Design Director, Creative Services

BODYARMOR/POWERADE is a fast paced, dynamic environment where brand builders work together with the goal of becoming the number one sports drink! Extreme passion and teamwork are the essentials of being a successful member of the BODYARMOR and POWERADE team. We build camaraderie amongst co-workers, and help develop valuable relationships, with common goals in mind. BODYARMOR/POWERADE exudes an entrepreneurial culture combined with the resources and insight of one of the world’s most iconic companies, The Coca-Cola Company, which acquired BODYARMOR in 2021. This unique environment gives people the ability to go above and beyond expectations, multi-task, meet deadlines, and have fun accomplishing goals.

BODYARMOR/POWERADE is looking for a Director, Creative Design to join our team.

A Creative Design Director is responsible for overseeing the creative design team and their graphic design output for the BODYARMOR and POWERADE brands. This includes all work streams involving, print, POS, retail marketing and shopper adaptation, campaign print and OOH adaptation, regional marketing toolkit development, innovation identity systems, experiential tools, bottler adaptations, trade communications, packaging and influencer kits.

They will be proficient in art direction, closely working with the internal creative director and partner agencies to create and execute a proprietary look and feel for both the BODYARMOR and POWERADE brands.

Successful candidates will demonstrate superior ability to oversee and lead concepting, iteration and execution of design projects, from ideation thru execution and production. As the leader of the BODYARMOR/POWERADE creative design team, you will manage internal design team members to execute ideas across multiple touch points. You will also work with cross-functional team members (brand managers, social managers, field team managers) to interpret creative briefs, establish overall design direction for the brand and the individual brand platforms, lead innovation look and feel, and deliver compelling solutions in a collaborative, iterative process, achieving both creative excellence and effective communication pieces that drive positive business results.

RESPONSIBILITES:

• Oversee team of designers to concept, execute and produce high quality design solutions, from ideation through production. Workstreams will include marketing, branding, and advertising projects that leverage photography, digital, video production, websites and social media for multiple brand platforms and identity systems. Provide leadership through managers and senior managers.
• Lead team in delivery of complex brand and shopper marketing initiatives across multiple brand platforms.
• As an individual contributor considered master’s in professional discipline within the organization. Coaches other professionals in skills, delegates work to them and reviews it.
• Oversee print, OOH and digital content adaptations, including point-of-sale systems, display graphic systems, out-of-home, social media graphics, Banner adaptations, decks, toolkits and marketing collateral, experiential tools and influencer kits.
• Lead the development of distinct look and feel for each brand platform and help team members ensure brand strategy guidelines are maintain and evolved over time.
• Collaborate with producers to deliver proprietary assets, such as product and athlete photography, and oversee the postproduction and usage of said photography and video assets to create compelling communication and marketing tools. In some cases, oversee the look and feel of the assets and provide creative direction to producers for photoshoots and video capture.
• Work collaboratively with other team members, particularly cross-functional team members and project managers, to manage complex workstreams and ensure the team is delivering with excellence. Manage and negotiate critical timelines, key milestones, approvals, and output processes to enable the most effective and efficient outcomes.
• Be the final point of approval and oversight for all creative design-led marketing materials to ensure executional excellence
• Mentor and support team members’ growth and goals
• Be the primary point of contact within the design department for senior leaders and cross functional team members
• Innovate server protocols and asset management organization
• Explain and convince cross-functional leadership and senior leaders of the validity of creative choices and the best methodologies for executing creative assignments.
• Communicate and negotiate with key external vendors to get the most cost and time efficient solutions for the department while maintaining creative delivery excellence.
• Work closely with project management to lead resourcing and support approval processes
• Problems and issues faced can be complex and may require broad-based consideration of variables that impact multiple areas of the organization
• Requires ability to convince others within and outside of the organization to agree/accept new concepts, practices, and approaches impacting sub-functional/business strategy
• Conducts briefings with senior leaders within the job function and may conduct briefings with senior leaders outside of the job function
• Problems are typically solved through drawing prior experience, analysis, and interpretation of internal or external issues and modification of these to come up with solution definition

REQUIREMENTS:

• College degree in graphic design or related field preferred
• 8+ years relative design experience required
• Team management experience required
• Expert-level knowledge in Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign required
• Proven leadership capabilities, including ability to motivate & mentor others
• Effective presentation skills. Can negotiate and persuade senior cross-functional team members, brand marketing & senior management teams on design direction and creative solutions.
• Team builder who creates trust and loyalty amongst their team members
• Accomplished print & digital production experience with a passion for executional excellence
• Thought leader on color theory, design composition & layout
• Thought leader in development of marketing collateral and point-of-sale material, and packaging.
• Thought leader in conveying a brand identity system (whether established or developed by the designer), visual identity systems and marketing/sale toolkits using multiple platforms including PPT that are clearly understood by others.
• Expertise in production skills such as photography/photoshoot direction, Video/Film (shooting/editing/direction), retouching and any postproduction processes that provide foundational assets for graphic design output. (Adobe After Effects/Premiere/similar app knowledge a plus)
• Familiar with creative communication and project management tools such as Asana, Trello, and Slack
• CPG and/or Sports Marketing design background highly preferred
• Travel (NYC based), 20% required by plane or car