Director, Creative & Media

Sapporo USA and Stone Brewing have come together to form one of the top 15 largest breweries in the United States, building on the strong legacies of our celebrated heritages. We brew badass beers on both coasts at our breweries in Escondido, CA and Richmond, VA, and create amazing experiences at our Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens and Taproom locations. We’ve enjoyed a rich history following our passion and are in search of people who are equally passionate about pursuing their craft to join the team.

Summary

The Director, Creative & Media will be responsible for leading an in-house creative design team in the development and implementation of multichannel brand expression for our portfolio of beers. This role provides vision and oversight to effectively translate strategy into brand enhancing and revenue-generating omnichannel initiatives including package, digital, sales materials, events, and in-store customer experience.

Responsibilities

• Generate and inspire team to develop conceptual ideas (including broad-scale campaigns) that can be translated into commercialized creative work
• Manage a team of creative team members charged with executing content at a rapid pace
• Lead the development of high-quality visual solutions within a creative consultancy environment
• Create intuitive and elegant design solutions that solve consumer problems and drive business results
• Establish the creative tone and pace of the design team
• Exhibit exceptional creative thought and attention to detail, delivering projects from brief to consumer in partnership with many groups across the organization
• Communicate solutions to internal teams and leadership in a manner that simplifies complexity and generates excitement
• Impeccable design skills and aesthetic sensibilities, with a strong understanding of brand visual identity and equity
• Create concepts to articulate, inform, and validate ideas with consumers and stakeholders (prototypes, wireframes, sketches, journey maps, personas, etc.)
• Lead the establishment and adherence to brand look, feel, tone and branding guidelines
• Strong leadership skills for supporting the development of multiple small- and large-scale projects and campaigns
• Stay current on all the tools, principles, and practices in user-centered design and development, and drive for continuous improvement
• Mentor junior designers on best practices

Experience and Skills

Requirements

• 10+ years of directly related work experience and/or training in creative design, preferably in an agency or in-house creative department, or equivalent combination of experience and education
• Must have at least 5 years in a supervisory or leadership role, preferably leading a team of designers, writers, or artists
• Must have portfolio or work samples showcasing creativity, campaign development, and depth of thought coupled with fluency in best practices for Graphic Design/Art Direction
• Experience using strong layout skills, logo design, and illustration abilities
• Proven ability to work in all media with a heavy concentration in digital and package
• Demonstrated understanding of store design and visual merchandising
• Extensive understanding of photography, video, illustration, print process, typography, 2D and 3-D design, digital media, and associated production
• Proven ability to understand data/KPI performance and translate creative work to business results
• Proficient InDesign, Photoshop, illustrator, Microsoft office
• Strong leader in influencing others and contributing to strong cross-functional collaboration
• Takes initiative, and remains flexible, objective, dependable and focused on impact

Compensation, Benefits & Perks

• Annual Salary Range: $140,000 - $160,000
• Annual Bonus Plan: 12.5% of Annual Salary
• Comprehensive Health Insurance, 401K, and Bonuses for Eligible Team Members
• Company beer perks program and discounts
• Paid Time Off – including Vacation accrual, Sick Leave, and 12 paid Holidays 
• Benefit programs supporting Financial Wellness, Health & Wellness and Career Development  

Sapporo USA and Stone Brewing is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate against applicants or employees because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, citizenship status, various ability status, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression of an otherwise qualified individual, or membership in any other class protected by applicable law. Sapporo USA and Stone Brewing hires and promotes individuals based on their qualifications for the job to be filled. 

Sapporo USA and Stone Brewing seeks to build a culturally diverse staff where differences are valued and respected. Women, minorities, individuals with various abilities, veterans, LGBTQ+ and intersectional individuals are encouraged to apply.