Creative Director

Summary

Job Summary

The Creative Director provides strategic brand leadership and integrated communications direction for the Division of Employee Health \& Well-Being (EHWB) at the University of Colorado Boulder. This is a limited-term position, not expected to exceed one year. EHWB encompasses five employee-centered units — the Office of Victim Assistance (OVA), the Faculty \& Staff Assistance Program (FSAP), the Contemplative Arts, Learning and Meditation (CALM) Center, WorkWell, and ADA \& Compliance — each serving distinct and often vulnerable employee populations while operating under a shared divisional identity.

In this role, the Creative Director serves as the primary creative and communications partner for EHWB, translating complex, sensitive, and multi-audience program priorities into clear, emotionally resonant, and strategically sequenced communications. The Creative Director sets direction: establishing brand architecture, defining messaging frameworks, leading campaign strategy, and ensuring that every communications touchpoint reflects the division’s commitment to inclusive care, empowerment, and sustained employee impact.

The Creative Director will lead the transition from ad hoc, reactive communications to a proactive, campaign-based model — building the systems, workflows, and creative infrastructure that allow EHWB to communicate with consistency, intention, and measurable effect. This role begins with a primary focus on EHWB and carries meaningful potential to expand creative leadership across the broader Operations Division over time.

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

Employee Health and Well-Being is part of CU Boulder Strategic Resources and Support and is dedicated to supporting the health, well-being, and success of CU Boulder employees. We provide resources, programs, and services that promote physical, mental, emotional, and workplace well-being, helping faculty and staff thrive both personally and professionally. Employee Health and Well-Being collaborates with campus partners to foster a healthy, supportive, and inclusive work environment for all employees.

Responsibilities

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

Brand Strategy and Creative Direction

• Lead development and stewardship of the EHWB brand platform, visual identity system, and sub-brand architecture across all five units — OVA, FSAP, the CALM Center, WorkWell, and The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) \& Compliance
• Define tone, visual direction, and messaging frameworks that reflect the division's commitment to inclusive care, empowerment, and sustained employee impact
• Serve as the strategic creative authority for all division communications, ensuring consistency and integrity across every touchpoint
• Build scalable brand governance systems that enable consistent execution across internal teams, external partners, and distributed production models

Campaign Development and Integrated Communications

• Plan, concept, and direct integrated campaigns across digital, social, print, email, and experiential channels, operating proactively rather than reactively to anticipate program needs and communications opportunities
• Translate complex, sensitive, and multi-audience program priorities into clear, emotionally resonant, and strategically sequenced communications
• Develop audience segmentation strategies by working directly with unit leaders and subject matter experts to understand employee populations, needs, and behaviors
• Oversee campaign sequencing, timing, and channel strategy to ensure message, medium, and moment are aligned

Content Production Oversight and Asset Development

• Direct the creation of recurring and campaign-specific communications assets, providing creative oversight and art direction for design, copy, and multimedia deliverables
• Manage production in partnership with internal teams and external vendors, maintaining brand integrity across all output regardless of who completes final production
• Establish clear handoff protocols, review rights, and quality standards for hybrid production models where internal teams handle final publishing or deployment

Communications Planning and Workflow Systems

• Build and manage a proactive, planned communications calendar for EHWB, shifting the division from ad hoc, reactive output to a campaign-based production model
• Develop batching systems, revision cycles, and approval workflows that support consistent, high-quality output across multiple concurrent initiatives
• Establish accountability structures and service-level expectations across internal collaborators and external partners

Measurement, Reporting and Optimization

• Define, track, and report on communications performance metrics across channels, including reach, engagement, conversion, and audience growth
• Analyze campaign data to surface insights that inform future creative strategy, channel selection, and audience targeting
• Coordinate with internal analytics resources to build reporting infrastructure and translate performance data into actionable recommendations

Partner Advising and Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Serve as an essential communications advisor to EHWB unit leads and division leadership, presenting creative rationale and strategic direction clearly at the senior and executive level
• Collaborate with internal teams including Strategic Relations and Communications (SRC), web, IT, and other Operations Division units as the scope of this role expands over time
• Work effectively in hybrid production environments where the Creative Director leads strategy and creative development while internal teams manage implementation, permissions, and final publishing

What You Should Know

This is a limited-term position, not expected to exceed one year.

What We Can Offer

The salary range for this position is $99,700-$125,000 annually.

Benefits

At the University of Colorado Boulder , we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County’s largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program.

Be Statements

Be creative. Be inspired. Be Boulder.

What We Require

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in graphic design, visual communications, marketing, advertising, communications, or a closely related field
• 6\+ years of professional experience in creative direction, brand strategy, or integrated marketing communications for a professional organization, institution of higher education, public agency, or comparable private or nonprofit sector organization
• Demonstrated experience leading brand development and visual identity systems across multiple audiences or organizational units
• Demonstrated experience concepting and delivering integrated, multi-channel communications campaigns with measurable outcomes
• Demonstrated experience advising senior leadership on brand positioning, messaging strategy, and communications direction

What You Will Need

• Mastery of brand system development, including visual identity, messaging architecture, and multi-unit sub-brand extension
• Ability to translate complex, sensitive, and purposeful subject matter into clear, emotionally resonant visual and verbal communications
• Strong creative judgment and aesthetic sensibility with the ability to maintain brand integrity across diverse applications and channel contexts
• Advanced knowledge of multi-channel communications strategy across digital, social, email, print, experiential, and web touch points
• Ability to develop and manage campaign architecture from concept through execution, including audience segmentation, channel selection, message sequencing, and timing
• Knowledge of paid media strategy, performance measurement, and optimization principles
• Demonstrated ability to develop authentic, people-forward communications that honor the dignity and complexity of diverse employee populations
• Cultural competency and sensitivity in communicating about mental health, trauma, disability, financial hardship, and other sensitive subject areas
• Ability to build and manage proactive communications calendars and production workflows in complex organizational environments
• Strong project management skills; ability to manage multiple concurrent initiatives against competing deadlines with a high degree of initiative and ownership
• Ability to communicate creative rationale and strategic direction clearly and persuasively to senior and executive partners
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with internal subject matter experts, communications peers, and external vendors or agency partners
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Premiere) and Figma or equivalent design tools

What We Would Like You To Have

• Software Used: Microsoft Office products, donor tracking software (Salesforce), Zoom, Teams, LinkedIn
• Experience working in a non-profit or higher education environment
• Background in liberal arts, the fine arts, STEM education, graduate level education, academic research, libraries and archives
• Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) certification

Special Instructions

To Apply, Please Submit The Following Materials

• A current resume.
• A cover letter that specifically tells us how your background and experience align with the requirements, qualifications, and responsibilities of the position.

We may request references at a later time.

Please apply by

July 13, 2026

for consideration.

Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, please apply through CU Boulder Jobs .

In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.