Associate director of creative projects

Reporting to the Senior Associate Director of Creative, the Associate Director of Creative Development serves as the primary project manager for Student Life’s creative and communication projects. This position will work collaboratively with other key creative positions within the Student Life Creative Team to create unified content campaigns, oversee digital processes, and serve as key informational liaison with the partner teams of Student Life. The position collaborates with Student Life: Operations and other areas of Student Life for project “hand off” to ensure logical elements of project delivery occur in a timely manner. This position also provides support and oversight to ensure quality control and accuracy for a variety of digital, print-based, and social media creative projects, executed by a team of creative student workers. The ideal candidate has a strong background in project management and process development, has a strong eye for detail, and has a strong ability to synthesize information into effective strategic plans.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Project Management, Development, and Oversight

• Oversee all project tracking, reporting, and documentation
• Proactively assess departmental process effectiveness, developing solutions to improve creative team productivity, production quality, and accuracy.
• Research and implement industry best practices regarding project management
• Formulate project plans to ensure the objectives, budget, and timelines are met.
• Review workloads and timesheets, reallocating resources as needed to ensure project timeliness and efficiency.
• Provide updates to the Executive Director and Senior Associate Director regarding project timelines, problems, and solutions.
• Serve as key liaison with partner teams for all external creative requests
• Coordinate with the partner teams within Student Life to obtain project requests, assess upcoming project needs, and ensure accuracy for ongoing projects
• Collaborate with partner teams to ensure documentation regarding the projects needs, direction, etc. are ingested by Creative for production.
• Submit and proof external project requests and approvals through LU’s Marketing Department, as needed

Quality Control Lead

• Oversee quality control for all outward-facing communication, focusing on textual and informational accuracy across print pieces, web (Wordpress) edits, email copy, and other digital and print communication channels as needed.
• Serve as lead copy editor as needed, to facilitate informational accuracy for the partner teams of student life

Creative Assistant Oversight

• Oversee a team of creative student workers (Creative Assistants), as they execute a variety of graphic design, social media, video, and photo projects
• Coordinate scheduling, off-time, timecards, and other administrative tasks as needed for the Creative Assistants.
• Coordinate with the Assistant Directors of Social Media, Digital Media, and Graphic Design to assign projects to students, oversee all ongoing projects from an efficiency standpoint, and facilitate timely and accurate asset delivery.
• Hold periodic meetings with Creative Assistants to ensure project steps are clear, needed information is conveyed, and clarity is achieved.
• Work effectively as a team member, embracing and fostering LU's mission.

Other Duties as Assigned

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This position directly supervises a team of 10+ student workers.

QUALIFICATIONS AND CREDENTIALS

Minimum Qualifications

Education

Completed bachelor’s degree in business, project management, strategic communications, or a related field.

Experience

2+ years of professional project management experience, including utilization of a project management software

1-2 years of working knowledge of creative operations and execution

Experience with student development or student affairs

Preferred Qualifications

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business, project management, strategic communications or relevant field of study. Masters degree in progress.

Experience

4+ years of professional project management experience, including utilization of a project management software (i.e. Smartsheet or similar platform).

2+ Years of experience with technical or creative copywriting

Experience in managing creative processes and employees

ABILITIES AND COMPETENCIES ESSENTIAL TO THE FUNCTION OF THE JOB

Communication

• Effectively communicates in both verbal and written forms to convey clear, well-articulated information.
• Able to understand, speak, and write English in order to convey messages and correspond in an articulate and professional manner.
• Demonstrates strong organization, project management, and managerial skills.
• Possesses excellent computer skills, necessary for Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe Creative Suite.

Initiative & Work Ethic

• Task oriented and dedicated, meets deadlines while going the extra mile and producing quality work products.
• Anticipates needs and takes steps to meet those needs before they crop up, taking a proactive and intentional approach to their duties.

Leadership & People Skills

• Sincere and affable, is able to build relational rapport quickly, establishing productive relationships across a variety of departments and contexts.
• Develops priorities for their team, and provides tangible steps and tasks to enable their team to achieve these priorities.
• Trains, develops, and stewards the personnel resources of their team to improve the team’s overall skillsets and contributions.
• Intentional to show care for others, exhibiting intentionality, conscientiousness, and emotional intelligence in interpersonal interactions.

Organization

• Detail-oriented, catching and fixing small errors and details in both visual and written communications and content.
• Manages their own schedule, project timelines, as well as the schedules of their team with punctuality and proactivity.

Physical and Sensory Abilities

• Frequently required to travel to local and campus locations.
• Frequently required to sit for extended periods to perform deskwork or type on a keyboard.
• Regularly required to hear and speak in order to effectively communicate and review Creative Team media content.
• Occasionally required to stand, walk, and climb stairs to move about the building.
• Handle materials, reach overhead, kneel or stoop in order to conduct business.
• Regularly lift 20 or fewer pounds.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Work Environment

The working environment in which one will typically perform the essential functions of this position is in an office setting. However, work frequently occurs in a variety of other settings; including, but not limited to, residence halls, warehouses, and outdoor activities.

Driving Requirements

Use of one’s personal vehicle (or LU vehicles) may be required for travel in the performance of the essential functions of this position. Proof of a valid Virginia driver’s license, an acceptable DMV record, and liability insurance is required.

Time Type

Full time

Location

Onsite

Pay Range

Compensation is determined based on factors such as qualifications, experience, education, skills, and certifications, along with University needs and external market conditions. Market benchmarks may be used, as appropriate, in combination with internal equity to ensure pay is fair and aligned with the broader compensation structure.

The position may also be eligible for comprehensive benefits, including health insurance, retirement plans, and tuition assistance.

$60,000.00 - $70,000.00

The University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe it is our moral and legal obligation to meet the responsibility of ensuring that all management practices regarding employees are conducted in a nondiscriminatory manner. In compliance with Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and other applicable federal and state statutes, all recruiting, hiring, training, and promoting for all job classifications will be administered without regard to race, color, ancestry, age, sex, national origin, pregnancy or childbirth, disability, military veteran status or other applicable status protected by law, including state of employment protected classes. It is, therefore, our policy and intention to evaluate all employees and prospective employees strictly according to the requirements of the job. All personnel related activities such as compensation, benefits, transfers, job classification, assignments, working conditions, educational assistance, terminations, layoffs, and return from layoffs, and all other terms, conditions and privileges of employment will be administered without regard to race, color, ancestry, age, sex, national origin, pregnancy or childbirth, disability, military veteran status or other applicable status protected by law, including all applicable state of employment protected classes. The University is a Christian religious-affiliated organization; and as such, is not subject to religious discrimination requirements. The University’s hiring practices and EEO discrimination practices are in full compliance with both federal and state law. Federal law creates an exception to the “religion” component of the employment discrimination laws for religious organizations (including educational institutions), and permits them to give employment practice preference to members of their own religious beliefs.