The Director of Creative & Brand Strategy is a senior leadership role responsible for shaping and executing the overall creative vision of the company across all platforms — including live events, magazines, digital media, marketing campaigns, and the corporate website. This leader ensures that every visual touchpoint reflects a cohesive brand story that engages audiences, drives value for clients, and amplifies the company’s presence in the marketplace.

As both a strategic thinker and hands-on creative, the Director will guide the brand’s evolution while rolling up their sleeves to deliver exceptional visual and experiential design. Working within a small, high-performing team, this role requires a balance of big-picture brand leadership and daily oversight of creative execution across multiple media types.

Responsibilities

• Lead the creative direction and visual identity for all brand assets, including events, magazines, websites, digital content, email marketing, video, sales collateral, and promotional campaigns.
• Partner closely with leadership to define brand strategy, creative priorities, and long-term visual direction across all lines of business.
• Develop and maintain consistent brand standards and creative guidelines, ensuring cohesion across print, digital, experiential, and video media.
• Oversee the visual experience of major events — from stage design and signage to environmental branding and keynote presentation support.
• Collaborate with editorial, marketing, sales, and operations teams to ensure creative alignment and high-impact storytelling across every channel.
• Manage production of multiple magazines and related publications, overseeing layout, photography, and print delivery schedules.
• Hire, mentor, and develop a small team of designers and creative specialists, fostering a culture of creativity, accountability, and innovation.
• Manage relationships with external creative vendors, freelancers, and agencies to deliver best-in-class assets on time and on brand.
• Oversee the creative and production budgets, balancing strategic investment with hands-on project management to meet timelines and goals.
• Proactively identify opportunities to evolve the company’s creative approach, visual storytelling methods, and brand differentiation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, Fine Arts, Marketing, or a related field.
• 10+ years of progressive creative experience, including at least 3–5 years in a senior leadership role overseeing brand, design, and creative strategy.
• Proven record of developing impactful creative campaigns across digital, print, and live event experiences.
• Expert knowledge of brand development, art direction, and multi-channel design principles.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating mastery in visual storytelling and integrated brand execution.
• Experience leading small, multi-skilled teams in fast-paced, hands-on environments.
• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite and familiarity with project management and collaboration tools.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to translate creative concepts into business-impactful narratives.

To apply send cover letter and resume to careers@franchise.org

The International Franchise Association is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, or any other category prohibited by local, state or federal law. This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, promotion, compensation, benefits, and termination. IFA is committed to achieving an inclusive, diverse workforce that values every individual. We firmly believe that hiring individuals with varying perspectives and backgrounds contributes to our success as an organization, and we strive to create an environment that fosters inclusiveness.

About the International Franchise Association:

Celebrating over 60 years of excellence, education, and advocacy, the International Franchise Association (IFA) is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations, and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising and the approximately 790,492 franchise establishments that support nearly 8.4 million direct jobs, $825.4 billion of economic output for the U.S. economy, and almost 3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees, and companies that support the industry in marketing, law, technology, and business development.