for all FC Cincinnati brand marketing and advertising. The candidate will possess a strong creative vision with a focus on business objectives. They will have a natural eye for design and be a prolific generator of dynamic ideas that connect with key audiences. An experienced manager of people, the Creative Director is someone who can inspire others while taking the club’s creative output to a new level as we continue to pursue ambitious goals. The candidate will lead the team’s visual brand strategy across all platforms and create work that positively highlights all areas of the club, including its on-field performance (first team, Academy, affiliates), as well as all its business units/initiatives/corporate partnerships and other interests central to the club (construction projects, community engagement, etc.).

The Creative Director must have exceptionally strong communication and organizational skills and be deadline-driven in execution. Creativity, strong attention to detail, hard work, accountability are paramount to success in the position. A strong understanding and familiarity with brand strategy, design, and motion graphics – including insights-based decision-making, photo, video, and graphic design (still and motion) are necessary to aid in the oversight of the staff.

What You'll Do:

• Lead the team’s visual brand strategy and creative development in a manner that is consistent with our brand narrative.
• Drive the organization’s creative ideation, planning, and execution while keeping the club’s core values and brand in focus.
  • Prioritize projects so all departments, initiatives and goals are reached in the most efficient manner.
  • Work collaboratively with marketing department leads to build targeted communications and campaigns.
• Develop, lead and collaborate with the designers, shooters/editors and game production team to create compelling and engaging campaigns.
• Manage and lead a studio of designers.
• Collaborate with other departments to build creative that fulfills club goals and relationships, specifically relating to sponsorships, partnership marketing, retail, community relations and promotional marketing and content fulfillment.
• Manage and lead kit development process with club, league and adidas stakeholders.
• Work collaboratively with the retail team; understand what Major League Soccer rules/mandates require, and leverage that understanding to work collaboratively and think creatively about pushing boundaries and what’s possible in terms of design and our partners.
• Responsible for brand guidelines and ensuring appropriate usage of marks internally and externally:
  • Needs to be familiar with league brand requirements and keep abreast of any changes that may impact FCC from a marketing/creative perspective.
  • Needs to understand trademark requirements to ensure brand and marks usage have supporting creative (either through product placement or strategic inclusion in communications/social media) to support continued protection of club marks.
• Serve as the team’s subject matter expert around creative development.
• Work collaboratively with all departments to ensure a cohesive brand across all channels.
• Represent the club at league and federation events as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

What You'll Bring:

• Ability to efficiently lead multiple projects and keep all projects on time and budget.
• Ability to collaborate efficiently with other department leaders.
• Knowledge of, and interest in, soccer and sports, as well as pop culture.
• Creative and strategic thinking.
• Expertise in graphic design and brand marketing.
• Expertise in managing and developing visual brand strategies for a sports or entertainment entity.
• Expert knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite, including Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere and After Effects.
• Experience in creating integrated content across all marketing channels: digital, social media, paid media and mobile.
• Experience in project management with a focus on creative direction.
• Experience working with designers and content producers to ideate, pitch, and develop new narratives.
• Experience working closely with ticketing and sponsorship departments to meet the needs of the fan.
• A record of success in increasing engagement and growth in key tracking metrics.
• Represent the club in ethical and professional manners at all times.

Experience/Education Requirements:

• Minimum 7 years of professional experience in a creative and design function, preferably at an agency, agency-style environment, or team.
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience building creative campaigns.
• Minimum of 3 years managing a team.

Match Day Responsibilities

The Creative Director may have professional obligations for FC Cincinnati games during the season, including preseason, regular-season, postseason and in-season tournaments. Additionally, any special events hosted by the club – including international friendlies – maybe included.

Work Hours

In addition to normal business hours, weekend, evening and holiday work will be required as schedule and project workload dictates. Travel, including international, may be required.

Why You'll Love FCC:

• Generous paid time off including vacation, personal, sick, and holiday time
• Option for one work from home day per week (by department and schedule)
• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, 401k plan with company match
• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Maternity & Paternity Leave and Family Building Benefit
• Employee Assistance Program
• Discount off merchandise in team store
• Community volunteer opportunities
• Professional development opportunities
• Frequent team building opportunities
• Employee recognition programs and referral programs
• Opportunity for complimentary staff tickets to home FC Cincinnati matches

FC Cincinnati is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

About Quantum Sports Entertainment Group:

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