Washington University in St. Louis

Senior Creative Director, Design (Hybrid) - Medicine Marketing & Communications

660 S Euclid Ave, St Louis, MO 63110

Full-time · $96k–$169k (as posted)

First seen by offpeak October 4, 2026

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Location

St. Louis, MO 63110

Scheduled Hours

Position Summary

The Sr. Creative Director (design) is an outstanding designer and visual storyteller, an expert communicator and passionate problem solver responsible for all aspects of visual marketing and communications and, along with the Sr. Creative Director (copy), is responsible for creative operations, overseeing the work of the department’s in-house creative staff as well as freelance and agency partners. The Sr. Creative Director is a compelling and inspiring presenter, a senior-level client contact, and is focused on large-scale campaigns and key initiatives that support the clinical enterprise, advancement, recruitment, commercialization and all departments across the education, research and clinical practices at WashU Medicine. Both as manager and hands-on designer, the Sr. Creative Director will ensure the team, including its culture, work environment, tools, capabilities and processes support the delivery of inspiring, industry-leading creative that helps the university’s School of Medicine (including departments, labs, partnerships and more) achieve their objectives.

Job Description

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

Strategy and Design

The Sr. Creative Director (design) is responsible for the development of the visual expression and creative strategy of the brand for all projects, including (but not limited to) digital, print, social, video and environmental design while providing clear and productive creative direction to team members.
Establish best-in-class design for WashU Medicine while also pitching in and helping whenever and wherever needed, but this should not come at the expense of the development and productivity to other team members.
Strong design proficiency in a variety of capacities, especially digital, with a devotion to grammatical and material accuracy.
Advanced understanding of typography, composition, color theory and design best practices and technologies.
Work with the team to ensure the work delivers on the strategy, determine the effectiveness of the work after it has been activated, and use the learnings to make the necessary adjustments and improvements to future work.
Monitor projects through all phases of production.
Effectively handle multiple assignments and manage multiple team members at one time and adhere to client budget and time constraints.

Concepting and Idea Development

Lead, inspire, motivate, and develop a creative team of art directors and copywriters.
Develop strategy, concept ideas, and provide direction to the team throughout the creative process.
The Sr. Creative Director possesses strong creative ideas, but more importantly gives others the confidence to express their ideas, too. People shouldn’t work with you because they have to — they should work with you because they want to.
Present and sell in the department’s work in compelling ways to clients. The presentation should demonstrate a clear vision of how the work addresses the client challenge.
Interact with members of the creative team to develop creative concepts and executions of assigned project(s).
Possess solid understanding of the market dynamics and challenges of the medical and higher education categories.
Present new ideas to members of the team.

Mentorship (Talent and Resource Development)

The Sr. Creative Director ensures the professional development and readiness of the creative team so their team members are learning, growing, and getting better every single day.
Train and supervise assigned staff of designers, writers, and production personnel; oversee their execution of all assigned creative efforts to insure they are on strategy, on budget, and on schedule.
Resolve differences with other team members throughout the agency which may lead to discord in the office.
Effectively promote the overall creative capabilities of the department.
Share best practices to benefit overall creative staff/communications professionals at the School of Medicine.
Other duties as assigned.

Working Conditions:
Job Location/Working Conditions

Normal office environment.

Physical Effort

Typically working at desk or table.
Repetitive wrist, hand or finger movement.
Ability to move to on and off-campus locations.

Equipment

Office equipment

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by the personnel so classified. Management reserves the right to revise or amend duties at any time.

Required Qualifications

Education:

Bachelor's degree

Certifications/Professional Licenses:

No specific certification/professional license is required for this position.

Work Experience:

Progressive Responsibility In The Areas Of Multi-Media Storytelling Within A News, Non-Profit, Corporate, Or Creative Agency Setting (5 Years)

Skills:

Advertising, Creative Services, Public Relations (PR)

Driver's License:

A driver's license is not required for this position.

More About This Job

Preferred Qualifications

Seven years of experience in a similar role managing creative teams.
Strong design background, with proficiency in the digital space.
Experience in brand identity development.
Think creatively + strategically and provide marketable solutions in concepts, development, and producing tactics through the filter of brand voice.
Convey the vision and values of the agency to staff.
Experience working on healthcare, pharma, medicine or higher education.
Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts, Marketing, Communications, Advertising, or related field preferred or Master's degree.
Experience in both traditional and digital media.
Strong attention to detail. The Sr. Creative Director (design) is required to use a keen eye and sense of design and communication to ensure that every piece of visual work is mistake free and lives up to the Marketing and Communications Team’s high standards.
Ability to lead by example and continue their own development within the agency.
Desire to work collaboratively as part of a larger team in a fast-paced environment.
Desire to take on new challenges, grow and learn every day.
Polished presentation skills demonstrating a clear vision of how the work addresses the client challenge.
Have a passion for marketing, staying informed of industry best practices.
Be a leader of the overall business and process, working with account and project manager teams to assure appropriate creative strategies, adequacy/accuracy of input, schedules, budgets, production support, necessary reviews, and client presentations.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

M.A. - Master of Arts

Certifications/Professional Licenses:

No additional certification/professional licenses unless stated elsewhere in the job posting.

Work Experience:

No additional work experience unless stated elsewhere in the job posting.

Skills:

Active Listening, Adobe Creative Studio, Brand Identity, Communication, Creative Approaches, Creative Media, Creative Strategies, Digital Designs, Educational Institutions, Environmental Graphic Design, Feedback Management, Financial Management, Fine Arts, Media Arts, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Nonprofit Organizations, People Management, Persuasion, Print Design, Self-Starter, Sound Judgment

Grade

G16

Salary Range

$96,000.00 - $169,300.00 / Annually

The salary range reflects base salaries paid for positions in a given job grade across the University. Individual rates within the range will be determined by factors including one's qualifications and performance, equity with others in the department, market rates for positions within the same grade and department budget.

Questions

For frequently asked questions about the application process, please refer to our External Applicant FAQ.

Accommodation

If you are unable to use our online application system and would like an accommodation, please email CandidateQuestions@wustl.edu or call the dedicated accommodation inquiry number at 314-935-1149 and leave a voicemail with the nature of your request.

All qualified individuals must be able to perform the essential functions of the position satisfactorily and, if requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship.

Pre-Employment Screening

All external candidates receiving an offer for employment will be required to submit to pre-employment screening for this position. The screenings will include criminal background check and, as applicable for the position, other background checks, drug screen, an employment and education or licensure/certification verification, physical examination, certain vaccinations and/or governmental registry checks. All offers are contingent upon successful completion of required screening.

Benefits Statement

Personal

Up to 22 days of vacation, 10 recognized holidays, and sick time.
Competitive health insurance packages with priority appointments and lower copays/coinsurance.
Take advantage of our free Metro transit U-Pass for eligible employees.
WashU provides eligible employees with a defined contribution (403(b)) Retirement Savings Plan, which combines employee contributions and university contributions starting at 7%.

Wellness

Wellness challenges, annual health screenings, mental health resources, mindfulness programs and courses, employee assistance program (EAP), financial resources, access to dietitians, and more!

Family

We offer 4 weeks of caregiver leave to bond with your new child. Family care resources are also available for your continued childcare needs. Need adult care? We’ve got you covered.
WashU covers the cost of tuition for you and your family, including dependent undergraduate-level college tuition up to 100% at WashU and 40% elsewhere after seven years with us.

For policies, detailed benefits, and eligibility, please visit: https://hr.wustl.edu/benefits/

EEO Statement

Washington University in St. Louis is committed to the principles and practices of equal employment opportunity. It is the University’s policy to provide equal opportunity and access to persons in all job titles without regard to race, ethnicity, color, national origin, citizenship (where prohibited by federal law), age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information.

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