Assistant Director, Advertising and Creative Services

Job description

As a community, the University of Rochester is defined by a deep commitment to Meliora - Ever Better. Embedded in that ideal are the values we share: equity, leadership, integrity, openness, respect, and accountability. Together, we will set the highest standards for how we treat each other to ensure our community is welcoming to all and is a place where all can thrive.
Job Location (Full Address):
220 Hutchison Rd, Rochester, New York, United States of America, 14620
Opening:
Worker Subtype:
Regular
Time Type:
Full time
Scheduled Weekly Hours:
40
Department:
900007 Marketing Med Ctr
Work Shift:
UR - Day (United States of America)
Range:
UR URG 116
Compensation Range:
$109,000.00 - $163,600.00
The referenced pay range represents the minimum and maximum compensation for this job. Individual annual salaries/hourly rates will be set within the job's compensation range, and will be determined by considering factors including, but not limited to, market data, education, experience, qualifications, expertise of the individual, and internal equity considerations.
Responsibilities:
Reporting to the Director, Creative & Brand Strategy, the Assistant Director, Creative Services leads the day-to-day operation and delivery of creative services in support of University of Rochester Medicine priorities. Translates creative and brand strategy into team priorities, resource plans, workflows, and high-quality creative execution across channels and initiatives.
Provides creative direction and operational leadership for an in-house team of designers and copywriters, ensuring work is strategically aligned, on brand, on time, and appropriately resourced. Oversees workload, capacity, processes, and performance while identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency, and quality.
Directly manages and develops creative staff, fostering a collaborative, accountable, and innovative team culture and ensuring team capabilities continue to evolve with organizational needs.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Creative Leadership & Talent Development
• Provides creative leadership across the team, translating strategic priorities into clear creative direction and ensuring cohesive execution across campaigns, initiatives and channels (digital, print, video).
• Drives innovation aligned with brand standards, audience insights, and organizational priorities, encouraging thoughtful experimentation and continuous improvement.
• Ensuring a collaborative, inclusive culture, supervises, mentors and develops an in-house creative team (designers and copywriters) and manages external freelancers or agencies as needed.
• Partners with the Director, HR and department leaders on hiring, onboarding, goal setting, performance management, career development, and succession planning.

Resource Planning & Operational Excellence
• Translates organizational and creative priorities into resource plans, project sequencing, timelines, and deliverables; manages day-to-day allocation of creative resources across the team. Monitors team workload, capacity, timelines, dependencies, and risk. Proactively and independently reallocates resources, adjusts sequencing, or recommends priority changes to keep projects on track with deadlines and emerging needs.
• Defines, documents and continuously refines creative processes, workflows, approval pathways, tools and reporting to improve consistency, efficiency, transparency, and scalability.
• Uses workload, productivity, and workflow data to identify operational trends, anticipate capacity needs, and recommend improvements.
• Independently identifies process‐improvement opportunities; recommends and implements solutions that strengthen operational performance.

Creative Collaboration
• Acting independently, serves as a trusted creative partner to colleagues and leaders across Marketing, Communications, Web, Digital Content, and other areas, translating business and communication objectives into strategic, audience-focused creative approaches.
• Consults with stakeholders and leadership outside the department to clarify objectives, audience needs, scope, and creative requirements and recommends approaches that balance strategic goals, brand standards, resources, timelines, and channel needs.
• Provides direction on marketing strategy, storytelling, engagement tactics and brand application, balancing creative solutions with brand standards and business goals.
• Helps resolve competing creative needs, complex project requirements, and cross-functional dependencies in partnership with appropriate leaders and stakeholders.
• Builds strong working relationships across teams to improve planning, coordination, and the effectiveness of creative services.

Creative Development & Quality
• Oversees the creative process from discovery and concept development through production, review, and delivery across print, digital, social, video, out-of-home, and other channels; contributes directly to creative work when appropriate.
• Provides creative direction and reviews work at key stages to ensure quality, accessibility, brand alignment, audience relevance, and strategic effectiveness.
• Makes or facilitates creative decisions needed to keep work progressing and escalates significant strategic, brand, resource, or stakeholder issues to the Director as appropriate.
• Leads and promotes thoughtful experimentation with new tools, formats, technologies, and storytelling approaches that improve creative quality, efficiency, or audience engagement.

Other duties as assigned.
MINIMUM EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Art, Design, or related field and 10 years of experience in a strategic communications or creative director role required
• Master's degree preferred
• Or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Health care experience, especially in an academic medical center setting preferred
• 5 years of supervisory or management experience preferred

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
• Knowledge of HIPAA privacy rules and ability to manage HIPAA consent authorization process for stories involving a patient’s personal health information required
• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communications skills. Comfortable talking to all levels of faculty/staff, and in front of groups required
• A deep appreciation for the power of creativity and a keen understanding of what resonates with audiences strongly preferred.
• Exposure to multimedia production and strong understanding of video, photo, and motion production processes strongly preferred.
• Ability to manage creative teams and projects in a fast-paced environment; execute on multiple campaigns and competing priorities with minimal supervision strongly preferred.
• Proficiency in conceptual creative problem solving, strategic integrated content messaging systems. Ability to demonstrate creativity for unique series-driven approaches to a variety of topics, platforms and audiences strongly preferred.
• High level of organization, attention to detail, and problem-solving skills with an ability to manage stressful situations in a solution-oriented way with a positive attitude strongly preferred.
• Ability to manage administrative projects, make sound decisions, and support design and implementation of new programs. Knowledge of project management best practices strongly preferred.
• Ability to translate strategic plan concepts and brand strategy to creative direction that yields effective and engaging tactical solutions. Experience in developing creative systems and assets for strategic marketing and communications campaigns with proven results strongly preferred.
• Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams and influence stakeholders. Ability to provide context and/or reshape material as needed strongly preferred.
• A willingness to embrace change, learn new technologies, and stay curious about the evolving marketing landscape strongly preferred.
• Strong experience managing creative teams and direct reports in the creative industry strongly preferred.

The University of Rochester is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving an inclusive and welcoming culture to advance the University’s Mission to Learn, Discover, Heal, Create – and Make the World Ever Better. In support of our values and those of our society, the University is committed to not discriminating on the basis of age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, military/veteran status, national origin, race, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law (Protected Characteristics). This commitment extends to non-discrimination in the administration of our policies, admissions, employment, access, and recruitment of candidates, for all persons consistent with our values and based on applicable law.