Creative Director

We're growing, and we’re looking for the right person to lead the creative and visual development processes and teams at Wisconsin Public Television, one of the oldest and largest public television systems in the nation. Based on the campus of UW Madison, this position will work with a talented, energetic group of designers, producers and project managers to build creative project teams and help ensure smooth workflows across the station.

We believe that the strongest teams represent diverse perspectives, and that our best work comes from collaboration.Wehire high-performing people who are motivated bythepower of today’s media in building and shaping community, people who are ready to work hard, innovate, experiment, and get things done in a fast-moving, fun, future-focused service environment

The Creative Director for Wisconsin Public Television (WPT) will serve as a leader in the organization, working across projects at WPT to guide the design development and ensure the visual consistency of WPT productions, projects, assets, channels and other visual forms of identity and content, including the WPT brand. This broad position will be involved, along with project leads, at the earliest phases of projects and visual work to develop and direct creative project teams, timelines and processes, and to serve as a liaison between the various project teams/productions and the Station Leadership Team. Under the supervision of the Director of Communications, the Creative Director is responsible for: providing guidance in managing the WPT brand and overall visual approach to production and non-production design processes; helping to determine design project priority and scope; working with the project manager/producer to develop timelines, creative teams and work plans; and working with communications, promotions, engagement, development and education to help develop and manage business objectives, design standards, calendar and deliverables. This position will supervise three design managers and operational units (graphics, motion/animation, scenic).

Responsibilities:

1. Manage the creative design process for all station priorities, including institutional messaging and brand, from creative team development to concept to completion
2. In cooperation with the Station Leadership Team, help translate institutional goals, and audience development/retention and other project objectives, into clear creative design-based strategies
3. Provide visual, design and/or brand counsel to the organization and its Station Leadership Team
4. Manage and cultivate the professional development of staff members, including designers, animators, scenic artists and others
5. Lead the creation and project management of broad, diverse project teams of art directors, animators, scenic artists, developers and designers toward targeted objectives across a wide variety of projects, including managing and assessing work and providing timely feedback
6. Work with variety of staff to develop and feature a consistent voice and experience for audience and users across channels, platforms and work
7. Ensure visual communication and brand standards are developed and met in all station work
8. Oversee project deliverables, workflows and timelines
9. Embrace WPT’s commitment to equity and access, effectively engage diverse perspectives and experiences in all workplace interactions and demonstrate respect for others in all workplace relationships.
10. Comply with UW and UWEX code of ethics including WPT’s Ethics for Editorial staff http://bami.uwex.edu.
11. Other duties as assigned.

Essential Job Functions:

• Listening, communication, writing, and collaboration skills to work effectively with colleagues across departments and partner organizations.
• Interest in and ability to build, empower and mentor creative staff so they are invested and engaged.
• Strong, proven visual and design aesthetic across multiple platforms
• Managing creative processes with production, design and marketing teams, in order to meet targeted objectives
• Ability to supervise and evaluate staff.
• Proven project management and delegation capabilities, including the ability to plan, coordinate, create and provide oversight of multiple, simultaneous projects.
• Ability to think creatively about audience development goals, content and process.
• Ability to sit or stand for extended periods of time including extended workdays or work weeks when on deadline.
• Ability to work some evenings, weekends and occasional overnight travel.

Minimum Required Qualifications:

• Must be a collaborative, thoughtful, open-minded adaptive problem solver who derives joy from seeing strategy realized and staff succeed
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent and 8+ years progressive professional experience in managing multiple, simultaneous creative processes and project teams in fast-paced, deadline-based environment
• Outstanding aesthetic sensibilities that consider strategic outcomes
• Experience managing and/or developing multi-media projects that includes a minimum of 3 years working with consumer-facing video, broadcast and/or digital content
• A strong understanding of audience and brand development, and integrated strategic marketing
• Demonstrated ability to be self-directed and work independently, as well as work collaboratively and cooperatively in teams.
• A proven background managing or coordinating a range of creative services positions such as design, copywriting, art directing and media production
• Experience managing through all phases of projects, including planning, team-development, budget development, timeline management, project implementation and evaluation.
• Demonstrated experience in leading with design thinking strategies and learning from data and evaluation results to inform decision-making.
• Ability to supervise and mentor professional staff with tact and diplomacy
• Excellent research, writing and communication skills
• Demonstrated support of diversity and inclusion in the workplace
• Proficiency with a wide variety of software tools including Adobe Creative Suite
• Extensive knowledge of industry best practices and trends, project management tools, design practices and techniques
• Ability to travel around Wisconsin to create, steward and collaborate with WPT project partners, producers, development, promotion, and engagement and education staff

Preferred but not Required Qualifications:

• Certification or coursework completion in project management
• Experience with video content production and/or distribution
• Familiarity or experience working in the consumer media industry, particularly public media

Salary:

We expect to pay in the mid-high seventies with actual pay dependent on experience and skills. The University of Wisconsin offers a comprehensive benefits package. For more information: https://www.wisconsin.edu/ohrwd/benefits/download/summaries/fasl.pdf