Position Summary
Exceptional visual communication and the successful expression of an institutional brand do not happen by chance—they result from visionary leadership, deep expertise, and a commitment to collaboration across diverse teams. If you are a creative leader with a passion for visual storytelling, brand development, and innovative design solutions, the University at Buffalo (UB) has an outstanding opportunity for you as the
Creative Director within the
Division of University Communications (UC). Join UB, a top public research university and New York’s flagship, to help shape the visual identity and enhance the outstanding reputation of a world-class institution.
Position Overview
The Creative Director is responsible for overseeing and guiding the visual expression of the UB brand across all university communications channels. This individual serves as the primary steward of UB’s visual identity, ensuring that all communications meet the highest standards of design excellence and brand consistency. Working closely with the Associate Vice President for Marketing and Digital Communications (AVP), the Creative Director leads a talented team of visual communications professionals, providing mentorship, strategic direction, and creative guidance on all divisional projects.
Key responsibilities include:
Consultation and Production: Serve as the university’s expert on design and the visual expression of the institutional brand, providing consultation to campus colleagues and guiding the utilization and maturation of UB’s brand standards. Conceptualize and design solutions for a wide array of high-visibility communications needs, spanning print, digital, and environmental media.
Oversight and Guidance: Lead and mentor the Visual Communications team, fostering a collaborative and innovative environment. Provide creative direction on divisional projects, review and refine team output, and ensure that all deliverables meet the highest quality standards before final production.
Project Operations: Collaborate with the AVP and UC’s Project Manager to balance workloads, manage deadlines, and maximize team efficiency. Oversee the integration of freelance talent when necessary, ensuring that external contributions align with UB’s design and brand standards.
Administration: Lead the hiring and evaluation of visual communications staff, advise on administrative decisions, and collaborate with the AVP on strategic initiatives. Identify and coordinate professional development opportunities for the team, ensuring that UB’s visual communications capabilities remain cutting-edge.
As Creative Director, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring that UB’s visual communications are not only aesthetically distinctive and refined but also aligned with the university’s strategic objectives and brand standards. This position offers a unique opportunity to shape the visual identity of one of the nation’s leading public universities and to mentor the next generation of visual communication professionals.
Outstanding Benefits Package
Working at UB comes with benefits that exceed salary alone. There are personal rewards including comprehensive health and retirement plan options. We also focus on creating and sustaining a healthy mix of work, personal and academic pursuit – all in an effort to support your work-life effectiveness. We support your growth and development through our career coaching and training department and we qualify as a public service loan forgiveness organization. Learn more about our
benefit packages.
About University Communications
Under the Vice President for Communications, the
Division of University Communications (UC) is responsible for providing strategic leadership for institutional communications initiatives and practices, including internal communications, issues management, marketing and branding, trademarks and licensing, visual and editorial storytelling, crisis communications, and media relations for the University at Buffalo. UC is highly visible, and its communications products are the public face of the university for many audiences. The division’s activities are closely aligned with the goals of UB’s
Top 25 Ambition and are directed by a communications strategy with four primary objectives:
- Strengthen UB’s reputation worldwide as one of the nation’s leading public research universities and generate greater awareness of that reputation among key audiences, including peers, prospective students and faculty.
- Build pride in the university and support its initiatives among students, faculty, staff, alumni, so that UB and its key stakeholders can achieve their goals.
- Protect UB’s reputation, and its ability maintain its operations, through proactive and responsive issues management and crisis communications.
- Support UB’s diversity, equity and inclusion goals by developing communications standards, practices and content to support a culture of inclusion at UB.
UC strives to integrate and align communications vehicles and associated disciplines, and provide strategic direction and best-practice counsel for communicators across the university, calling for a continual need to improve efficiency and effectiveness within the organization and across institutional channels.
About The University at BuffaloThe University at Buffalo (UB) #ubuffalo is one of America’s leading public research universities and a flagship of the State University of New York system, recognized for our excellence and our impact. UB is a premier, research-intensive public university dedicated to academic excellence. Our research, creative activity and people positively impact the world. Like the city we call home, UB is distinguished by a culture of resilient optimism, resourceful thinking and pragmatic dreaming that enables us to reach others every day. Visit our website to learn more about the
University at Buffalo.
University at Buffalo is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and, in keeping with our commitment, welcomes all to apply including veterans and individuals with disabilities.
Minimum Qualifications
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in visual communications, graphic design, or related field with three years of full-time work experience as a professional communicator in a creative/design leadership role, OR
- Equivalent combination of education and professional experience will be considered.
Experience
- Superior management skills are essential, including the ability to lead personnel, build teams, and provide creative direction, problem solve, and design communications.
- Knowledge of design industry standards, studio operations and office systems is key.
- Solid conceptual skills are integrally important to success.
- Must have significant experience developing and/or maturing and managing the visual components of a complex, large-scale institutional brand.
- Experience overseeing the development of publications, brand campaigns, electronic media, and related graphic design collateral is a must.
- Advanced skills with standard graphics applications—including InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator—are required.
Preferred Qualifications
- Leadership experience in higher education.
- Supervisory experience strongly preferred.
