Creative Services Manager

: Description:

Department: Marketing

Reports to: Director of Marketing and Communications

Classification: Exempt, full-time with benefits

Salary range: $81,000-$90,000 depending on relevant experience

This is an onsite, Boston-based position. Local candidates strongly preferred. No agencies, please.

Please submit a cover letter with your application.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Core Values

Isabella Stewart Gardner believed that art had the power to change lives and she built a beautiful, personal, and immersive Museum setting to do so. Today the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (ISGM) is a living embodiment of her bold vision; it's a dynamic place where ideas and creativity in all its forms inspire visitors. Through exhibitions, music, programs, and performances we strive to tell new stories and challenge assumptions by engaging diverse voices and community members.

Our Core Values are:

• Creativity is our Legacy
• Community is our Purpose
• The Collection is our Catalyst
• Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion are our Commitments

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum seeks to connect past with present, develop and sustain mutually beneficial partnerships with our local communities and artists, expand and diversify our audiences, and generate opportunities for creativity. We are firmly committed to creating both an inclusive work culture and a welcoming visitor experience. Our five-year strategic plan outlines the Museum's core values, goals, and initiatives that serve as a renewal of Isabella's promise for the Museum to be a place for “the education and enjoyment of the public forever.”

Position Summary

The Creative Services Manager is a creative leader who will partner with teams across the organization, in collaboration with the Marketing team, to evolve the Gardner Museum brand in all forms of collateral materials and other design projects (for print use, web, social, etc.). This role holds the key to bringing the magic of the Gardner to life through design, audio, and video projects keeping in mind both our on-site and external audiences. This role has responsibility for all creative needs of the Marketing department through a combination of hands-on design and partnering with the entire in-house Marketing team and, on occasion, outside vendors, consultants, and freelancers.

This role requires a “brand champion” who can connect visual identity, strategy, and big picture goals with daily generation of creative projects across all platforms: digital, print, video, audio, OOH, etc. It requires an open-minded creative strategist who can marry consistency with smart flexibility, and the passion to push creative boundaries while building strong relationships with internal clients and key stakeholders. The Creative Services Manager, in collaboration with the Director of Marketing and Communications, will work collaboratively to execute the annual Marketing plan and meet assigned goals on deadline and within budget.

Essential Functions and Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the creative execution of brand content, including marketing campaigns, collateral, digital, emails, etc. while maintaining, monitoring, and enforcing standards Museum wide.
• Responsible for all phases of a project including estimating, design, production, purchasing, proofing, and archiving.
• Ensure the team upholds the brand integrity at all junctions.
• Oversee the regular update and enhancement of our Museum's brand tools, ensuring they remain relevant and effective across various departments. This includes maintaining and refining our brand book and application guidelines, and standardizing brand elements across all platforms to guarantee a consistent and cohesive brand experience.
• Participate in and/or lead creative team brainstorming.
• Is a creative ambassador; foster a culture of creative thinking and innovation.
• Expand and execute brand and exhibition advertising campaigns.
• Develop and produce animations for digital advertising.
• Establish strong workflows for all creative projects; once designed work across Museum with various departments and communicate out to stakeholders to ensure consistency with how all projects are managed.
• Build and efficiently manage a diverse group of freelance creatives, including outside agencies, with focus on brand guidelines, strategy, and quality, for a multitude of design, print, and digital projects.
• Develop, create, and execute on-demand design requests and projects in house when possible.
• Manage relationships and negotiations with printers and other outside vendors to include best practices.
• Research and analyze industry trends and maintain knowledge of emerging technologies and creative techniques.
• Educate, inspire, and motivate colleagues across the organization to help collectively drive the brand forward.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

Required

• Bachelor's degree in graphic design, art, advertising, or another related field.
• 8 or more years' related professional experience in the creative industry.
• Self-starter who is a creative, detail-oriented, enthusiastic team player.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Experience setting creative direction, and organizing and prioritizing workload in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to multitask and meet tight deadlines.
• Experience managing and coordinating internal and external teams.
• An online portfolio or samples of work demonstrating strong creative direction and/or design acumen.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Highly proficient in print and digital design and production including Adobe Creative Suite, Google Workplace (Drive, Docs, Slides, etc.), and Powerpoint.
• Commitment to advancing the ISGM's diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) initiatives.
• Legal authorization to work in the United States.

Desirable

• Museum and/or non-profit experience.
• Love art and the process of creating communications materials.
• Sense of humor.

COVID-19 Protocols

All employees of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum are required to provide their COVID-19 vaccination status. If you are not vaccinated, you will need to participate in an interactive process to request a religious or medical accommodation and to submit weekly test results, in addition to following other federal, state and CDC recommendations.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion is one of the core values we hold close to our business practices. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is committed to affording equal opportunities to qualified individuals regardless of race, color, gender, gender identity, genetics, military/veteran status, pregnancy, religion, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, or any other basis prohibited by applicable laws.

Request an Accommodation

Applicants with disabilities who are unable to fully access ISGM's online application system may contact us at [email protected] for assistance with a reasonable accommodation.